April 2004 - After four years of successful consumer marketing efforts in major metro markets, the Flower Promotion Organization (FPO) announced that it has expanded its successful consumer promotional campaign to entire states through partnerships with the Connecticut Floral Association (CFA) and the Michigan Floral Association (MFA).

"Through partnerships...with the FPO providing professional media ads, billboards and in-store signage, message reminder materials like post cards and statement stuffers, a consumer website (www.flowerpossibilities.com), and PR activities plus matching funds to those raised by the state associations...we have the opportunity to work together to spread our 'Flowers. Alive With Possibilities.' message positioning flowers as a fun, easy and effective home decorating solution to a larger consumer audience to help build flower consumption benefiting the entire floral community," stated Stan Pohmer, Executive Director of the FPO.

Tony Gagliardi of Connecticut Valley Flowers and chair of the CFA marketing committee said, "Individual retailers don't have the funds or media purchasing power to change consumer attitudes and educate consumers on new ways to use flowers, but through these partnerships between the FPO and the state associations, we can rally the support of the entire statewide floral community of retailers, wholesalers and suppliers and we now have the clout and funding to launch an effective campaign to raise consumer awareness and generate incremental sales and increase consumption."

Through the strategic use and application of the integrated FPO campaign elements, virtually every member retailer in the CT and MI State Associations will be able to leverage this raised consumer awareness into sales in their individual stores.

The retailers in both associations see their investment in this partnership program as very affordable for the benefit they will receive. The Connecticut retailers are being asked by their Association for $300 per year and the MFA members are being asked to contribute $365 per year. For this, the retailers not only get the benefit of the media and PR campaign, but a complete in-store signage kit that reinforces the media message to their individual customers.

"We felt the FPO provided us with the best tools to deal with changing markets," stated Michigan Floral Association President Jerome Raska, AAF, AIFD, CAFA, PFCI. "The FPO brings cost effective marketing tools that every MFA member can use to drive sales to their local floral shop."

The advertising media campaign will kick off in June 2004, but PR activities have already begun with FPO media spokesperson Jill Slater appearing on the Flint, MI NBC affiliate on March 18 and the ABC Hartford/New Haven, CT affiliate on March 21.

For more information on partnering with the FPO, contact Stan Pohmer at 952-545-7943 or by Email.