February 2016

mercury messenger

Increase Average Order Values with a

Sympathy Combo PackPG. 2

SMARTSTRATEGIES

earn a $1,000 scholarship for education

Florist spotlight—FTD market for you

PG. 2

PG. 5

The FTD® Community GardenTM Bouquet by Better Homes and Gardens® (HG4p)DSRP $69.99

Dear FTD Florists,

As we begin a new year of partnership, I want to thank you for your trust, support and confidence in FTD. In a recent survey of our florist members, respondents overwhelmingly rated FTD as the industry leader, with membership satisfaction up double-digits compared to the prior year. Key member benefits, such as a strong worldwide network, quality fulfillment, leading mercury Technology and customer service, received the highest scores. This significant improvement is important to us because our #1 goal is to create win-win partnerships with each of you and help you grow your local business.

Profitable Incoming Orders In the survey results, you shared with us that profitable incoming orders are important. I am pleased to announce that FTD’s average order value is approaching $70, the highest among all national companies. Increasing the volume of high-value orders has been a key strategy. We have achieved this goal by:

• Drivingmoreflorist-filledordersthrough FTD.com and ProFlowers

• Focusingonthehigh-value sympathy occasion

• Leveragingthegood-better-best-exquisite upgrade path

• Re-launchingthepremiumpriceand high-designFTDLuxeCollection,and

• Growingourcodifiedlineofproducts

you can continue to count on more incoming orders at a higher value from FTD in 2016!

Programs that Drive Local Business We know programs that drive local business toyourflowershopareextremelyimportant. I want to assure you that every program and service that FTD offers is created to help you buildyourlocalbusiness.Forexample,FTD market for you, our newest program, saves you time and boosts your bottom line. Our team of expertswillbuildyouremailandsocialmedia marketing strategy, which includes consistent engagement with your consumers—the key to acquiring new business. Hundreds of FTD members have signed up for this high-value service and are growing their local orders.

Online Marketing Tool Lastly,youexpressedthatonlineadvertisingandmarketing tools are vital to your business. FTD is constantly researching the latest e-commerce consumer trends to offer the newest tools to help grow your business online. Websites continue to be the most important. FTD now offers a custom designed website service that will highlight your shop’s brand and showcase your floral artistry to achieve results. many FTD Florist Online users are experiencinghigherconversionratesandmoreorders since customizing their websites. Our FTD FloristsOnlineexpertscanhelpyougetstarted by calling 866.926.5197.

enjoy this edition of the Mercury Messenger and learn more about our members and the various ways FTD can help you drive your local business.Weareexcitedaboutthemany possibilities and growth in 2016!

Letter from Tom

ExecutiveVicePresidentFlorist Division

FTD Flower Exchange is your fresh flower one-stop-online-shop. Whether you’re looking for pre-book specials, deal of the day or standing orders, shopping for flowers online has never been easier. Plus, when you order online, you will earn 3X rewards points toward your next purchase.

Save time, save money and increase cash flow by charging your purchase to your Clearinghouse Statement! Learn more at FTDFlowerExchange.com.

Shop, Save, earn$10,000 in ScholarShipS

Flowers are still the most common wayforconsumerstoexpresstheircondolences on the loss of a loved one. The most popular arrangements sent through FTD for these high-value sympathy orders are all included in the sympathy combo Pack.

get on the path to more orders and order a low-risk, low-cost sympathy combo pack. Try it now! Call your FTD® Marketplace™ Representative at 800.767.4000 to place your order today.

avERaGE ORDER vaLuE

$92*

SMART SyMPATHy

what'S new

FTD Florists have the opportunity to earn scholarships to industry- leading business and design events through FTD university! The $1,000 scholarshipsareexclusivelyformember owners and their employees who share our passion for continuing education in the floral industry.

Ten $1,000 scholarships will be awarded to one of the floral industry's leading events.

The scholarship application deadline is april 1, 2016. Complete a scholarship application at FTDi.com/FTDuniversity.

The FTD® Faithful Blessings® Bouquet (FBB)

The FTD® Eternal LightTM Bouquet (ELB)

Strategies

*Average order value for a florist-filled sympathy item purchased on FTD.com is $92.

The FTD® Comfort Planter (CPP)

a. Idalia Castellanos (right), owner of Blue Iris Florist in Houston, TX, with FTD Field Business Consultant Joe Arbona, proudly displays her

FTD Top Partner plaques. B. FTD Vice President of National Accounts Ed Cronin (center), congratulates Jim (left) and Baxter Phillip (right),

owners of Phillip’s Flowers & Gifts in Westmont, IL, on their FTD Top 100 achievement. C. Dennis Feld (left), owner of Evans Flowers &

Greenhouses in Peabody, MA, and FTD Field Business Consultant Dave Galvin (right). D. The team at Jeffrey’s Flowers by Design in Wood

River, IL, celebrated the holiday season with a successful open house. Pictured is owner Jeffrey McElroy (center front) and his staff. E. vernon

area Florist owner Denise Crawford (right) connects with FTD Field Business Consultant Bob Martin (left) in advance of the busy holiday

season at her business in Vernon, MI. F. FTD Field Business Consultant Al McCann (right) stopped by Vernon, NJ for a visit with Highland

Flowers & Gifts owner Lori Struck (left). G. FTD Vice President of National Accounts Ed Cronin (left) presents Randy Oberer, Eric Battle and

Greg Turner of Oberer’s Flowers in Dayton, OH, with a Top 100 Sender plaque. H. Sean Beckert (right), manager of S.F. Falconer Florist in

Port Washington, Ny, receives a special plaque of thanks from FTD Regional Vice President Jim Weedon (left) for his service and dedication

as the President of the Long Island Retail Florists’ association. I. Tina Coker AIFD, FTD Education Consultant and owner of Designs of the

Times in Melbourne, FL, and Merritt Island Florist in Merritt Island, FL, was busy in the FTD floral design studio working on new styles for the

2016 FTD Floral Selections Guide due out this coming August. J. FTD Field Business Consultant Edgar DeLaGarza (far left) presented a plaque

recognizing 90 years of continuous membership to DeKalb Florist & Greenhouse in DeKalb, IL. Shown are James and Doris Kaelin and their

daughter Sally (far right). K. The team at The Flower Basket (Colleen, Brandy and Tiffanie Hardekopf and Benjamin) in Aurora, IL, meet and

greet with FTD Flower Exchange Manager Joe Beringer (left) and FTD Vice President of National Accounts Ed Cronin (right).

celebrate women in your community

Women’s Day, annually observed on march 8, is a day to honor and celebrate the achievements of women.

Founded in 1908, Women’s Day is celebrated by giving flowers and other small gifts to mothers, daughters, sisters, grandmothers, aunts, friends, teachers and more. Today, the occasion is a national holiday in more than two dozen countries.

Both FTD and the society of American Florists are encouraging florists to celebrate this special day locally to promote flowers and drive local business. visit FTDi.com/LocalMarketing and SaFNow.org for FREE promotional marketing materials.

cElEbRATInG

Our Florists

A Women’s Day poster was included in the Spring/Summer POP Kit that arrived in December. It was provided compliments of Sun Valley Farms.

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Stay On-Trend to Capture CustomersPresented by J. Keith White AIFD, FTD Education Consultant

Tuesday, February 23, 20165 pm ET/2 pm PT

Learn about The American Floral Trends Forecast 2016-2017 and how to incorporate it into your merchandising plans during a FREE webinar presented by Keith White.

IT's

PrIme TImewedding

engagement season is winding down as thousands of women became engaged between christmas and Valentine’sDay.Nowisthetimetocapturetheir attention as they begin the planning process for their dream weddings.

We know that most wedding planning research happens online. FTD Florists have the opportunity to capture leads online through Wedding.com. Florists participating in the FTDWeddingFlorists.com elite and Pro programs can attract brides-to-be with a customized profile page featuring photos, videos and customer reviews on Wedding.com.

As one of the fastest-growing wedding websites, Wedding.com can help boost your wedding business.

Call FTD® Florists Online at 866.926.5197 to learn how to connect with brides today!

pearl lane

GettinG trendy

J. Keith White AIFD, coordinated and designed this edition

A retro/vintage influence with muted palette of blush pink, aqua, sky blue, mint green, frost white and shell gray

luXe avenueClassic elements, shapes and patterns contemporized with vivid red-violets to brilliant red-oranges

In its January issue, Florists’ Review released The American Floral Trends Forecast 2016-2017 (7th. edition), the preeminent style reportdevelopedexclusivelyforthefloralindustry.

each of the four trends draws inspiration from home décor and fashion. Industry professionals then translate trends to flower types, arrangement styles and merchandising ideas.

The FTD webinar series is a collection of FREE educational presentations available online to help you increase your sales and profits while reducing your costs. Register at FTDi.com/ FTDUniversity.

Missed a webinar? A library of webinars is available 24/7 at FTDUniversity.com for FREE.

Free webinar

300,000 leads sent to participating FTD Florists through Wedding.com*

Average wedding flower spend is $2,000**

FreShly bloomed

FloriSt SpotliGht

WHaT IS THE BIGGEST BENEFIT yOu HavE RECEIvED By GETTING yOuR SOCIaL MEDIa PaGES SET uP?

Wereceiveunbelievableexposurenowandhaveanew

"community" of online customers. As a result, our sales

volume and average order values have increased.

some of our new customers have brought trends

and new items to our attention.

DESCRIBE HOW yOu WORK WITH THE MFy TEaM TO ExECuTE yOuR EMaIL CaMPaIGNS.We receive a sample of the campaign they are going to

send on our behalf. I review it and make any changes

needed. We share with the team any specials we might

offer, such as a coupon offer or a featured item. Then, the

mFy professional goes into our system to gather and

update email addresses, send the email and track the results.

WHaT IS THE GREaTEST BENEFIT TO PaRTNERING WITH MFy?The greatest benefit is that we are relieved of the chore

of keeping our social media up to date and fresh.

Plus,themonthlyrateisextremelycosteffectivefor

the return. The increase in our order volume pays for

the service each month!

IF yOu WERE SPEaKING WITH aNOTHER FLORIST aBOuT THE BENEFITS OF MFy, WHaT WOuLD yOu TELL THEM?Do it and do it soon. If you don't think your competition

is already out there leveraging social media, you are

mistaken. It is easy to check out and see what your

competition is doing. It might surprise you!

WHaT WERE SOME OF THE CHaLLENGES yOu ENCOuNTERED ExECuTING EMaIL CaMPaIGNS PRIOR TO JOINING FTD MaRKET FOR yOu (MFy)?We were unable to make our email campaigns consistent

and look professional. Plus, we needed to have a current list

of email addresses. The mercury support team was able to

help us set everything up.

WHaT WERE SOME OF THE CHaLLENGES yOu FaCED SETTING uP SOCIaL MEDIa PaGES aND ENGaGING CuSTOMERS PRIOR TO JOINING MFy? We were very much aware of social media and its effects,

both positive and negative, but we were somewhat at a loss

as to where to begin. We were unsure of our options and

how we were going to keep our social media pages current

withlimitedextratime.

HOW HaS FTD HELPED yOu CuSTOMIzE a MaRKETING PLaN TO HELP yOu OvERCOME THESE CHaLLENGES?The mFy team was able to tell us how and where to get

started with our email and social media marketing. It was

a relief to have professional guidance and direction.

WHaT IS THE BIGGEST BENEFIT yOu HavE RECEIvED FROM THE EMaIL CaMPaIGNS yOu’vE SENT OuT?By participating in mFy, we have reached an otherwise

untapped market of mostly young, tech-savvy customers,

whose attention we would not otherwise capture.

Owens Flower shop & greenhouses Inc., located in marietta, gA, has been a family- owned and operated business since 1953. When the mid-size flower shop was trying to figure out the best way to leverage email and social media marketing, they learned about FTD market for you. A program subscriber since October 2013, Owens has seen a significant increase in their online orders due to consistent email marketing. FTD spoke with President Paul conyngham about their marketing success.

FTD market for you

Owens Flower Shop & Greenhouses Inc.

The FTD Market for you team helped set up Owens Flower Shop’s Facebook page.

…the monthly rate is extremely cost effective for the return.

The increase in our order volume pays for the service each month!

“”OWEN'S FLOWER SHOP & GREENHOuSES INC.

Learn more about FTD Market for you at FTDi.com/MarketForyou.

FTD MERcuRy

MERcuRy DIREcT PluS

FTD Mercury Mobile is a robust tool that gives control to the delivery driver while they are still on the delivery route using a smartphone.

FTD is proud to sponsor dozens of state and national association conventions and education programs each year. Our mission is always to support our florists and help them succeed by sponsoring continuing education and promoting lifelong learning.

When ordering online or placing an order for a special delivery, consumers today expect to know the order life cycle of their special gift, particularly when it is delivered.

Both of FTD’s revolutionary technology systems, Mercury Point of Sale and Mercury Direct Plus, offer easy, convenient tools that allow a delivery confirmation to be sent real-time.

FTD Mercury Direct Plus users have access to a direct line to the FTD Confirm website for a quick, easy way to confirm deliveries.

Special delivery

Learn more about FTD Mercury Technology and how it can improve your customer satisfaction at FTDi.com/mercurytechnology.

eDucATIOn EVENTs&

February27Society of American Florists 1-Day Profit BlastAustin, TXsociety of American Florists www.safnow.org

march4-6Great Lakes Floral Expogrand rapids, mImichigan Floral Association www.michiganfloral.orgFeatured FTD Design Program: “Trend Forward Weddings” presented by FTD education consultant Jacob mccall AIFD

Northeast Floral Expo springfield, mAconnecticut Florists Associationwww.northeastfloralexpo.comFeatured FTD Design Program: “memorial FlowerswithLastingMemories”presented by FTD education consultant Deborah DeLaFlorAIFD

South Dakota Florists Association ConventionPierre, sDPatience Pickner605-234-6365

march11-13Georgia State Florist Association Convention Atlanta, gAgeorgia state Florist Associationwww.georgiastateflorist.comFeatured FTD Design Program: “everyday Inspirations” presented by FTD education consultant Tina coker AIFD

Check out the 2016 education and events calendar at FTDi.com/FTDuniversity.

April16-17Maine Florists’ Association Spring Design Show Bangor, meDeb Nisbett207-532-2856

cOnnEcT WITH uSwww.FTDi.com | 800.788.9000

20

14-15

18-20

30Society of American Florists Congressional Action Days Washington, D.c.society of American Floristswww.safnow.org

Illinois State Florists’ Association ConferenceDecatur,ILIllinois state Florists’ Associationwww.isfaflorists.comFeatured FTD Design Program: “memorial FlowerswithLastingMemories”presented by FTD education consultant Deborah DeLaFlorAIFD

Niagara International Association of Florists Annual Design Showniagara Falls, nyniagara International Association of Floristswww.niaflorists.org

Texas Floral Showcasesan Antonio, TXTexasstateFlorists’Associationwww.tsfa.org

march

march

march

march

1-3Wisconsin & Upper Michigan Florists Association Conventiongreen Bay, WIWisconsin & upper michigan Florists Associationwww.wumfa.orgFeatured FTD Design Program: “Trend Forward Weddings” presented by FTD education consultant Jacob mccall AIFD

April

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