Petal It Forward Makes a Lasting Impression
The Society of American Florists’ 2018 Petal It Forward was a big hit this year. The initiative generated more than 90 million consumer impressions and counting, including high-profile placement in national publications and on highly trafficked websites and social media sites.
On Oct. 24, growers, retailers, florists and other companies in 410 cities in every state plus Washington, D.C., and Colombia officially signed on for 457 local events during this year’s Petal It Forward.
The premise behind Petal It Forward: passersby receive two bouquets of flowers — one to keep, and one to share — and are asked to post a picture about it on social media with the hashtag #petalitforward.
Dümmen Orange, North America led four Petal It Forward events across the country. In Columbus, Ohio, Dümmen Orange, Kroger and the Gems Group distributed 600 bouquets to surprised recipients over the lunch hour.
USA Today’s Humankind Facebook channel created an upbeat one-minute video compilation of the day, from video footage provided to SAF by participants. So far, the video has had more than 400,000 views.
In addition to the Facebook page, USA Today ran a companion article that generated more than 26 million impressions.
Petal It Forward also ranked #17 in bestlifeonline.com‘s list of The 30 Most Heartfelt Random Acts of Kindness in 2018, reaching more than a half a million people.
MSN also picked up the story to give it added exposure through its audience of 333,000, and it is expected to generate even more pickups.
“SAF’s nationwide public relations efforts to enhance members’ local efforts is paying off big for the industry,” said Jennifer Sparks, the Society of American Florists’ vice president of marketing. “The media’s interest in this coast-to-coast random-act-of-kindness initiative is reflective of what the country needs right now amidst news of tragic events and uncertainties.”
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