And then the Circus couldn’t come to town...
Don’t worry, this is not going to be another complaining story about Covid-19. I just want to share how the Flower Circus team has adapted to the situation by being creative and how we’ve already started to implement these ideas to ensure that we continue to bloom. We had many talks with like-minded people in the industry, (and some I would probably never have met if it weren’t for our creativity). Hope it will inspire you as well!
It all began with ‘some kind of virus’ far away in China. Nobody had a clue about the overwhelming effect it would have on all of us.
We had a lot of upcoming shows and our agenda was packed. In fact, the flowers were already on their way for a show when we, together with the wholesaler, decided that it would be best to cancel the show. Sadly, all the other shows and exhibitions were quickly canceled too.
Our first reaction was okay, what now? One day (and a bottle of wine) later and we were motivated to use this time to work on the ideas we’ve gathered during all our travels. Now we finally had the time to work on them!
As you might know, our goal is to connect the floral industry through floral fun. This we normally do with live shows at locations all over the world. Now that this wasn’t possible, it was time to rethink this. How can you connect people? Of course, via the Internet!
During our shows and talks with growers and breeders, we saw that there is a huge lack of information exchange. To make matters worse, sometimes the stories were told wrong, and without the passion, the people have for their jobs and products.
It was time to connect those people we thought, but how? Which platform would work the best? We didn’t know it yet, but after searching for the right software and, of course, people who wanted to tell their story, we finally started. We were looking for people who understood that they were past the sorrow of what Covid-19 meant for their business. We were looking for people who were already working on ideas and new ways to run their business in a post-COVID-19 period.
Within a week, we were up and running. There was still a bit of uncertainty and we were not used to talking in front of a webcam. Even though there was still a lot unknown, we started talking with growers, and breeders from all over the world.
What quickly became obvious was that we know that we are not working in the easiest business, not even in the good years. We were used to long hours and working with a fresh product that has to be sold and shipped ASAP. This is maybe also why a lot of people we talked to were telling us we'll get through this. We are used to getting kicked around. It’s the passion for the flowers that help us do our job, and we will get us through this as well.
Slowly our Flower Circus talks got more attention, more viewers, and it also got noticed by newsletters. We got more interaction during our live streams, which gave us a lot of energy to continue doing this.
We even planned our first online Flower Circus Floral Show! On the 15th of May, we will go live, and we promise it will be an unforgettable show! And, we also have (after having our online meeting with all our Magicians) a lot of new ideas coming up. Although the Covid-19 outbreak hit us just like everybody else, we adjusted and continue to connect the flower industry. No virus is going to stop that!
It doesn’t matter if you are a grower, a breeder, importer, exporter, or florist. It is time to work together. Talk with each other. What do we want? How can we help? We are all in a new situation with a lot of new opportunities. Take this opportunity! Don’t reinvent the wheel again. Work together with somebody who might already have done this, and together you can build something great.
It may sound crazy, but maybe it is good that we got a kick under our butts. It’s shaking up things. Let’s face it, some parts of the business were rusted. Flowers don’t sell themselves anymore. We got lost in the jungle of screaming ads on social media, television, and radio trying to attract consumers to buy our product.
I already heard so many new ideas during our Flower Circus Talks that I think there is a bright future for the companies who are willing to change and adapt. For example, the idea of creating a drive-by flower shop with ready-made bouquets is great and I am sure that for special holidays it will create a lot of sales and extra attention for your company.
Also, don’t be afraid to work with other types of businesses. Why not team up with a food delivery service for a romantic dinner arrangement including flowers? Or a perfumery to include a bunch of roses with a perfume.
These are just some of the ideas I heard during our Talks. There were many more, not only tips for florists but also information which could benefit every part of our industry.
It doesn’t matter if you are selling via the Internet, selling flowers in a supermarket or have a flower shop. You need to get to the consumer, advertise, make sure your message reaches your (future) customer. Luckily, there are many ways to do that (like Julia told us in this Flower Circus Talks).
Moreover, it is important to reach the customer in a way that they understand. So sometimes skip the botanical name. Instead, mention that the plant butterflies or that this plant is almost impossible to kill (many people are still afraid to buy a plant for their home because they think it will die). Give them a solution – you are the specialist!
We are continuing our Flower Circus Talks for sure. It is giving us so much positive energy and the reactions are great (thank you for that!). We get new ideas, and, most of all, we can do what we want to do: connect the floral industry. Actually, we are already rated in the Feedspot Top 100 Flower Blogs!
And, when the time is ready, we will travel again. We will be performing and promoting again. This time even better than ever!
Hope to see you all soon again, both online and offline in our Circus!