“Be that strong girl that everyone knew would make it through the worst, be that fearless girl, the one who would dare to do anything, be that independent girl who didn’t need a man; be that girl who never backed down.” — Taylor Swift
Thankfully, in the last year we’ve seen a continued surge in leadership by women in American society. The fall election cycles brought a record number of women to Washington D.C. to represent the American people. One hundred and twenty-seven women are now serving in the United States Congress. A record setting 23.7 percent of Congressional seats are now held by women.
This change is rippling through our society, inspiring women and girls of all ages to reach not only for the stars, but for the power, influence and authority. This evolution has been a long time coming and has only been possible because of generations of both women and men fighting for an equal playing field.
The International Women’s Day movement is rooted in this struggle. The first Women’s Day was held in New York City in 1909, where 2,000 people gathered to push for women’s right to vote and for equal rights. Today, International Women’s Day is celebrated around the world, and in many countries it is a bigger floral sales event than Valentine’s Day.
International Women’s Day is held on Friday, March 8 — and what is more symbolic and celebratory than flowers?
International Women’s Day resonates strongly with both female and male millennials and Generation Z consumers — the voters that changed the make-up of Congress.
These consumers want to shop with companies that share their values, their hopes, and their dreams. By highlighting International Women’s Day, you will gain loyalty with millennial shoppers, who as 30 percent of the population, are often found to be very fickle when it comes to brand loyalty.
According to a recent article in Forbes, research shows you don’t “Win” millennials, you “Woo” them. This dovetails perfectly with an International Women’s Day campaign.
Supermarket floral departments have a great opportunity to highlight Women’s Day, not only giving a boost to your sales for the first week of March but showing that your organization appreciates the work of women and is cognizant of the struggle. The marketing adage, “People don’t buy products from brands, they buy products from people” is a great starting point to celebrate Women’s Day in your floral department.
Women’s Day merchandising tips:
• There is no traditional color for International Women’s Day, rainbow tulips and all the colors of spring are appropriate to celebrate this day.
• Prime your store level personnel on the basics of International Women’s Day. (Pssst, available from Sun Valley, or other floral suppliers.)
• Leading up to March 8, promote the happening in your floral department on the in-store PA system. We’ve seen shoppers wander over to floral just to ask, “What is International Women’s Day?”
• Visit the official website to be inspired by this year’s theme, https://www.internationalwomensday.com/ and follow the hashtags #IWD2019 and #BalanceforBetter
• Use premade Women’s Day display boxes, sleeves and stickers. No matter where you purchase your flowers, most large suppliers currently have a Women’s Day display box and marketing collateral. Request this for all orders between Feb. 15 and March 8.
Unlike Valentine’s Day where men buy flowers for women, Women’s Day is more inclusive as both men and women buy flowers for the women in their lives. It is heartwarming to see a mom or dad buy flowers for their daughter. This is perhaps the true essence of the day. Looking to the future generations and working together for a more just and equitable society, where our daughters and granddaughters are encouraged to excel and rise to their full potential.
As Taylor Swift says, “Just be yourself, there is no one better.”
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