On 30 September, FleuraMetz gave a presentation in Quito about the changing landscape in the floral industry and the role of marketing in this. Our marketing manager brought the more than 100 attendees up to speed with the latest trends and ways for companies to differentiate themselves in the floricultural sector in 2019.
Storytelling was one of the terms that was mentioned most. Choose your target, tell your customer what you’re doing, get him involved, and don’t forget to make use of all the new possibilities of e-commerce and social media. How many followers does your company have on Instagram or Pinterest? And how does that compare to your competition? Is the customer aware of your entire product range? Does your brand stand out?
The next couple of days, we visited several nurseries. Each with their own, unique story. From fair-trade roses to biological pest control. From alternative packaging materials made from corn and jute, to specialists in coloured roses. They’re all doing great work. But hardly any of these stories reach the florist or the consumer. Why not? Take the opportunity to tell your story!
Because opportunities are plentiful and always there. Make a virtue out of necessity! The recent unrest in our country probably didn’t escape anyone’s attention. We’ve got two very turbulent weeks behind us. In response to the end of the fuel subsidies, dozens of indigenous population groups revolted and paralysed the entire country. There were many days of protests, road blockades, vandalism and aggression.
Dozens of nurseries were forced to close down and send their employees home. Office spaces were looted. Workers who were trying to harvest anyway, risked being taken hostage. Luckily, some spraying teams were able to secretly sneak into the greenhouses in the middle of the night and spray against possible pests. Some brave engineers secretly ensured the crops were watered. And many flower transporters reached Quito airport after hours of dirt-road detours. Some of them had to deal with punctured tyres and negotiations with strikers on the way.
Calm has been restored by now. But if you spot a bunch of Ecuadorean roses in the shop this week, give it some thought, because… there’s a long story behind it!
Victor van Dijk,
Area-manager South-America, FleuraMetz
