May 8, 1920 



HORTICULTURE 



377 



CHECKING UP RESULTS. 



One Florist Analyzes the "Say It with 

 Flowers" Campaign. 



While the florists of this country are 

 vising their energies in raising money 

 to finance an advertising campaign, 

 they should analyze the benefits and 

 check up the results once in a while. 

 The price that flowers sold for last 

 (fall soems to leave a question of 

 whether "Say it with flowers" is 

 bringing the desired effect on the 

 business in general. Chrysanthemums, 

 roses, carnations and other flowers 

 fell into the same slump that they did 

 before the cost of production reached 

 its present scale and it seems reason- 

 able to expect that such conditions 

 will continue. 



For an example: when Omega Oil 

 was first put on the market it was 

 advertised extensively in every street 

 car and magazine. It told a story 

 about Mr. and Mrs. Goose and their 

 escapades. This product is made 

 from goose flesh, hence the connec- 

 tion. The result was that they spent 

 a fortune without getting the desired 

 results. Why? They were not ad- 

 vertising Omega oil but Mr. and Mrs. 

 Goose. They then changed their plan 

 of attack and advertised sprained 

 arms, swollen faces, headaches, etc., 

 and the campaign was successful. 



When Force was first manufactured 

 there was a story in their advertising 

 about Jim Dumps and Sunny Jim, 

 with a verse of poetry to go with it. 

 After a year or so the manufacturers 

 were not satisfied with results and 

 after a close scouting of their cam- 

 paign they came to the conclusion that 

 they were advertising Jim Dumps and 

 Sunny Jim instead of Force, and 

 changed their plans accordingly with 

 good results. 



Now we florists should take stock 

 and analyze the results of our adver- 

 tising campaign to make sure that we 

 are hitting the nail squarely on the 

 head. 



Another good example can be gath- 

 ered from the fact that Boston firms 

 which specialize in linens are not ad- 

 vertising that commodity at the pres- 

 ent time. "Why? Because linens are 

 scarce and they can sell them any way, 

 wheras if they were plentiful they 

 would advertise them. There is food 

 for thought in that fact. 



In our business we advertise ex- 

 tensively with chrysanthemums at 

 Thanksgiving, and plants for Christ- 

 mas and Easter and Decoration Day. 

 Before "Say it with flowers" was in- 

 vented there was always a big demand 

 at those times because flower buyers 

 naturally bought them then. We 

 should not only continue to advertise 



LILY BULBS storage 



GIGANTEUM, RUBRUM, ALBUM, AURATUM 

 MELPOMENE, LILY OF THE VALLEY 



Careful storage, prompt express shipment on dates as arranged 



THESE 

 BEADT 

 NOW 



GLADIOLUS, TUBEROSES, 

 CA^NAS, CALADIUMS 



WRITE 



FOR 



PBICBS 



VAUGHAN'S SEED STORE 



43 Barclay St., NEW YORK CITY 33 W. Randolph St., CHICAGO, ILL. 



THIS SEASON'S NEW ROSES 



PILGRIM CRUSADER PREMIER RUSSELL HADLEY 



We are receiving dally shlpmentB of these new Roses, In large qoantltlefl, aad 

 ean fornlsh same on short notioe. 



We hare a large stock at all times of choice CARNATIONS, CHBT8ANTHS- 

 MTJM8, ORCHIDS, VALLEY and AMERICAN BEAUTIES. 



Tel., Main 6267 WTTT PW RWOQ CCi *8« DEVON8HIBE 8TBEET 

 6948 *'' ■C'.L'V.'Xl rtlVVJJ. \^KJ, BOSTON, MASS. 



at those seasons but also make the 

 most of the big opportunity afforded us 

 in creating a demand for the days 

 between those special seasons. When 

 flowers and plants are plentiful we 

 should let everybody know it and turn 

 on full pressure in creating that de- 

 mand. Large dry goods establish- 

 ments often get a delayed shipment 

 of clothing out of season, when there 

 is no natural demand for it. They 

 don't put such stock on a shelf and 

 find fault with their business. No! 

 They put a big "ad" in the papers 

 telling everyone who reads how for- 

 tunate they are to get the stock at such 

 a time and how glad they are to l)e 

 able to let their patrons have the ad- 

 vantage of buying a good article at a 

 reduced price. The point is this. By 

 such means they can sell the stock at 

 a profit and get it out of their way. 

 If they didn't advertise so extensively 

 the chances are it would not be sold 

 until the following season and at a 

 much lower price. By getting rid of 

 it they can handle much more mer- 

 chandize in the same space. Now that 

 method can be applied to our business 

 very readily. When flowers are good 

 and plentiful, instead of sitting on our 

 haunches and letting our product ac- 

 cumulate and go to waste, why can't 

 we advertise and put one of those 

 flowery "ads" in local papers, telling 

 the flower-buying public tliat owing 

 to the warm weather, or whatever the 

 cause may be, flowers were never more 

 plentiful or more beautiful and frag- 

 rant, and that we are glad to be able to 

 offer them at most attractive prices, 

 specifying the size, name and price of 

 each article. While we would not get 

 holiday prices, we would get double 

 what we are getting between seasons 

 now, and it would mean that instead 



of the grower getting $1.50 or $2 per 

 hundred for Carnations, as was the 

 case during October and the early- 

 part of November last year, he would 

 get $4 per hundred, and the retailer 

 would profit likewise. 



There is a large gap to be filled in 

 our business from Christmas to Easter. 

 Of course the first thought is that 

 stock is generally scarce then, but be 

 that as it may, growers would be alert 

 to having flowering plants to offer if 

 the demand ever warranted it, and a 

 big demand can surely be created by 

 judicious advertising. 



People are v;illing and ready to pay 

 an advanced price for our products, 

 the same as they are doing for every- 

 thing else, but we must be very care- 

 ful to keep the quality up to normal. 

 Here is an incident that should be 

 eliminated from the business, and as 

 it happened to a friend of the writer 

 it made a deep impression. The 

 friend in question wanted to present 

 his wife with a dozen carnations for 

 her birthday, knowing that she was 

 very fond of flowers and that they 

 would be more acceptable than any- 

 thing else, he could buy. He went to 

 a flower shop and inquired the price, 

 which was $2 a dozen. Were they 

 perfectly fresh? "Oh, yes." He 

 bought a dozen and when he got home 

 stealthily hid them in the cellar where 

 it was cool that they might keep in 

 perfect condition for the gra,nd pre- 

 sentation the following morning. 

 Imagine his chagrin and dissappoint- 

 ment when on getting the flowers for 

 the big surprise he found four of 

 them had gone to sleep. Such an 

 occurrence should be discouraged, to 

 say the least, as it gives our business 

 a bad taste. 



(Continued on page 381) 



