12 



The Florists^ Review 



April 15, 1916. 



iMndlayi, 



ly 



Honor the Best Mother 

 who ever lived {your own) 

 by wearing a flower on 

 Sunday, May 10th. 



ORDER EARLY, PLEASeI 



Honor Mother by wear- 

 ing a bright flower for 

 Mothers Living, and while 

 flower for Mother's memory. 



ORDER EARLY. PLEASE 



WHO is there that has not in the secret recesses of the heart the 

 love for Mother that would not gladly pay homage- to her whose guiding hand 



and loving ey« M> )«alously guarded your first («blc fuotslcps: whost watchful care and tireless labors proteclid you 

 from a cold, heartleu world? Surely one tiny blossom nouir today -while she can still see and admire its beauty and inhale 

 Its fragrance, is worth more to Ker than will be a thousand laid on her bicr. And those to whom Mother is but a memory 

 will be glad to pay tribute to her of the long ago on the one day of the year set aside by the Congress of the United 

 Stales, and designated 'Mother's Day." The emblem is Flowers —the silent messengers of love and constancy. 



A Half Page at St. Paul, '^Ordef Early/' but No Addresses. 



other year we will endeavor to get the 

 editors of the newspapers to devote 

 part of their editorial space to writing 

 correct data regarding the day, and 

 thus by the power of suggestion in- 

 crease the sale of flowers." 



But S. Younkin, secretary and treas- 

 urer of Hoyt Bros. Co., is not quite 

 so enthusiastic. "I am inclined to 

 think," says Mr. Younkin, taking the 

 attitude that has been held by florists 

 for years, ' ' all of us would have cleaned 

 up our stock without any advertising, 

 although the demand this year was for 

 more red and pink carnations than for 

 white. I have not made up my mind 

 yet to like the cooperative advertising. 

 This cost me $23. I could have carried 

 a 4-inch ad in three successive issues 

 for the same money and believe it 

 would have done me more good as an 

 individual firm for Mothers' day and 

 the days that follow." 



Then, Back to Boston. 



In Boston, one of the most conserva- 

 tive of cities, a full page ad was 

 printed in the leading daily and the 

 surplus spent in several smaller spaces. 

 This is the progressive report, by Wax 

 Bros.: 



"We are pleased to say that Moth- 

 ers' day, 1914, was the best ever and 

 the day promises to become better 

 known and better loved until it be- 

 comes 'the day of days' throughout 

 the universe. In Boston the public 

 was most enthusiastic, but of course 

 that was all due to advertising. The 

 day is yet so new that the date has not 

 made its impression on many minds, 

 but all it needed was the reminder 

 through newspaper advertising to make 

 them sit up and take notice. 



"Regarding the cooperative adver- 

 tising, would say that we have here in 

 Boston what is known as the Retail 

 Florists' Club and through this medium 

 the advertising was arranged for. 

 Each member of the association, as 

 well as the different growers, con- 

 tributed what he could, or thought he 

 should, toward the ad, and $157 was 

 raised. We had a full page ad in the 

 leading morning newspaper on Satur- 

 day, the day preceding Mothers' day. 

 It was a great success, but the mistake 

 was that only carnations were adver- 

 tised — white for mothers gone before 

 and colored for mothers still in the 



home, adapting the phrase from The 

 Review. We think that all flowers 

 should be advertised, making the dis- 

 tinction only between the white and 

 colors. In that way it would give all 

 the growers the opportunity they should 

 have to sell the flowers that bloom so 

 readily in the warm weather, and at 

 the same time keep the prices down on 

 carnations, for which the growers ask 

 exorbitant prices, more than some poor 

 folks who love their mothers or their 

 mothers' memory can afford to pay. 

 Next year we shall try to advertise all 

 flowers, white for mothers deceased 

 and colored for mothers living. 



"We hope this letter will help you 

 in awakening interest in preparations 

 for another Mothers' day and assure 

 you of our interest and efforts to make 

 the event the greatest on record." 



And then, lest too much be expected, 

 consider the conservative view. It is 

 that of Henry R. Comley, vice-presi- 

 dent of the Retail Florists' Club: 



"I simply entered into the Mothers' 

 day advertising so as not to appear 



diflferent or offish; personally, I do not 

 believe in advertising any of these 

 days — we can get all the business we 

 can properly take care of such days. 

 If advertising is to be done at all, 

 then general advertising at all times 

 should be resorted to. What is the 

 use of making a big blow about some- 

 thing and then have the producers put 

 up the price so that you have to charge 

 the public higher prices? This gives it 

 a slap in the face. You will not think 

 this an enthusiastic letter, but these 

 are my views. ' ' 



Louisville Approves Plan. 



At Louisville the cooperative idea is 

 approved. Fred Haupt says: 



"Mothers' day was a big success in 

 1914, as far as the florists and flowers 

 were concerned; in fact, we believe we 

 could have handled more stock if we 

 were better equipped in the way of 

 good salesmen. These men, it seems 

 to us, are a rarity; that is, good, well- 

 trained men. The increase in business 

 on Saturday preceding Mothers' day, 

 and on the day itself, was largely due 

 to the public press. Several good 

 write-ups appeared in the papers and 

 several of the more important florists 

 worked out a cooperative advertising 

 plan for this particular day with a full 

 page, which worked well, the cost, T 

 believe, not exceeding $10 each." 



The cooperative page was worked 

 up by the newspaper, which had been 

 put on the trail by one of the readers 

 of the article on such advertising pub- 

 lished in The Review for April 23, 

 1914. August R. Baumer says: "The 

 solicitor for the paper had the dia- 

 gram of the page when he called on 

 the florists. It is my opinion that the 

 drawing and the reading matter con- 

 nected with it was prepared by some 

 regular advertising firm which fur- 

 nishes newspapers with a service of 

 that kind. 



' * On account of the scarcity of car- 

 nations, especially white, it is a hard 

 matter to judge just how much the ad 

 helped us, but every retailer did a big 

 business. Perhaps I had better ex- 

 plain my views on certain phases of 



"On this day let each of «j hottor the hollowed memory of 

 his mother, ivearittg in token thereof the floral symbol of 

 purity. Of other blessings we may have had great stores, but 

 of that most precious influenet there trajl bu-t on^."— James 

 Whitcomb Riley. 



Sunday, May 



Is Mothers' 



lOth 



Day 



This date is the official one for the floral remem- 

 brance of our mothers, a beautiful custom which has 

 grown rapidly in the past few years. 



If mother is still here send bright flowers. If 

 mother has passed beyond wear a white flower or 

 have white flowers in the home. 



Many have taken up the idea of pasriny a tribute to 

 mother** memory by sending flowers to hos|Ntalh 

 invalids or someone who may have been near and 

 dear to her. 



Botion Rattdl FtcrlaU Clvb 



The Boston Retail Florists' Qub Signed the Mothers' Day Ads. 



