PMA Spreads Joy of Fresh Flowers at Art Basel Miami Beach

Floral designers from H-E-B Blooms created this one-of-a-kind floral installation. It featured a supermarket shopping cart adorned with an explosion of flowers.

Who knew a banana duct taped to a wall as “art” would steal the show, create a social media storm, and fetch $120,000 at auction?

While it was kind of cool that a produce commodity created such a buzz, PMA was at the 2019 Art Basel Miami Beach Show because of floral.

A few Produce Marketing Association staffers, brand ambassadors, and several generous floral sponsors joined the vibrant, high-energy happenings at Miami Art Week Dec. 4-5 to spread the Joy of Fresh Flowers.

We know that flowers beautify surroundings and uplift the soul. Yet PMA research and our bottom lines tell us that U.S. consumers still don’t think of cut flowers – and in some cases potted plants – as part of everyday life.

In Europe, flowers are part of the fabric of daily living. People buy them just because. When they visit friends or family, they bring flowers as a matter of course.

In the coming year, including at Fresh Connections: Floral Miami in May, PMA will explore this U.S. market challenge further, and we’ll examine ways we can collaborate across the floral supply chain to accelerate the shift from giving flowers for holidays and special occasions to making them part of consumers’ regular grocery runs. Our presence at Art Basel was a start on this journey.

PMA Floral Community in Miami
Floral designers from H-E-B Blooms created a one-of-a-kind floral installation outside the Superchief Gallery on Northwest 24th Street in Miami on Dec. 4. The installation featured a supermarket shopping cart adorned with an explosion of flowers. In addition, we walked the crowds with a shopping cart filled with 200 floral crowns that we handed out to art enthusiasts from all walks of life.

The approach was simple: Present the floral crowns “just because.” Let their beauty speak to why. The reactions: pure joy.

Several women and girls expressed feeling like a princess wearing the crowns. One recipient with a cup of coffee in each hand gushed that she hadn’t been in a very good mood until we came upon her, but when she placed the crown on her head — while we held her coffees — her smile clearly showed a shift in mindset. Many young men also eagerly accepted the floral crowns and placed them on their heads.

The lesson? Flowers aren’t just for women. We’ll explore the concept of marketing flowers for all at Fresh Connections: Floral Anaheim in June. Registration for both Fresh Connections: Floral Miami and Anaheim are scheduled to open in early February.

Our second activation at Art Basel took place Dec. 5 at the Botanical Bash Cocktail Reception at R House Wynwood, where we celebrated the Joy of Fresh Flowers with a floral installation, custom cocktails and complimentary flowers. Attendees included about 50 PMA floral members, PMA staff, and R House patrons.

We asked recipients “What do flowers mean to you?” We captured their responses, which included feelings like: classy, fabulous, bubbly, grateful, special, loved, good, joyful, happy, lovely, yasss, nice, fulfilled, satisfied, good, super, special and important.

I know December is a busy, busy time of year for each of you, but take a moment to reflect on what consumers say our floral products mean to them.

New decade; new era for floral
As 2019 wraps up and we look ahead to 2020, I encourage each of you to think of ways you might use our experience and floral activations at both SXSW and Art Basel to activate your own Joy of Fresh Flowers campaign.

Are there art shows near your retail store, festivals, make-and-take opportunities, or places where a floral pop-up shop might fit? Can signage or messaging like what we used at Art Basel work in your store? Could you use brand ambassadors to spread the joy of flowers and capture that joy on social media?

We used the hashtag #PMAinMiami at Art Basel. What might work to carry the momentum through and convert recipients into regular floral customers? Would a card with a QR code work to redeem for a bouquet or bunch?

January will be here in two short weeks, and stories will abound about resolutions. People will commit to taking better care of themselves. As PMA member-exclusive research tells us, the wellness mindset is still strong.

Consider including messaging in your New Year’s merchandising that encourages people to treat themselves, or a loved one, to regular flower purchases. Making over spaces is nearly as popular as the surge in the movement for self-care.

Perhaps we can encourage consumers to include potted plants and cut flowers in homes and workspaces. It’s a new year and a new decade, so it’s time to take a fresh, new look at ways our industry can spread the Joy of Fresh Flowers.

On behalf of PMA and the PMA Floral Council, many thanks to the suppliers listed below that provided product and/or design help for Art Basel Miami Beach. There were no paid sponsorships.

Also, extra kudos to Erin and Andy from H-E-B who were the brains and brawn behind PMA’s floral installations in Miami! We couldn’t have done it without you!

In closing, I wish you all a happy, healthy New Year. And don’t forget to set a personal example for the audiences we are aiming to reach: Bring flowers, treat yourself, spread joy.

All the best to you in 2020!

Becky

PMA Art Basel Contributors
Continental Flowers
Designer Cut Flowers
Elite
Gems Group
H-E-B BLOOMS
Natures Flowers
Passion Growers
Queen's Bouquet Network
Smithers-Oasis
Sutton Ferneries
Syndicate Sales
Temkin International
USA Bouquet Company