Overcoming Millennials’ Barriers for Purchasing Flowers

In the first of a series of articles detailing the results of a new study from AFE and the Floral Marketing Research Fund (FMRF), called “Marketing Tactics to Increase Millennial Floral Purchases,” major purchasing barriers for millennials and specific ways to overcome those barriers are featured.Understanding millennials’ purchasing behaviors can help you develop strategies to minimize barriers and increase profits.What are the Purchasing Barriers?Millennial consumers have several main reasons that reduce their likelihood of purchasing floral products. Most millennials surveyed do not purchase floral products due to perceptions of them being expensive, as well as their perceived short life span.Another purchasing barrier is that many millennial consumers believe floral products do not survive well in their homes due to air…

Application Deadline is June 1 for AFE Educational Grants

AFE is now accepting educational grants for 2017-2018!Educational grant applications are available online and must be submitted by June 1.AFE educational grants help fund programs that are wide-reaching educational endeavors that solve industry needs and challenges and focus on attracting young people to the industry. For 2016-2017, the Endowment funded nearly $40,000 in educational grants.Programs funded through AFE educational grants:Seed Your Future, a national movement created to attract more talented young people to careers in horticulture and change the public perception of horticulture.The National Floriculture Forum, which unites professors, extension specialists, graduate students, scientists and other industry leaders for a multi-day collaborative meeting.Volunteers prepare boxes with plants and labels as part of the Floral Plant Giveaway Project.Floral Plant Giveaway As…

New Study Provides Strategies to Win Over Millennials

The Floral Marketing Research Fund (FMRF) has released results from a new study that provides a detailed analysis about the floral consumption behaviors of Generation Y (or Millennial) consumers.The FMRF study, called “Marketing Tactics to Increase Millennial Floral Purchases,” was conducted by Dr. Chengyan Yue of the University of Minnesota and sponsored by Asocolflores.The study explored innovative marketing strategies and tactics to better target Millennials, who are key to the future of the floral industry.Results of the study reveal ways to effectively attract Millennials to floral products, as well as data on their attitudes, preferences and barriers to purchasing flowers.Top key findings and a detailed checklist of marketing recommendations are featured in the report and are invaluable to the industry. Some of…

Grants Awarded to Support Aspiring Floral Designers

Five floral design programs have received a total of $28,700 through AFE’s James and Helen Phillip Program.Established to honor James and Helen Phillip by providing scholarship assistance to people who are interested in careers in the retail sector of the floral industry, the James and Helen Phillip Scholarship Fund was established with a $500,000 donation by their daughter, Lee Phillip Bell, in 2008.The institutions receiving grants are:Joliet Junior College — $5,000Kishwaukee College — $6,000Mississippi State University — $5,700The Ohio State University ATI — $6,000Texas A&M University — $6,000The application deadline is March 1 each year. Apply here.

AFE Educational Grant Application Deadline is June 1

Apply now for AFE educational grants for 2016-2017!Educational grant applications are available online and must be submitted by June 1.A past AFE educational grant helped fund the Floriculture InfoSearch Engine and AFE Floriculture Library.AFE educational grants help fund programs that are wide-reaching educational endeavors that solve industry needs and challenges and focus on attracting young people to the industry. For 2015-2016, the Endowment funded more than $43,000 in educational grants.Previous programs funded through AFE educational grants:Floral Plant Give Away As a Recruiting Tool: An Evaluation of the Impact on Student Perception of Horticulture, intending to increase student interest in plants and raise awareness of horticulture as a viable career option.Floriculture InfoSearch Engine and AFE Floriculture Library, a powerful search engine…

AFE Partners With National Funeral Directors Association on New Study

AFE, through the Floral Marketing Research Fund (FMRF), is conducting a study with the National Funeral Directors Association to provide insight about how to improve the working relationship between florists and funeral directors and promote the many benefits of flowers and plants.This study aims to: Provide insight as to how retail florists and funeral directors can better work together Determine how funeral directors feel about flowers/plants in the bereavement process Improve or establish a mutually beneficial working relationship between funeral directors and florists Promote the benefits that flowers and plants bring, not only to grieving families but also to the givers who send flowers to memorialize the deceased “AFE and the FMRF are very happy to fund this project that…

New Genetic Engineering Research Aims to Increase Postharvest Life of Cut Flowers

Roses overexpressing MTD. Symptoms are 4 days after spraying Botrytis spores on flowers of a low MTD expressing plant (2-), medium expressing plant (10+), and a high expressing plant (32+).New genetic engineering research from AFE funded researchers at North Carolina State University provides information about how to manage fungal diseases in eco-friendly ways, potentially increasing the postharvest life of cut flowers.Although fungal pathogens, such as Botrytis, cause economically devastating diseases in nursery, field and greenhouse production of important floriculture crops, few genes have been found that are suitable for targeted breeding or engineering specific resistance.This research is focused on expression of a naturally occurring plant resistance gene to produce plants with reduced production costs as well as lower maintenance requirements…

AFE Pledge Campaign Offers Wire Service Members A Chance to Win!

BloomNet, FTD and Teleflora have partnered with AFE for the 2014 Friend of the Endowment Pledge Campaign, which runs through June 30.Retail florists belonging to BloomNet, FTD or Teleflora have a chance to win a free registration to the 2014 Society of American Florists’ Annual Convention (Aug. 13-16 in Marco Island, Fla.) or a free iPad (their choice), just by becoming a Friend of the Endowment (a three-year, $50 per year pledge commitment).Signing up is easy. Visit www.endowment.org/pledge and complete the pledge form or watch for information in the monthly wire service billing statements.“BloomNet, FTD and Teleflora have all been generous longtime supporters of the Endowment,” AFE Executive Director Debi Aker said. “Having their support in reaching out to retail…

AFE Accepting Educational Grant Applications Through June 1

A past AFE educational grant helped fund the Floriculture InfoSearch Engine and AFE Floriculture Library.Apply now for AFE educational grants for 2014-2015. Educational grant applications are available online and must be submitted no later than June 1.AFE educational grants help fund programs that are wide reaching educational endeavors that solve industry needs and challenges and focus on attracting young people to the industry. For 2014-2015, AFE will fund $38,000 in educational grants.Volunteers distribute plants as part of the Floral Plant Giveaway Project, funded by a past AFE educational grant.Examples of previous programs funded through AFE educational grants include:Floral Plant Give Away As a Recruiting Tool: An Evaluation of the Impact on Student Perception of HorticultureFloriculture InfoSearch Engine and AFE Floriculture…

New Research Helps Meet Consumer Floral Desires

Report 453: Identifying Consumer Preferences for Essential Elements of a Flower ProductAFE and researchers from the University of Florida (UF) present compelling evidence about just how enticing and alluring flower fragrance is to consumers, among other scintillating findings, in three new consumer preference studies:Identifying Consumer Preferences for Essential Elements of a Flower Product, Report #453Consumer Analysis of Mixed Containers for Indoor Use, Report #455Identifying Consumer Preferences for Cut Rose Fragrances, Report #456In report #453, researchers aim for a better understanding of what flower buyers really want – color, shape, size, fragrance, etc.— to better meet consumer demands and increase sales, and the results show consumers overwhelmingly desire fragrance.“This study allows the industry to gain a better understanding of what consumers value…

Get Involved with AFE

Make an Impact

Ways to Give

Volunteer With Us

Opportunities