Kelly Ripa Comments... Keep Calm and Carry On!
So my email and Facebook page was filling up with comments about Kelly Ripa's Comments about Valentines Day Flowers... ("why bother... they just die") said on her Show Live with Kelly!First things first... As an Industry we know the value of Flowers... and the Benefits they provide... Rutger's, Harvard, and Boston Universities Studies have been available through the Society of American Florists for years...SICK People get better faster when surrounded by Flowers... YELLOW Flowers make them Better Faster! Seniors have Happier Thoughts, Enlarge their Circles of Friends and are less Depressed in the Presence of Flowers... and Homes that have Flowers in them experience less disagreements...This is the message we should be preaching on a daily basis to our customers...to get the GOOD Word out about the VALUE of Fresh Flwoers...When Someone Famous... Especially a TV Personality says an off hand comment about the lasting quality of flowers... AS an Industry we are Much Better Served to comment in a Calm, Positive and Respectful manner... to help educate and motivate a retraction!Admittedly... I used to be VERY Reactionary... "HOW Could they"... "Don't they know how hard we work"... "What could they be thinking".... I've learned and matured over the years... knowing that "killing someone with kindness" and "acting out of LOVE... no matter what the circumstance" gets us SO Much Further in situations like this...This week at Special Event... they had a program called "We don't need no Stinking Flowers"... it wasn't appropriate... and shouldn't have gotten past the convention committee... Sending a Calm Respectful Polite statement of concern to The Special Event Administration can have much more positive results than lashing out... or boycotting or protesting... (all suggestions I heard rumbling throughout the show!)Today... I'm working with Several Agencies to attempt to get an audience with Kelly Ripa... and some gorgeous flowers... (Maybe even an Appearance) to share the Benefits of Fresh Flowers... The same ones stated above... that we all have access to through SAF!Producers and Publicists... are much more interested in creating a POSITIVE Experience... for their Client... something that would create GREAT Press and Publicity... (like Pretty Flowers and a Positive Message)... than Allowing someone Rude, Angry or Impolite to Embarrass their Client or cause a Spectacle.I was "horrified" to see some of the comments that were left on the LIVE with Kelly Facebook page by fellow florists... "Loser Show"... References to "Toilets"...Threats to "Go Viral"... "Shame on you"... "You (just) sit in front of a camera" ... these aren't comments that will give ANYONE in our Flower Industry the Opportunity to Reconnect with her... and Educate about the Emotional Benefits and Value of Fresh Flowers..It was interesting to note that Kelly Fans... popped right back at the Florists... encouraging her... and also adding their comments about the lasting quality of Flowers... and saying that the negative comments were unnecessary!However... I commend this Polite comment.... "Kelly, love the show, but as a florist, the comment you made about valentines day should be retracted. Believe it or not, comments such as this are truly detrimental to local business people like myself. Flowers are a great way to show affection, and when public figures comment negatively, it effects everyone."You have to admit... (and we all Realize)... that Flowers do eventually die... that is part of what makes them so very Special... the Fresh cut Flower is our opportunity to seize the moment... and capture the EMOTION of our Expressions with something Beautiful, Colorful, Fragrant and Fragile...Constance Spry claimed her favorite moment with fresh flowers... was when the Flowers began to fade and the petals gently fell upon the table... it was only then; that she appreciated the Fragile Nature of the Flower... and the Meaningful Memories they create!My Mission to Share my Passion for Everything Flowers... includes the opportunity to Educate people that might have a slip of the tongue... under the lights... with millions of eyes watching... and Seize that Moment... to Educate... about the Amazing Flower Products we work so very hard to deliver!Just as Kelly spoke her mind... (and it affected so many of us...) in return Our Words affect us as an Entire Industry!I hope our attempts to reach her will turn out fruitful... I'm willing to take her Beautiful Flowers in hopes that together as an Industry... we can WIN her Back!!!