Flower Growers' Organization creates pickOntario brand to promote local flowers; Surveys show consumers prefer to buy local

Posted on April 11, 2013 By Flowers Canada Posted In Articles

Byline: BY HELEN LAMMERS-HELPS TODAY'S FARMER

To make it easy for consumers to choose Ontario-grown flowers, Flowers Canada (Ontario) Inc. launched the pickOntario marketing campaign to raise awareness, interest and demand for Ontario-grown cut flowers and potted plants.

Similar to the local food movement, buying locally-grown flowers means consumers get fresher produce while supporting local growers and the local economy. According to Flowers Canada (Ontario) Inc. (FCO), there are 250 greenhouse floriculture growers which employ 10,000 people in Ontario. Each year they produce 155 million bedding plants, 206 million cut flowers and 135 million potted plants worth $578 million. Ontario has the third largest floriculture industry in North America after Florida and California.

With growers facing increasing pressure from Colombian imports as a result of the Free Trade Deal of 2011 which eliminated tariffs on flowers, encouraging consumers to buy local is more important than ever.

When asked, consumers generally would prefer to support local growers. A survey at the Canada Blooms Garden Show in Toronto in 2010 indicated that 97% of people surveyed would prefer to buy locally grown flowers. The problem is that it's not always easy to tell the origin of flowers. That's where the pickOntario branding comes in.

In addition to plant labels, the pickOntario marketing campaign has included radio ads, advertising on delivery trucks, billboards in Toronto, and signage at the Ontario Food Terminal. They also work directly with all of the major grocery store chains to raise awareness of the pickOntario brand, says FCO Interim Marketing Manager, Laura Schouwenaar.

Staff at pickOntario also recently spent ten days at the Canada Blooms Garden Show in Toronto promoting pickOntario. They showcased eight Ontario flower growers and their products in the 1500 square foot booth. Each grower sponsored a table and their products were sold to show visitors. "It was a great way to promote our growers and their product individually but also to showcase the quality and variety of the Ontario market and to create awareness of pickOntario," says Schouwenaar.

Even Elvis was on-hand at the pickOntario booth promoting a new plant called the Medinilla. "He was a great draw to the booth and everyone loved him," says Schouwenaar.

After seven years, the efforts of FCO's pickOntario marketing campaign are paying off, says Schouwenaar. "It's really taken off lately," she says. "Growers are telling us that retailers are asking them to use the logo on their sleeves and labels."

In addition to promoting locally-grown flowers, FCO also aims to educate consumers about the wide selection of flowers and potted plants grown in Ontario. In total 80 varieties of cut flowers and 120 varieties of potted plants are produced in Ontario's 54 million square feet of greenhouse.

The pickOntario website at www.pickontario.ca features searchable databases of florists that sell local flowers, local growers, and flower availability. The website also provides detailed instructions for the care of many flowers and potted plants.

pickOntario is funded by the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Food.

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