Flowers do feed the soul. But the soul of our flower industry is being ripped apart

Never has one phrase conjured up so much conversation and emotion as “Covid-19”. A quick Google of Covid-19 brings up 10.9 billion search results, while Corona Virus brings up over 17 billion results, all in 0.36 seconds. Incredible. That doesn’t include the mind-boggling amount of tweets, Instagram posts, Facebook posts and memes that are flying around Whatsapp at the moment.

At the moment, the global flower industry is having its soul ripped out by Covid-19. There are many growers unsure of their future, if there is a future at all for their businesses. And it’s not just the businesses, it’s the workers families as well.

This got us thinking, we as a company employ thousands of people around the world, all affected by Covid-19 in one way or another. While we’re not a frontline company in the sense that we are not a hospital, our customers are suffering. Thinking back to our post earlier in the week, we’ve seen the videos of flowers being destroyed in Kenya and The Netherlands, let alone other countries. We wanted to find a way of showing customers and growers that we still value and support them and the contribution they make to our lives.

Our colleagues in The Netherlands, where the floriculture industry is such a huge part of their economy, have been sending flowers to their customers and encouraging them to share their photos on social media with #FlowersFeedTheSoul. This campaign started as a way of showing appreciation for flowers while still in the confines of homes and it got us thinking, why not share that here? If you’re still able to get to the supermarket and they’re still selling flowers (unfortunately for our Swiss colleagues, sales of flowers are banned), why not pick up a bunch. Maybe just one for yourself, perhaps one for a friend or a vulnerable neighbour who would appreciate some joy and colour in their home. And who doesn’t like having flowers in the home? Especially when we’re spending so much time within the same four walls.

When you’ve got them nicely arranged, share them on social media with #FlowersFeedTheSoul and share the joy with your followers as well.  

And if that didn’t warm the cockles of your heart, Arend Roses, one of the biggest rose producers in The Netherlands, have been donating bunches to hospital workers, just as a way to share appreciation for their efforts. Even at a time of great crisis, flowers are there to spread joy to everyone.

Marketeers are known for their creativity, that’s why they’re marketeers, but they also have a great ability to find the positive, even in a crisis like this one. So even if you can’t buy any flowers, head out into your garden, look out the window, as spring is now springing, you’re sure to find a flower somewhere because #FlowersFeedTheSoul

Stay safe everyone.

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