International Women’s Day Marketing Plan

Brought to you by Florists’ Review and our marketing partners:
American Institute of Floral Designers (AIFD), Alexandra Farms, American Floral Endowment (AFE), Ball SB, BoutStix, Florigene/Suntory Flowers, Florabundance/Garden Roses Direct, FTD, GotFlowers, Sun Valley Floral Farms, and Smithers-Oasis/OASIS Floral Products

Our goal is to establish International Women’s Day as a significant occasion for honoring women through the tradition of giving flowers. March 8th, IWD, is an excellent opportunity to express our gratitude to mentors, teachers, friends, family, and all the influential women in our lives. By providing florists with a comprehensive and well-structured marketing plan, complete with all necessary creative materials and guidelines for an effective campaign, we are fostering local growth that has the potential to create enduring effects on a nationwide level!

Download our full IWD marketing toolkit here

International Women’s Day Marketing Strategy

Develop a Specialized Women’s Day Collection of Flower Arrangements:

Design unique flower arrangements and bouquets that symbolize empowerment and beauty.
Consider incorporating colors associated with the day (such as purple, green, or white). Review the list of flowers associated with IWD included in this package.
Create high-quality images of the collection.
Order materials in advance from your favorite wholesaler(s) to assure you have the right products available.
Offer customization options for customers to purchase add-on gifts that resonate with the theme of International Women’s Day. This could include inspirational cards or small gifts.

Plan to Host a Workshop or Event: Consider hosting a flower arrangement workshop or event in-store or virtually. This not only provides a unique experience for customers but also generates buzz around your brand during the holiday.

Email Marketing: Plan an email marketing campaign targeting your existing customer base. Feature your special arrangements, share stories about the significance of International Women’s Day, and include exclusive discounts for subscribers. Review our email marketing templates for IWD.

Community Involvement: Engage with your local community by partnering with women’s shelters, nonprofits, and/or organizations that support women’s causes. You could offer to donate a portion of your IWD sales to one of these causes and promote this donation in all your marketing.
**Be sure to ask the organization(s) if they can send an email to their donors to promote this campaign, which could be a huge boost to your marketing and provide you with many new customers that may not be familiar with your brand.

Local Partnerships: Collaborate with local businesses, such as bakeries or spas, to create gift packages. This can expand your reach and offer customers more comprehensive gifting options for International Women’s Day.

Content Creation: Start generating engaging content for your website and social media, focusing on the themes of International Women’s Day. Utilize visually appealing content on your website and social media platforms. High-quality images and/or videos showcasing your IWD collection will attract attention. Include empowering messages in your captions and posts. Our IWD Social Media content bundle, including dozens of images, captions, and more at FloristsReview.com/IWD

Public Space Decorations:

Collaborate with local businesses to decorate public spaces, corporate offices, or events with your IWD floral arrangements or IWD theme installations. This not only promotes your brand but also showcases your designs to a wider audience.

Website Updates:

Ensure that your website prominently features your International Women’s Day offerings. Create a dedicated landing page with compelling visuals and easy navigation to encourage online orders.

Influencer Collaborations:

Partner with local influencers or women-owned businesses to promote your International Women’s Day collection. Influencers can showcase your flowers to their followers, amplifying your reach within your target audience.

Email Marketing Kick-off:

Send out the first round of emails to your subscriber list, highlighting the collection and exclusive discounts. Include visuals, compelling copy, and links to your website for easy shopping. Consider offering exclusive discounts to subscribers.

Announce Early-order Options:

Offer early-bird discounts or special offers for orders placed in advance of IWD. Limited-time promotions create a sense of urgency and encourage customers to make purchases sooner.

Connect with Local Media:

Email local media including newspapers and radio and television stations in your local market. It is best to contact producers or journalists directly approximately three weeks before an event and then follow-up the week before to make sure your event is still on their radar. Target local morning show producers and news reporters who cover community events.

**Review the press releases available for download February 1st, professionally written specifically for local media.

Social Media Contests:

Run contests or giveaways on social media platforms where participants can win Women’s Day-themed flower arrangements. Encourage sharing and engagement to increase visibility. For example, participants could share stories about inspirational women in their lives, with each winner receiving a free flower arrangement.

Remember to use the #InternationalWomensDay and #IWD2024 hashtags and other relevant tags in your social media posts to increase visibility. Tailoring your marketing efforts to celebrate and empower women while showcasing your floral expertise will likely resonate well with your audience.

Host In-store Events:

Host flower arrangement workshops or other in-store events dedicated to celebrating women. Invite customers to learn about flower arranging while fostering a sense of community around your brand. You could promote a “Bring a Friend”-type event that women could do together, either in the day or at night, with cocktails, entitled “Wine and Flowers with your Bestie”.

Last-Minute Reminders:

Send out reminder emails and social media posts about the last chance to place orders with special promotions for International Women’s Day.

Feedback:

Follow up with your customers and local partners. Send out a follow-up email asking for feedback and perhaps offer a discount for future purchases. If you offered a donation to a local women’s organization, be sure to include those results in your communication. Ask customers for feedback on their experiences or the purchased flowers. This helps in improving your services and nurturing customer relationships.

Review and Document:

Assess the performance of the campaign, document the results, and gather content for testimonials to use next year.