If there was any doubt that a little sticker could help drive sales for California flowers, it was put to rest at the Commission's mid-year meetings. Growers shared candidly during both the sustainability discussion and the Promotion Committee meeting their successful experience with the campaign. They also shared and discussed how the implementation and leveraging of the "CA Grown" program has helped their customers drive sales at the store level.
"People want to know where their flowers are coming from," explains CCFC's Promotion Committee Chair Chad Nelson. "Clearly the little 'CA Grown' logo delivers a big statement for people who are looking to buy a more local product."
Recognizing that California flowers represent twenty percent of flowers sold in the United States, the "CA Grown" program provides growers and their customers the opportunity to identify California flowers as the most "local" choice available to the customer.
"We know that 85% of consumers do not know where their flowers come from," says Nelson. "We believe the 'CA Grown' program helps all domestic flower farmers, by helping to educate consumers and flower buyers that sourcing domestic product does make a difference. Proof of increased sales and success is being realized in this program."
Over the past three years, the Commission has continued to provide growers coordinated access to this program, in an effort to help leverage the marketing and resources that have gone into branding the "CA Grown" campaign.
"Thanks to the Commission pushing and providing us the CA Grown campaign, we've seen sales increases in both our mass market and farmers market business," shared Rene Van Wingerden of Ocean Breeze International. "I am a big fan!"
Source: California Cut Flower Commission