SACRAMENTO, CA /PRNewswire/ Sets of whimsical business card-size reminders dubbed “Hint Cards” will begin sprouting up in select California-grown flower
bouquets in Safeway, Vons and Pavilions stores throughout California and Nevada
beginning this week and online at FlowerHintCards.com.
Their message? “Just because” is reason enough. According to a recent statewide
survey of 600 adult women conducted on behalf of the California Cut Flower
Commission (CCFC), nearly six in ten (57 percent) would most like to receive
flowers for no other reason than “just because.” But while any occasion will
do, not just any flower will. In a separate nationwide survey, more than half of
adults (55 percent) surveyed said that they would prefer to buy California-grown
flowers if given the choice.
Those twin insights planted a seed that the CCFC grew into Hint Cards, a simple
innovation designed to make it easier for flower lovers to not only drop a hint
that they would like more flowers in their life, but to specifically ask for
California-grown flowers. After nearly a year of development, the first crop of
pocket-sized purchase prompters is ready to go. Including them in grocery store
bouquets is a convenient way to put the free Hint Cards into the hands of flower
lovers and flower purchasers, but the ultimate goal of the cards is to encourage
a future purchase that might not normally happen. The CCFC wants consumers to
get what they want: more California-grown flowers more often, and it wants the
flower-growing and flower-selling industry to get what it wants: more everyday
sales.
With sayings that range from bold to sincere to down-right flirtatious, Hint
Cards were developed to fit various situations and attitudes. The CCFC
originally developed more than a dozen Hint Cards and beta tested six of them
with a variety of consumers, flower growers, florists and more than 70 bloggers
over a six month period, who ultimately shaped the final development of the five
cards debuting this week. Among the crowd favorites are the sincere “Not because
you have to. Not because youre sorry. Just because.” and the not-so-subtle “Pssst
My favorite flower is in season.”
“You dont bring me flowers anymore is a clich because its so true, and we
think Hint Cards are the solution to that age-old complaint,” said Kasey
Cronquist, Executive Director and Ambassador, California Cut Flower Commission.
“A Hint Card not only turns a wish into a whimsical way to let people know youd
like flowers; it specifically requests Americas freshest flowers.
California-grown flowers meet the strictest growing standards in the world and
were probably still in the field just 24 or 48 hours before you bought them.”
Each set includes a strip of five Hint Cards that perforate off for easy use,
along with information about what makes California-grown flowers so special. The
CCFC wanted to be sure to provide flower lovers with a range of options to suit
varying personalities, moods and lifestyles. As creative as the cards themselves
are, the women who were asked to test Hint Cards were even more creative. They
tucked Hint Cards in glove boxes, slipped them into suitcases and wallets, slid
them under windshield wipers, placed them gently atop pillowcases, and even
taped them to credit cards to make sure their significant others “got the hint.”
But while Hint Cards and whatever stealth locations users put them into may be
whimsical, they mean serious business. California flower growers contribute to
an industry that generates $10.3 billion in economic impact to the state of
California.
Hint Cards are available online at www.FlowerHintCards.com, where people can
email virtual Hint Cards, download versions to print out, or buy sets of the
same Hint Cards now appearing in stores. The site also invites would-be Hint
Card writers to leave suggestions for more hints. Over time, the CCFC may use
some of the suggestions, crediting the contributors, in future versions of the
Hint Cards.
“We intend for Hint Cards to be around for a long time,” said Cronquist. “Our
vision is to develop more cards in a wide range of creative interpretations,
available more places. Its all about helping people get what they want, which
is more California flowers,” he said. “The way we see it, those ought to be the
best you can get, and thats California-grown flowers.”
About the California Cut Flower Commission
The California Cut Flower Commission (CCFC) is a state commission created by the
state legislature in 1990 with the mission to promote California cut flowers and
foliages by providing industry leadership in public policies, research and
education programs and trade positions. The CCFC is overseen by the California
Department of Food and Agriculture and is funded by grower assessments. The
Commission represents the states 250 growers from San Diego County to the
Oregon border. For more information about California cut flowers, visit
www.ccfc.org, and to learn more about the benefits of buying locally grown
agricultural products including flowers visit
www.californiagrown.org.