When asked what types of businesses usually sponsor professional baseball teams, most people might reply breweries and insurance companies. But Exotic Flowers is working to change that.

The Boston florist shop, which also has a Roslindale, Mass., location, has become the official florist (and a sponsor) of the Boston Red Sox. The florist signed a contract with the Sox in September, but has been working for the team since June.

Rick Canale, managing director of Exotic Flowers, says that this partnership allows the shop to fulfill any floral needs the team may have, including flowers for players' wives, other sponsors and playoff parties.

The sponsorship also includes some co-branding, so the store puts the Red Sox logo "everywhere but online," and the store's logo appears on the scoreboard and in the programs at games, Canale says. 

"We had a lot of ties with the team beforehand," Canale says, of how they got the business. "We have been doing flowers for [individual] team members for years."

The partnership exposes the store to many different markets. "There are a lot of opportunities — [the team] sold out 400 games in a row ... This gives us instant credibility. People say 'If it's good enough for the Red Sox, it's good enough for me,'" Canale says. "New customers have come in said 'I saw you on the scoreboard at the game.'"

--Vanessa Machir
vmachir@safnow.org

 

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