On Monday, Philadelphia area florist Chris Drummond, AAF, got what most businesses only hope for: almost seven minutes of airtime on a local TV news program promoting flowers for Mother's Day.

The Plaza Flowers shop owner, who frequently advertises on the NBC affiliate in Philadelphia, sent the station his bio in the hopes of getting a different kind of exposure for his business. The 10! Show, an hour-long morning news show, contacted Drummond in early April and suggested he appear on the show with gift ideas for Mother's Day. Drummond's shop also has an "in" with the affiliate; it provides flowers twice a week for The 10! Show's set.

During the segment, Drummond shows several arrangements, gift baskets and plants in a range of price points from $40 to $100 for Mom. As he explains what makes up each item, he stresses to viewers: "You don't skimp on Mom."

Drummond seized the opportunity to emphasize the unique attributes of the flowers — the fragrance, the size of blooms — as well as the variety of products that can be found at a local florist. When show co-host Lori Wilson says that she wouldn't have thought of buying gift-basket snacks at a local florist, Drummond responds,  "We can be your gift source for any occasion, anywhere."

Ready for your 15 minutes (or any amount, for that matter) of fame? Learn more about how to effectively communicate your message on TV and radio and in newspapers with SAF's tools of the trade in the "Working With the Media" section of SAF's Web site.

--Cassandra P. Foster
cfoster@safnow.org

 

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