- 07.12.2023
Stars for Europe returns to shine the light on poinsettias once more
How SfE is supporting retailers and florists to drive increased poinsettia sales this festive season
Stars for Europe (SfE) – the European-wide marketing initiative dedicated to promoting the joy of poinsettias to retailers and consumers – is set to return ahead of the 2023 festive season, with a new content selection that will provide retailers and florists with access to everything they need to communicate to their customers the many reasons why poinsettias have come to embody the spirit of Christmas.
About Stars for Europe
For the last 23 years Stars for Europe has been working with leading European poinsettia breeders to secure long-term poinsettia sales. The initiative is currently supported by Beekenkamp Plants, Dümmen Orange, Selecta One and Syngenta Flowers. In-depth market research and a true passion for the plants helps Stars for Europe to create annual campaigns that not only inspire retailers but also capture the attention of the consumer and shine a new light on these festive staples. Not only are long-term customers enjoying a renaissance of poinsettias but with the support of Stars for Europe, a new generation of shoppers are falling in love with one of winter’s star performers.
To date the Stars for Europe campaign is active in 22 countries across Europe, with each country enjoying extensive print, online and broadcast coverage. In 2022 the combined efforts of Stars for Europe PR partners saw the campaign feature in over 4,200 publications with a reach of over 3.1 billion. Social media activity reached an audience of over 10 million, whilst SfE videos targeting seven countries were viewed over 118,000 times. Point of sale content saw downloads peak at 129,000, while printed materials were distributed in the thousands in Germany and Poland which remain the two biggest audiences for this type of material.
Talking about the campaign, Anna Kaszewiak, marketing expert at Bronisze, the biggest wholesale market in Poland said: “Thanks to the Stars for Europe campaign, we can be inspired by interesting, extraordinary compositions and usage of this plant. The quality shown across its channels is very high.”
From the UK, Caroline Marshall-Foster, CEO, Florist Magazine and Good Florist Guide said: “Poinsettias have long lost their granny image and there is an exciting new generation of buyers out there. The [SfE] campaign makes accessing those new sales so much easier.”
Maximise sales with SfE’s one-stop-shop resource library
Recognising that not all retailers have the time or resource to develop standout marketing and sales initiatives to support sales of poinsettias in the run up to Christmas, SfE has developed a library of materials that can be easily utilised or adapted to help drive consumer interest in the lead-up to and during the 2023 festive season. Available for direct download, garden centres and florists can use as much or as little material as they need.
What’s more, the content is designed to both directly and indirectly communicate the many unique selling points of poinsettias, helping to not only inspire consumers but to also better educate them on the hard work that goes into creating these floral favourites. Whether it’s highlighting the world-class breeding success,or showcasing best practice production, SfE’s content is varied, informative and dedicated to increasing poinsettia sales success.
At a glance, the SfE resource library & how you can make the most of it
1) Photo bank and latest photos – expertly captured images display poinsettias in an array of settings. From rich tablescapes in reds and gold, to room sets with contrasting creams and pinks, the Stars for Europe image library is the first port of call for many retailers and florists. Use these images to bolster your social media content, to showcase the breadth of colours, inspire consumer design within their home, or to create aspirational point of sale or posters to capture shoppers’ attention. http://www.starsuniteeurope.eu/en/image-database
2) Press texts – from care tips to craft ideas, SfE’s press texts can be found under www.starsforeurope.com/de/pressemappe/. They can be edited to include individual store names to create personalised content for your local press, with the aim of not only inspiring consumers but to position each retailer as a rich and trustful resource for all things poinsettias. This year’s themes include ‘how to’ advice for creating alternative advent displays including ‘advent magic in a jar’, floating poinsettia table centres and even how to display poinsettias within a more muted interior style. Halloween also gets a special shout out, with autumn styles also offering an alternative view for poinsettia styling.
Trade focused PR content is also specifically created to provide easy to achieve ‘wins’ within the retail environment. These bitesize reads offer up top tips for driving sales including advice on point of sale, plant locations and supporting signage, staff training and tips for educating end users via marketing communication and social media activity. This “outside thinking” provides retailers with a fresh look at the way they sell and offers new, inspirational advice that makes then rethink the consumer journey in-store and, in turn, helps consumers to see pelargoniums differently.
3) Videos and graphics for social media – SfE’s social media wizards have this year created more content than ever before. Look out for 10+ mini videos that are optimised for use on social media, all covering essential poinsettia care advice and décor how-to guides [insert local link]. SfE has also partnered with a star German florist, together creating three stunning floral design videos. If that wasn’t enough, social media graphics will also be made available from the SfE trade site to further support these vital sales channels.
4) Social media – from Facebook and Instagram to Pinterest and YouTube, Stars for Europe has created an online profile that offers real tangible value for retailers and florists. From bite sized content to in-depth articles on poinsettias, a deeper dive into any of SfE’s social channels will quickly provide helpful and inspirational content, content that can be quickly adapted or shared via retailers’ own channels to create an active and engaging profile of their own. Find out more by following: https://www.instagram.com/thechristmasstar/ / https://www.facebook.com/DerWeihnachtsstern/
/ https://www.pinterest.de/TheChristmasStar/ & https://www.youtube.com/@MyPoinsettia
In addition to all of the above, SfE also offers a wealth of downloadable point of sale material. Suitable for use both indoors and outdoors use, these resources can be used at the store entrance, by the till or next to poinsettia displays. Downloadable content includes banners, posters and POS materials, designed to create instant advertising solutions for garden centres, florists and specialist plant retailers. Additionally, in a number of countries SfE distributes printed materials direct to retailers, with one such customer, Mrs. Esslin, from 1a Gartencenter Ensslin in Germany, saying of theavailable material: “I really like to make use of the Stars for Europe POS materials because they are offered at a really good price and show beautiful motifs. Our customers like to take the give-aways with them, and the included care instructions are very valuable.”