Can the mere presence of flowers in the home change people’s moods? Can the effects carry over to their daily lives? New research, a result of a collective effort and strategic alliance by the Society of American Florists (SAF) and the Flower Promotion Organization (FPO), says yes.
A behavioral study conducted at Harvard University shows people feel more compassionate toward others, have less worry and anxiety, and feel less depressed when flowers are present in the home.
Throughout 2006, the SAF/FPO Alliance partnered with Nancy Etcoff, Ph.D., of Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School to explore the effects of flowers in the home environment on well being. After six months of development, data collection and analysis by the Harvard research team, the results of the Home Ecology of Flowers Study was unveiled to the industry Sept. 29, during the Consumer Marketing Breakfast at SAF’s 122nd Annual Convention in Naples, Fla.
In a presentation by Dr. Etcoff, convention attendees heard the exciting research findings:
- Flowers feed compassion. Study participants who lived with flowers for less than a week felt an increase in feelings of compassion for others.
- Flowers chase away anxieties, worries and the blues at home. Overall, people in the study simply felt less negative after being around flowers at home for just a few days.
- People can feel the power of flowers. Participants most frequently placed the flowers in their kitchens, dining rooms and living rooms, where they spend a lot of time at home. They reported wanting to see the blooms first thing in the morning.
- Living with flowers can provide boosts of energy, happiness and enthusiasm at work.
- Having flowers at home can have a positive carry-over impact on people’s moods at work, too.
- The study found people are more likely to feel happier and have more enthusiasm and energy at work when flowers are in their home living environments.
“We know that flowers make people happy when they receive them. What we didn’t know is that spending a few days with flowers in the home can affect a wide variety of feelings — from compassion to worry,” said Etcoff. “As a psychologist, I’m particularly intrigued to find that people who live with flowers report fewer episodes of anxiety and depressed feelings. In all, our results suggest that flowers have a positive impact on well being,” she added.
The SAF/FPO alliance is publicizing the positive findings to consumers through an ongoing strategic public relations campaign set to launch in October 2006. Using Dr. Etcoff as spokesperson, the findings will be distributed via a press kit to print media and a satellite television tour to secure interviews in cities nationwide and through targeted pitching to national consumer magazines.
To help industry members capitalize on the nationwide public relations program, the FPO is developing retail collateral materials that will be available this fall. In addition, the SAF’s 2007 local marketing kit will feature marketing materials, advice and ideas to help florists promote the research in their local efforts.
