Media Exposure Blooms for Colorado Retailer

Lafayette, Colorado (January 27, 2005) "Organizational skills are the key to getting lots of free publicity," says Lori Wheat, merchandising and marketing director for a full-line garden center and floral shop in Lafayette, Colo.

But she isn't referring to staying organized and orderly. Rather, she means keeping active in as many civic and business organizations as possible.

Using this approach to public relations, Sandi Yoshihara-Sniff, Lafayette Florist & Greenhouses GardenMaster's florist manager (and Wheat's sister) was highlighted in three newspaper articles and interviewed on two local radio stations in January.

"They didn't want to talk Sandi about our store," says Wheat. Instead, they wanted to talk to her because she was one of 200 florists nationwide who volunteered to work on flower arrangements during George W. Bush's inauguration earlier this month.

The editor's of the Denver Post, the Boulder Daily Camera and the Lafayette News all thought it was interesting that a local florist helped turn 250,000 flowers and foliage into more than 3,500 arrangements for the nine inaugural balls, three dinners and other events surrounding the proceedings.

The Society of American Florists (SAF) selected the designers, and Wheat says her store was chosen because she is very active in the organization.

Yoshihara-Sniff told the Denver Post, "The Society ... had picked my sister. But she's on the business side. She said she'd go but only if she didn't have to design anything."

SAF spokeswoman Jenny Stromann praised Lafayette's store by telling the Post, "The arrangements are intricate and labor-intensive, and they have to be done right. These designers truly are the nation's top designers." Wheat says, "This is the kind of exposure that you can't afford to buy."

Few of the other 199 florists who participated in the event, however, received the same type of media coverage.

That's because they did not grab the attention of local editors and news directors. "After you have worked with an organization to do something newsworthy, you have only done half of the public relations job," Wheat says. "Fortunately, you can also use your organizational connections during the second step in generating publicity."

Wheat explains that she is always pitching story ideas directly to newspapers, but her suggestions are not nearly as effective as having someone else in the business community propose an idea to an editor.

"While I was at a recent Chamber of Commerce meeting, I told the other people there about my sister's upcoming trip," Wheat says. A few days later a Denver Post reporter called the local Chamber office looking for story ideas, and its staff passed along Lafayette Florist and Greenhouses' news.

"I'm sure the idea sounded much more legitimate to the reporter because it was coming from a third party," Wheat says. And the only reason the Chamber's staff mentioned Wheat's store was because of her active participation.

The store also received community exposure by creating a large display at the recent Colorado Garden and Home Show. The store was asked to participate because one organization recommended it to another who recommended it to another. The Wheats are also active with Gard'n-Wise Distributors, which markets the GardenMaster program.

Another public relations example Wheat points to is her husband's involvement in Rotary International. When the Lafayette chapter was deciding on a community project to tackle when the club celebrated its 100th year of service, Brian Wheat supported the idea of a community garden.

Brian Wheat, who is the store's CEO, agreed to provide some of the materials, and he worked with suppliers to donate other goods. Lori says, "We received lots of media coverage, and we created a lot of good will in the community." She continues, "If you align yourself with good organizations, commit your time and devote a few dollars, you will surely generate good public relations and media exposure."

(click to enlarge)		Sandi Yoshihara-Sniff of Lafayette Florist and Greenhouses, a GardenMaster retailer in Lafayette, Colo., was among the 200 floral designers who went to Washington, D.C. to work on 3,500 arrangements, topiaries and table-scapes for the presidential inauguration Jan. 20. In addition to being spotlighted in the Denver Post, the Boulder Daily Camera and the Lafayette News, Yoshihara-Sniff was interviewed on two local radio stations.
(click to enlarge)		Lafayette Florist and Greenhouses CEO Brian Wheat (left) and Steve Newman from Colorado State University talk with a Congressional representative in Washington DC. Every March, the GardenMaster retailer participates in Congressional Action Days sponsored by the Society of American Florists. "It gives us the chance to talk to our senators and representatives about small business issues," says Lori Wheat, Brian's wife and the store's merchandising and marketing director.
(click to enlarge)		Lafayette Florist and Greenhouses GardenMaster's CEO Brian Wheat, (in center with shovel) admits that he is willing to do almost anything for free publicity and foster good community relations. In addition to spending time working on the local Rotary Club's community garden, his store donated supplies.

For More Information Contact:
Shari Kalbach, GardenMaster (303) 792-3000
Keith Funk, Gard'N-Wise Distributors (303) 371-0800
Brian Wheat, Lori Wheat or Sandi Yoshihara-Sniff (303) 665-5552