With the holiday season approaching, the sound of Christmas bells may already be in the air. However, recently, Campanula bells stole the spotlight. A few weeks ago, the flowers were showcased at eight different Agora Cash & Carry locations across Belgium and France to highlight their year-round availability. This initiative, which is called Sales Promotions, is part of the wider Campanulove campaign, a collective Campanula promotion project between growers, breeders, and propagators.
The project participants include Sakata Ornamentals, Royal FloraHolland, Florensis, Kwekerij Stadsland, and Evanthia. Additionally, there is a sales promotion working group led by Royal FloraHolland which also consists of Sakata Ornamentals, Florensis, and De Waal Tuil. Manon Poot, Commercial Consultant at Royal FloraHolland, shares that Royal FloraHolland suppliers may also join the project in the near future. On January 21 they will vote on the company's Campanula promotion plan for 2025-2026.
Campanulas at Agora Cash & Carry in Kontich
The campaign is ongoing for almost a year now and primarily focuses on European countries including France, Belgium, Germany, the UK, and the Netherlands. In this article, several project participants will tell more about it.
Not only a spring flower
Campanulas used to be known as spring flowers until three or four years ago when they became year-round available, tells Karel Peterse, Product Manager Cutflowers at Sakata Ornamentals EMEA. Nevertheless, he highlights that florists and consumers are not yet thinking of it as a year-round product. "Although florists and consumers are quite familiar with the Campanula, it's generally perceived as a spring flower. With Campanulove we try to show that its quality and versatility deserve a place in every season."
Karel Peterse in Kontich
The event at the premises of Agora primarily sought to show florists that the Campanula is very much suitable for the autumn. And there the Sakata team also got some new insights. Peterse: "We initially expected that florists were hesitant to use Campanulas during the autumn due to concerns about their quality. However, during our conversations with several florists at Agora, we learned that this reluctance was mainly due to florists' perception of the Campanula as a spring and summer flower rather than concerns about quality. In fact, this surprised us."
The first year of Campanulove and future plans
Earlier this year, there were several other activities and events that promoted Campanulas among florists. Royal FloraHolland has for instance partnered with Heemskerk to create Campanula boxes that they sent to florists to explore their possibilities.
Similarly, Royal FloralHolland and Hoek Group invited florists to participate in a questionnaire in return for the bell-shaped flowers. According to data from Hoek Group, Campanula sales increased nearly 20% compared to the week before this promotional activity. Further, Florensis and Sakata also brought Campanulove to Trade Fair Aalsmeer, last month. "We received positive reactions," Peterse comments.
So far, he is pleased with the campaign results, saying: "We see a growing demand for Campanulas and their prices increase. I think that Campanulove has contributed to this development. This is only the first year of the campaign and possibly repeating our message is as important as the message itself. For that reason, we definitely plan to continue Campanulove next year, however nothing is set in stone yet. In the future, we hope to run the campaign longer and have more growers financially supporting it so that we can reinforce our marketing and extend the Campanula season," he concludes.
Manon Poot, at Royal FloraHolland adds: "We see opportunities to further expand the Campanula market, especially so because Campanulas can be grown in relatively cold conditions. At Royal FloraHolland we bring demand and supply together, and we will also do that for this campaign. I'm absolutely thrilled to contribute to this project. One of my own first business experiences was selling Campanulas, so these flowers hold a special place in my heart. By leveraging our strengths and working together, we can increase the promotional pressure of the Campanulove campaign and achieve even greater successes."
For more information:
Sakata Ornamentals EMEA
www.sakataornamentals.eu
Royal FloraHolland
www.royalfloraholland.com