Each year the Society of American Florists crowns a Marketer of the Year uncovering the most unique, innovative, and successful marketing efforts that have shaped the flower industry. This year, the title for SAF 2022 Marketer of the Year went to Marketing and Media Director, Ryan Black on behalf of Jet Fresh Flowers.
SAF 2022 Marketer of the Year
The award was revealed at SAF’s 28th annual kick-off breakfast at SAF Orlando 2022, the association’s 137th annual convention in Orlando, FLA. The honor recognizes excellence in marketing and comes with a cash prize of $5,000, sponsored by Design Master, a division of Smithers-Oasis, according to the Society of American Florists. The announcement was featured on the cover of the September/October issue of Floral Management.
Unconventional Marketing
According to SAF, the unconventional marketing that grew Jet Fresh Flowers' small, family-owned company into an internationally recognized brand earned us the SAF marketer of the year award. A culmination of Jet Fresh's artistic and creative marketing efforts helps set them apart from the flower industry.
"I’m humbled by this award," said Ryan Black.
Ryan is the fourth generation in the flower industry. He held various positions at Jet Fresh, as well as in the flower industry, before becoming Marketing and Media Director at Jet Fresh in 2012. Ryan has a Bachelor of Fine Arts in animation and multimedia and a minor in graphic design from Florida Atlantic University.
Raya Ward, one of the six judges who reviewed this year’s entries said: "The marketing he’s doing is just amazing, very professional. The branding is not like anything I’ve seen in the floral industry."
Raya was part of the team that won the 2016 Marketer of the Year award.
It Started With YouTube
SAF: "Jet Fresh was a very early adopter of video marketing for social media. While that may seem basic by today’s standards, it wasn’t something many others in the industry were doing in 2011."
At that time no one was using social media at all," Mike Black says. "All these companies in Miami thought we were a joke."
Jet Fresh Flowers started early showing their wholesale flower product behind the camera while introducing their team to buyers. SAF: "As the videos evolved, the Blacks knew there was power in putting the Jet Fresh team front and center in their marketing. Their viewership only grew, and people from all over the world connected with them through their videos. This is what catapulted their employee-driven marketing and people-first culture."
"We wanted everyone on the team to be part of the face of the company," Mike says. "We kept building on that and building on that. Before we showed you the flowers, we showed you the person."
Today, their JFTV channel has amassed over 425,400 views, and they currently have 2.41K subscribers from around the world. Jet Fresh posts videos weekly from all over the world, including their warehouse in Miami and farm in Cotopaxi, Ecuador.
Employee-Driven Marketing
Jet Fresh has made truly meaningful connections through their marketing. The level of transparency they demonstrate through their videos has established a great deal of trust not only with their product but also with their team members, taking their public images to new heights.
SAF: "Ryan took the employee-driven marketing one step further by branding characters for staffers willing to star on camera."
Their team is packed with many who enjoy being in front of the camera or are great sports participating in multiple videos or the infamous deal-of-the-day flyers. Their customers have grown to love how their team is involved in their marketing, forming personal connections with them and making the wholesale flower-buying experience fun and memorable.
The Art Sets Them Apart
Ryan is genuinely driven by Jet Fresh's branding potential and the ability to create experiences for its customers to enjoy. Jet Fresh Flowers' merchandise has been worn worldwide, their trucks have become flower walls, and their trade show booths are always a uniquely immersive experience. The flower industry should keep an eye out for what Ryan Black does next!
