Each year the Society of American Florists (SAF) crowns a Marketer of the Year uncovering the most unique, innovative and successful marketing efforts that have shaped the flower industry. We’re so excited to share that this year, the title for SAF 2022 Marketer of the Year went to our talented Marketing and Media Director, Ryan Black on behalf of Jet Fresh Flowers.
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 SAF. The announcement is featured on the cover of the September/October 2022 issue of Floral Management.
According to SAF, the unconventional marketing that grew our small, family-owned company into an internationally recognized brand earned us the SAF marketer of the year award. A culmination of our artistic and creative marketing efforts helps set us apart from the flower industry.
“I’m humbled by this award,” said Ryan.
Ryan is fourth generation in the flower industry. He held various positions at Jet Fresh, and 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.” Raya was part of the team that won the 2016 Marketer of the Year award. “The branding is not like anything I’ve seen in the floral industry.”
Started with YouTube
“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.” (SAF)
We started early showing our wholesale product behind the camera while introducing our team to our buyers. “As the videos evolved, the Blacks knew there was power in putting the Jet Fresh team front and center in their marketing.” (SAF)
Our viewership only grew, and people from all over the world connect with us through our videos. This is what catapulted our employee-driven marketing and our 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, our JFTV channel has amassed over 425,400 views and we currently have 2.41K subscribers from around the world. We post videos weekly from all over the world, including our warehouse in Miami and our farm in Cotopaxi, Ecuador. Experience all the fun here!
Employee-Driven Marketing
Jet Fresh has made truly meaningful connections through our marketing. The level of transparency we demonstrate through our videos has established a great deal of trust not only with our product, but also with our team, taking their public image to new heights.
“Ryan took the employee-driven marketing one step further by branding characters for staffers willing to star on camera.” (SAF)
Our team is packed with amazing people, many who enjoy being in front of the camera. While several others have been incredible sports throughout the years participating in multiple videos and starring in our infamous Deal-of-the-Day flyers. Our customers have grown to love how our team is involved in our marketing, forming personal connections with them and making the wholesale flower buying experience fun and memorable.
The Art Sets us Apart
Ryan is truly driven by Jet Fresh’s branding potential and the ability to create experiences for our customers to enjoy. Our merch has been worn all around the world, our trucks have become flower walls, and our trade show booths are always a unique immersive experience. There is no one who deserves the marketing award more than Ryan. We are so proud of him, and can’t wait to see what he does next!
Read the full article from the September/October 2022 issue of Floral Management here.
