‘Making memories’ is the theme for this year’s Stars for Europe campaign to promote poinsettias.
Originally founded by European poinsettia breeders Dümmen, Syngenta Seeds and Selecta Klemm, the campaign kicked off in 2000 with the aim to encourage long-term sales in 16 European countries, aided by EU funding in some of them.
Purple Spotted Media, the PR company which works on the campaign in the UK, said: “We have to be aware of what will and won’t generate media coverage, while sticking to a fairly rigid schedule.
“Funding for campaigns like Stars for Europe is few and far between, so it’s extremely important that our activities genuinely work; that they generate more poinsettia sales now and in the long-term.
“We’re not trying to sell a specific brand in the same way that a toothpaste or fizzy drinks company might. Instead, we’re strengthening the link between the coming of Christmas and the buying of poinsettias for the British public.”
The campaign this year is teaming up again with The Sun as well as focusing on garden centres with a number of in-store promotions and activities.
Last year’s promotion is estimated to have reached almost 400 million people Europe-wide. In the UK, Purple Spotted Media said the photoshoot starring a model wearing a ‘living dress’ constructed from poinsettias at Hill Brothers nursery in West Sussex resulted in coverage in three daily national newspapers and was repeatedly viewed on Twitter and Facebook.
