Share the love / Globally, the cut flower market is expected to reach a value of $41bn by 2027. And, arguably, Valentine’s Day is the biggest occasion in the calendar for the global flower industry with the celebration raking in $7bn in 2020 as romantics around the world splashed out on premium bouquets for their loved ones. However, historically, gifting flowers isn’t something that is seen as commonplace between male friends (hence, the three biggest consumption occasions: Mother’s Day, Valentine’s Day and International Women’s Day). Here, however, Fig & Bloom is breaking from the mould by launching a range of products that appeal to an unorthodox audience for the industry to expand its category and drive sales; in the words of Byron Sharp (How Brands Grow): ‘Successful growth brands (ones with the highest market share) are the ones with universal appeal and the biggest customer base.’
An expressive bunch / Although the campaign has a fun, humorous tone, it is speaking to an issue that is becoming more and more pertinent in society: toxic masculinity. In fact, a 2017 Unilever study found that men in the US, UK and Mexico feel trapped in a ‘man box’ with the vast majority of guys conditioned to believe that a ‘real man’ acts in a certain way. And a study by Ipsos MORI that surveyed 4,000 men across the US, Canada, the UK and Australia about their perceptions of masculinity showed that while most men know expressing their emotions is important, they still feel like they’re punished for doing it: 58% of men feel they’re expected to be ‘emotionally strong and show no weaknesses’, 38% of men avoid talking to other about their feelings and 29% say they’ve purposefully not shown emotion or held back from crying in front of others to preserve their masculinity.
This is an issue that has only worsened during the Covid-19 pandemic with one Social Research Centre study revealing one third of men feel their relationships with friends and colleagues had weakened due to distancing restrictions. By encouraging men to reach out to one another through the act of sending flowers, Fig & Bloom is helping to raise awareness of the problem in a way that feels authentic and connected to the brand.
To find out more about how brands are addressing toxic male stereotypes and championing progressive representation of what it means to be a man, read our Modern Masculinity trend here.
A new scent / It’s worth noting that Fig & Bloom isn’t asking men to start sending their friends a dozen roses on Valentine’s Day. By using preserved flowers and foliage, the brand has designed a product with an aesthetic that is more likely to appeal to this demographic and has imbued it with a meaning that transcends what is traditionally associated with the category.
