Public Relations

My name is Katherine McCombs, and I am currently studying Communication with an emphasis in Public Relations. I am overjoyed to share my senior project with you. This project showcases what I have learned over the last few years here at Brigham Young University – Idaho. Enjoy!
Summary
CLIENT

Have you ever heard of a faux floral florist? Well, you are about to. Lush Floral, a small woman owned business, opened up in 2020. The owner, Natasha Southwick, wanted to give consumers a different option than your typical fresh floral arrangements. She created Lush Floral and has been trying to grow her small business for a little over a year. After not seeing much success, she reached out and asked for some advice on growth and rebranding.
Why Lush Floral
After having studied Public Relations for the past few years, I knew this small business would benefit from a PR Plan. The impact of COVID-19 changed the way Lush Floral was getting clients. Instead of weddings every month, they were seeing only a few weddings every few months. COVID-19 has changed our society and the way we do things, and a lot of businesses are having to cope with that. This includes changing the way they do business, communicate with consumers, etc. My research for this project was based off the changing social climate. I wanted to ensure that my client would be able to grow and maintain that growth during the pandemic.
Goals
1. Lush Floral markets to a younger demographic within a small college town where most Gen Z and Millennials are active on social media. I believe that if Lush Floral puts more emphasis on their social media posts/marketing, they will see an increase in clientele and profit.
2. Lush Floral’s brand is very inconsistent with the overall aesthetic the company is trying to achieve. I suggest reworking your logo and adding filters on your posts to keep the social media feed looking consistent.
Time Accounting
Blow is a rough outline of my time put into this project. I had a total around 52 hours. The majority of my time was spent working on PR Plan and researching; however, I did get to work hands on with my clients by making content and meeting with her regularly.
Total Hours: 52

New Logo and Sample Instagram Post
Instead of overcomplicating the style with multiple colors and layers, we went with a simple look that embodies the bohemian minimalistic mentality Lush Floral focuses on.

Here is an example of an Instagram post my client could use in the future:

Caption: I see your love blooming just like this bouquet! This month I am offering 15% off all orders if you send in your engagement stories. I love to hear about those special moments.
I’ll go first… Hyrum and I had been dating for 6 months and we were both smitten with each other. I went up one weekend to meet his family and …. (CONT.)
Hashtags: #floraldesign #fauxfloral #fauxfloralarrangements #supportsmallbusinesses #rexburg #easternidaho #flower
#boho #bohemian #costfriendly #smallbusiness #womanowned #freshbouquet #bouquet #personalized #lushfloral #bloom #pretty #wedding #funeral #prom #homecoming #floralart #supportlocal #design #petal #flora #floraldesign #florallove #fauxfloraldecor