Announcement FTD releases new rules for members and the send only shops

[keith]

Taaa Taaa Taaa Daaaaaa

The powers from on high are thinking outside the box.......http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=3708942048237&set=o.192595387462866&type=1&ref=nf

Here is the newest version of a rule they will not follow to come from FTD



Apparently they are so proud of them that you have to be a member and have a password. I wonder if they will really enforce a rule they currently have and choose not to.

Prominent Display of Location: Members should conspicuously disclose on the Member’s landing page their name, address of its primary office including city and state, contact phone number and email address.
• FTD Member Florist Ad Copy: Members are permitted to use the FTD trademark in their ad copy only once and only in the following form:
o “FTD Member Florist”.

And this time we mean it!!!

Lets see how long it takes Ava's to follow the new rule!

How pathetic is this becomming?

 

[CHR]

Hmmmmmm.... I smell a mean lawsuit or state attorney general behind this somewhere.

Does FTD consider the 'landing page' the business' home page or the real definition of 'landing page' meaning the city-targeted page from each SERP and the page with which each dOG's Google ad lands?

Effective Saturday? That's a whole lotta page redesigning for some folks.

BTW, FTD hosts a whole bunch of OG sites that contain NO addresses for the businesses. Will they just add the addresses to the sites?


Crosses fingers hoping 1-800 and TF adopt this rule (but not holding my breath.)

BTW, Keith I can't see the link you reference to Facebook. Just get a 'page not found' message.

 

[Rhonda]

Believe it when I see it... don't think the dogs will change.

 

[Clarabella]

not to mention, how many will make up a fake address? Let's not forget what the d in dOG stands for. If they are willing the claim they are a hometown, professional, local florist from smalltown, USA....do you really think they won't add a fake address in the bottom corner?

 

[BOSS]

This is something I have been harping to FTD about for a couple years now, mostly regarding Wesley Berry, Kremp, Ava's etc...

Perhaps they are finally seeing their own order volume being eroded by the dOG's, and are in the mood to try and control them as they do their real florist members. As we have seen in the last few weeks, even dOG's are targeting dOG's... they are starting to feed on themselves, and maybe FTD sees where they can increase revenue by exposing others for what they are, and alerting consumers to the actual deal. FTD may think they can capture more consumers directly, and thus lower their expenses (20%+rebate) and increase their own bottom line.

They may be rewriting this rule, and putting it out there again, prior to going to battle with some of the OG's they may want to rid from the online market. Yes, they could just kick them out, but then they would go to TF or 800... but if the other two follow suit, they could all gain more direct market share. Something I have explained to them repeatedly over the years...maybe they are finally starting to get it...

I too doubt they'll enforce it, except on mom and pop florists... the game will continue...

 

[Mikey the Flower Guy]

not to mention, how many will make up a fake address? Let's not forget what the d in dOG stands for. If they are willing the claim they are a hometown, professional, local florist from smalltown, USA....do you really think they won't add a fake address in the bottom corner?

I'm NOT so sure......there IS an element of self preservation in the wind, and I think the light in the tunnel is becoming a little more revealing! We KNOW that it's a dog eat dog world out there, but NOW, I think the "companies" that harbour them, are feeling the choke chain around their necks!

 

[Kristine]

Perhaps they are finally seeing their own order volume being eroded by the dOG's, and are in the mood to try and control them as they do their real florist members. As we have seen in the last few weeks, even dOG's are targeting dOG's... they are starting to feed on themselves, .

Piranha in the river are harmless when the food source is abundant.

BUT. when the food source becomes threatened and scarce - watch out- it's survival of the fittest - or survival of the fastest and the one with sharpest of teeth.

Me I want to be a fast swimmer and have sharp teeth....

 

[CHR]

Just speculating, but such an abrupt change in policy with such little notice to implement it (especially before a major holiday) seems to indicate FTD is getting serious heat for propping up the dOGs. Maybe a big media story is in the works?

Remember, FTD aggressively promoted using deceptive landing pages when it named Alif Soumani of Vancouver Flower Company (owner of Urban Florist & eFlorist-Incs) as 'Best New Member' nearly a decade ago. He went on the fleece many, many consumers & florists through his deceptive marketing and only got cut off by FTD when he owed them too much money.

Since 2005, 77 per cent of the 638 complaints filed against florists have been directed solely at Urban Florist, according to the BBB. In fact, florists went from the 41st-most-complained-about business to No. 1 in 2005 and No. 4 in 2006.

Most of the complaints are about undelivered flowers, overcharging or difficulty in getting refunds for substandard (read: dying or cheap) bouquets ordered for momentous occasions.

Sounds just like the complaints about WB today.

 

[Mikey the Flower Guy]

Piranha in the river are harmless when the food source is abundant.

BUT. when the food source becomes threatened and scarce - watch out- it's survival of the fittest - or survival of the fastest and the one with sharpest of teeth.

Me I want to be a fast swimmer and have sharp teeth....

Oh how I wish I could "paint pictures" with words like YOU do Kristine!!

 

[Mikey the Flower Guy]

Just speculating, but such an abrupt change in policy with such little notice to implement it (especially before a major holiday) seems to indicate FTD is getting serious heat for propping up the dOGs. Maybe a big media story is in the works?

Remember, FTD aggressively promoted using deceptive landing pages when it named Alif Soumani of Vancouver Flower Company (owner of Urban Florist & eFlorist-Incs) as 'Best New Member' nearly a decade ago. He went on the fleece many, many consumers & florists through his deceptive marketing and only got cut off by FTD when he owed them too much money.
Sounds just like the complaints about WB today.

betcha they were hoping that we'd forgotten!!......

 

[anytimeflowers]

My speculation is much on par with [MENTION=725]CHR[/MENTION]. FTD has become very protective of their brand over the last couple of years, sending letters of C&D to non-member florists. Silly and a waste of time.

My thinking is that someone finally understands that the most damage being done to their brand is through the dogs. It must have just occurred to them that they are facing another BIG round of defamation with another major holiday just around the corner and the dogs becoming evermore pit-bullish.

I think it's entirely possible that with all of the backlash the BBB has dealt with recently in their giving out undeserved A+ grades, there might have been a warning to FTD. Leash your dogs or we will have no choice but to fail all of you. The BBB may have opened their own can of worms by publishing their sensational "findings" with warnings about florists. Now they have to do something about it or face more backlash themselves.

I also firmly believe that social media is the big swing here, pushing business back toward the golden rule.

My own interpretation of "landing page" is just that. So if a consumer followed a link such as "Flowers to West Saint Paul, MN", there had better be an address on that page, even if the address is actually in CA or NY ~ it better be there or there will be an attorney with some papers.

It's just as plausible that the dogs are getting better at gathering than FTD, and they want to be certain that the FTD pages come up ahead of those. Wouldn't it be wonderful if we too could simply send some rules to our competition and in essence tell them how they must do things to make us more money?

Another scenario ~ gathering under the FTD logo but then sending them out through another service?

The whole thing is intriguing, but one thing is sure. It's all about Mother's Day.

 

[autj]

I think the light in the tunnel is becoming a little more revealing! We KNOW that it's a dog eat dog world out there, but NOW, I think the "companies" that harbour them, are

Read more: Announcement FTD releases new rules for members and the send only shops
Where professional florists grow FC Professional Florist Community

Hopefully that light in the tunnel is the Florists for Change train coming at them, they wouldn't be doing anything unless it was good for THEM
​

 

[BOSS]

I think Linda is probably right on many counts... among other things...

 

[secretgarden]

And me with my cynical thinking. "We'll make the florist we are cracking down on order gathers and make them happy for a change".

But seriously I hope this is a turn in the right direction for them. But with all of their drop shipping who knows what is behind it all. I do honestly believe they want the orders for themselves but who doesn't.

 

[keith]

Here is the real problem. the last line of their non-announcement.....

This policy is effective April 21, 2012 and is subject to change at any time.

Their policies are subject to change at any time but the slobs are not allowed to leave for 4 months.

Nice partner relationship!

 

[keith]

Did you know.....

FTD actually has a seperate policy for the "Send Only" members?

Why would this be necessary if we are all just florists and some are just better "Marketers"?

Here is the copy of the Send Only policy:

"FTD Brand Protection Policy – Search Engine Marketing – Sending Only Florists
Sending Only Florist Policy (“Policy”):
The following Policy applies only to those FTD Sending Only Florists who engage in, or plan to
engage in, paid search engine marketing using FTD’s trademarks. This Policy applies to all
paid search engine marketing including, but not limited to full browser, tablet and mobile
environments.
Not Permitted:
• Except as specifically permitted below, Sending Only Florists are not allowed to bid on
any keywords or keyword phrases containing the FTD trademark in any paid search
marketing campaign.
• Use of FTD or FTD.COM in the display or destination URL is prohibited (e.g.
ftdflowers.com).
• To comply with the Policy, Sending Only Florists including their agents and/or affiliates
are required to “broad negative match” the keyword “FTD” in all existing and future paid
search marketing ad word groups and campaigns excluding the new separate ad
campaign that solely contains the exact positive matches for the permitted FTD Florist
Keywords outlined below.
• Geo-Targeting – Sending only florists are not allowed to geo-target FTD keywords
Permitted:
• FTD Florist Keywords: FTD Sending Only Florists may bid only on the following FTD
Florist Keywords that contain the FTD trademark:
 “FTD Florist”, “FTD Florists”, “FTD Florist Online”, “FTD Florists Online”.
o To comply with the Policy, if a Sending Only Florists wishes to advertise on the
FTD Florist Keywords, then the Sending Only Florist should add the FTD Florist
Keywords as “exact match” in a new separate ad campaign that contains only the
permitted FTD Florist Keywords. The FTD Florist Keywords should be removed
from all other ad groups.
Additional Required Actions:
• Prominent Display of Location: Sending Only Florists should conspicuously disclose on
the Sending Only Florist’s landing page their name, address of its primary office
including city and state, contact phone number and email address.
• FTD Sending Only Florist Ad Copy: Sending Only Florists are permitted to use the FTD
trademark in their ad copy only once in the following form:
o “FTD Member Florist”.
Failure to adhere to the Policy may result in FTD withholding all Sender’s Commissions due
until the Sending Only Florist is in compliance with the Policy or could result in termination of
your Sending Only Florist Agreement.
This policy is effective April 21, 2012 and is subject to change at any time."

 

[keith]

It looks like the FTD websites might need some work...


as shown by their example of what is not permitted..

 

[keith]

OK, one more as it seems so appropriate...

I belive a snapshot says it very clearly.....

 

[Mikey the Flower Guy]

ahhhh....that's as clear as a spring time turbulence.....

 

[BOSS]

Interesting to me, in the example @keith showed, that FTD used to explain their "rule", that they chose "Flowers" from Cambridge MA, one of the worst offenders in the OG game. It will be interesting to watch and see if anything happens in the short term (before MD) and long term in the search engines...

This to me lends more credence to the theory that FTD is starting to try and gain control over the OG's, and I'd bet that it's because they are losing market share and paying out more in rebates and 20%. If that were not the case, and things were stable as they have been in the past, they would have no reason to change the way the game is played.

Unless of course if the FTC perhaps is looking into things.... Oh how I wish~!