Harrisons’ Flowers of Easton recently underwent a rebranding effort to assume a more contemporary look to include an upscale merchandising reinvention. The rebranding includes a name change from “Harrisons’ Flowers” to “Harrison’s” with the tag line “flowers plants fine gifts” to educate consumers that the business offers more than just flowers.
The rebranding effort will be unveiled at a large evening event on Wednesday, September 1, 2010 from 5 pm – 8 pm at the Harrison’s store at 417 E. Dover Street in Easton. Krystal Q, an all-occasion banquet and event facility located in Easton that also provides outside catering, will cater the evening event. The event is open to the public and businesses.
New owners, Kathi Dulin, Bobby Duvall and Devon Duvall, purchased the 52 year old family business in July 2007 as the previous owners were entering retirement. The original storefront was a fixture on Washington Street in the historic district of Easton for many years; however, the new owners moved the business to 417 E. Dover Street upon purchase to provide greater parking options for walk-in customers and to secure a larger space in which to display more floral creations, plants and gifts.
Kathi Dulin, co-owner says, “As both Easton and Talbot County continues to grow, we realized the need to update our look and embark on a rebranding initiative as the Harrisons’ from 10, 20, 30 plus years ago is not the Harrison’s of today. We cater to a much larger geographic region, have a sizable internet base and are beginning to sell to Generation Z [the internet generation]. Plus, although flowers are our core business, a respective percentage of our annual sales are made up of house plants, dish gardens and gifts.”
Tina Deville, the lead floral designer that has been with the company for seventeen years continues, “As with any company, it’s important to change with the times. In the years that I have been with Harrison’s I have seen great change in the floral industry. I think the rebranding project has come at the perfect time. Although our floral designs are current and forward-thinking, it was time that the overall business reflected what we were already doing.”
Harrison’s contracted The Henker Group, an Easton-based marketing, PR and business development firm to conceptualize, propose and implement all aspects of the project. Tim Young of Eclectic Graphics is providing all graphic design elements. Dulin comments, “We chose The Henker Group as we wanted a firm with a global perspective but with a local address. Mary Ann Henker has been able to effectively develop a new business strategy that will allow us to focus specifically on our largest revenue streams backed by a current look that incorporates a new graphic identity, corporate color scheme and enhanced services. We are working with Tim Young of Eclectic Graphics at the recommendation of Mary Ann and am so glad she made that introduction as we love our new look.”
Mary Ann Henker replies, “I give kudos to Harrison’s to take on such an exhaustive and significant project. Many small business owners either do not like to step outside of their comfort zone or see the need to reinvent. Harrison’s faced both head-on as they see the potential for the final result being stronger financial statements for the business. Such strength will provide a sturdy base for the business to grow, which in turn will provide more jobs to those in the community and promote the owners evolving into local business leaders.”
About Harrison’s
Harrison’s is a full-service floral design, house plant and fine gift retail store based in Easton, Maryland that was established in 1957. A leading floral design center on Maryland’s eastern shore, the company provides floral arrangements, house plants, dish gardens and fine gifts for everyday, weddings, funerals and special events. The business has gained a reputation for creating forwarding-thinking and innovative floral designs for weddings and special events that accent and support the overall tone and atmosphere of these functions. Additionally, the company is known for sourcing rarer flowers for arrangements and provides organic flowers and plants for the environmentally-conscious customer. Harrison’s is a tenured member of the Society of American Florists, the leading national association for the floral industry. To learn more about Harrison’s, visit http://www.harrisonsflower.net or contact Mary Ann Henker of The Henker Group at 410.253.7023 or mahenker@thehenkergroup.com.