Say It With A Bouquet: The Localization of Flowers
The pleasure and perils of sending flowers across cultures
There’s nothing like a bouquet of flowers to deliver a kind message to a friend, client or colleague. However, be careful when choosing the flowers, especially when sending them abroad or to someone who is not native to your country. Sending yellow flowers to Russian or French contacts is a no-no, but sending chrysanthemums to a Japanese friend shows that you really understand the culture.
So, just as marketing campaigns must be localized (rather than simply translated word for word) for a particular country or culture, the same is true with flowers. Here are a few samples of “flower localization” from Russia and Japan to illustrate the point:
Russia: Celebrations and Sympathy
- The Holidays: Christmas floral wreaths should include the traditional holiday colors of red, blue and green, while for New Years, floral centerpieces should include white and gold.
- Woman’s Day, March 8th (similar to Valentine’s Day in the U.S. and Europe): Men are expected to dive deep into their wallets and give women red roses or spring flowers. Or better yet, goldenrod, the symbol of Women’s Day.
- Funerals/Sympathy: Funereal flower arrangements are usually circular to symbolize the cycle of life. Appropriate flowers include roses, lilies and carnations.
- Bad Luck: Use caution with yellow flowers, which can signify bad luck or the end of a love affair in some parts of Russia and the Ukraine.
Japan: Prosperity and Purity
Japan has a rich history with flowers and their symbolism. In fact, kimono fabric, greeting cards and the ancient art of Ikebana flower arranging all follow traditional flower symbolism.
- Longevity/Life: Symbolized by chrysanthemums, known for their long-lasting blooms.
- Prosperity: Represented by the peony, called the twenty-day flower.
- Transience: Symbolized by the cherry blossom, a flower known for its beauty and short-lived bloom.
- Age and youth: Signified by the plum blossom due to the contrast between the lovely flowers and the tree’s gnarly bark.
- Death: Symbolized by lilies or white flowers.
- Immortality and purity: Represented by lotus flowers, which emerge out of muddy swamps.
To bring Gertrude Stein’s famous comment about roses into the 21st Century’s global marketplace: a ‘rose is not a rose is not a rose.’ What may be a symbol of good will in one part of the world may create confusion in another. As with all business and personal relationships, a little research into a culture goes a long way — even with something as simple as sending flowers.
Contact us to learn more about the world of localization.
