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The Philadelphia Flower Show

How Slice Communications' integrated social media and crisis management strategy guided the world's largest indoor flower show through a high-stakes pivot, resulting in pre-event ticket sale success and a record-breaking multi-year partnership.

Challenge

In 2021, The Flower Show faced its greatest challenge in nearly two centuries. Forced to move outdoors for the first time in its history due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the event’s entire model was at risk.

This wasn’t just a change of venue; it was a high-stakes business pivot with the potential for massive disruption. PHS faced several critical business risks:

  • Losing a Core Audience: How do you educate a loyal, multi-generational audience about a fundamental change without causing confusion or frustration?
  • Ticket Sale Collapse: Would the public embrace an outdoor show, or would uncertainty and health concerns lead to a catastrophic drop in attendance?
  • Logistical & PR Chaos: An outdoor venue introduced unpredictable variables, from weather to new crowd-flow dynamics, creating a high potential for negative online attention and customer service nightmares.

Solution

Slice was hired to design and execute a comprehensive digital strategy that would not only navigate the crisis but also drive tangible business results. Our approach was built on three core pillars:

  • 1. Proactive Audience Education & Ticket Velocity: We launched a cross-channel organic and paid social media campaign focused on driving pre-event ticket sales. By highlighting exhibitors, vendors, and the unique aspects of the new outdoor setting, we transformed uncertainty into excitement and created a clear, compelling reason to buy tickets early.
  • 2. Real-Time Crisis & Customer Service Management: Anticipating the risks of an outdoor event, we implemented rigorous Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for online customer service. This allowed us to manage both positive and negative feedback in real-time. When an unexpected storm forced an early closure, our crisis plan was activated instantly, allowing us to control the narrative and communicate clearly with thousands of attendees, mitigating a potential PR disaster.
  • 3. Targeted Audience Expansion via Influencer Marketing: We developed a data-driven influencer program that went beyond generic “plant-lovers.” By strategically partnering with a diverse range of creators, from “mommy bloggers” to hyper-local experts, we tapped into new, highly-engaged audiences and drove attendance from previously unreached market segments.

Impact

Our data-driven strategy produced immediate and long-term results, turning a high-risk year into a resounding success and cementing a multi-year partnership.

  • Exceeded Ticket Sales Goal Pre-Event: Our social media campaigns were so effective that we achieved the primary social-driven ticket sales goal before the first day of the Flower Show, completely de-risking the event for PHS.
  • The Ultimate ROI: A Multi-Year Retainer & Record-Breaking Growth: The overwhelming success of the 2021 pivot led to Slice being retained as the social media agency of record. In 2023, as the show returned indoors, our refined strategies resulted in record-breaking online engagement, more than doubling the previous year’s volume of online commentary, mentions, and positive feedback.

This case study demonstrates our core value: We are not just a marketing agency; we are a strategic partner that drives measurable business outcomes, navigates high-stakes crises, and builds the foundation for sustainable, long-term growth.

  • 1.7m organic impressions
  • 93k+ engagements
  • 7k+ new followers across channels
  • 9m+ potential impressions from 36 influencers
  • 485k+ video views (reels and Tiktoks)
  • 105k+ engagements on influencer content

More Proven Results