They're doing what anyone savvy about PR and marketing should be doing the week before Mother's Day...
GIVING INTERVIEWS AND GOING ON TV AND DOING GOOD PR!
Look at the word choices such as "guiding principles" and "response team" and "broad diversification of product line and brands."
https://finance.yahoo.com/video/1-800-flowers-ceo-3-210312788.html
https://www.foxbusiness.com/lifestyle/mothers-day-demand-food-gift-basket-delivery-1-800-flowers
1-800-Flowers CEO Chris McCann was also on "Varney & Co" (Fox Business) on the Friday before Mother's Day.
Telaflora and Bloom Nation spokespeople are opining and therefore keeping their brand names in the news. "Demand has been through the roof" according to Bloom Nation's spokesperson...
https://www.marketwatch.com/story/4-tips-for-sending-mothers-day-flowers-during-the-pandemic-2020-05-06
Here's FTD's attempt at promotion, making sure the word "sick" ends up in the headlines during the COVID-19 pandemic.
https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/stocks/ftd-and-homesick-announce-new-collection-just-in-time-for-mother-s-day-1029151088
Would definitely have chosen a different strategy, here. 1-800-Flowers is going to thump FTD this critical Mother's Day season. And because they are still publicly traded, you'll be able to know just how well the competition did, no doubt.
Would have poured more money into marketing and put the brand new CEO out there in the media. This is a critical critical time for FTD. Then again, maybe they don't think it wise to go out there and have to field questions about "So, you've had furloughs after your bankruptcy?" That said, there still has not been enough of the savvy marketing and visibility necessary to attempt to transform and elevate the brand at such a critical time. Especially when looking at a long uphill climb to begin with.
Also, as far as the FTD campaign, there are longer established candle sellers (Homesick was founded in 2016) that might have made for a smarter pairing with a century old company such as FTD. Homesick is only 4 years old. You already know Yankee Candle and White Barn Candles. Who is Homesick??
Don't use anything with the word "sick" included as part of a marketing strategy during a pandemic. Just don't. You want mom to feel luxuriously pampered while sheltering at home, not thinking about the isolation if her adult kids are three states away and avoiding air travel. Send flowers and a White Barn candle, a brand people have actually heard of.
FTD's marketing talent just does not think big, bold and visionary. And during a pandemic, you need shrewd strategists involved, as well. It's all about strategy.
FTD could have advertised a tiny portion of sales profit to go to local area food banks, to elevate the brand as having a sense of goodwill towards the community in which they operate. That would have been such a good PR tactic, doing good while doing business in a pandemic.
FTD is in a battle for market share. Would Sun Tzu manage troops this way??