For America in Bloom, a large part of our success is the buzz that occurs when cities have positive experiences and when the lives of citizens are affected. Word-of-mouth conversations are an important aspect in sharing the program’s benefits. We often hear that a city considers the program after a neighboring city has entered.

When successful municipalities reach out to neighboring cities and towns and/or when neighboring citizens see the changes that occur in a nearby city and seek out the impetus of that change, the reach becomes all the more powerful. Such is the nature of America in Bloom’s achievement. We need each and every participant to share their stories with neighboring communities, so that good word-of-mouth communication can attract even more fans to the program.