The Stationers Guild

As Stationers’ Guild readers are aware, I have had very few kind words to say about the National Stationery Show website.   Rather than having an NSS website that gets better and easier to use each year, it has simply become more frustrating.  How I wish the NSS would get back to printing and distributing the simple paper guidebook rather than embrace new technologies that they don’t really understand.   Maybe they have outsourced  website development  to the Far East or, worse yet, decided to do it internally by committee.   Talk about a most unsatisfactory user experience.

My latest complaint stems from the difficulty of printing a “Walking List” after you have spent two to three hours figuring out which vendor booths you would like to visit.   A “Walking List” suggests that you would like to make efficient use of your time, not to mention the wear-and-tear on your feet, by not having to retrace your steps.  Ordering your “Walking List” by booth number makes logical sense.

The “Walking List” that is produced on the NSS website lists vendors in alphabetical order, although there are many search features.  While you can arrange vendors by booth number by double-clicking on “booth” I couldn’t find any  instructions in plain sight to do so.   In any event, once you have arranged your list by booth number and hit the PRINT button on the NSS website, your efficient “Walking List” is reconfigured once again into alphabetical order an Adobe pdf file.

Don’t despair.  There is a simple work-around.  Simply print your list now organized by booth number by pressing the CTRL Key and the letter “P” at the same time to activate your printer.    I would print 1-5 pages depending on the length of your list. Don’t settle for the default of 1 page.

Good luck and see you at the National Stationery Show.

While the National Stationery Show has gotten smaller in recent years, many stationers feel the reduced footprint contributes to a more intimate experience.   In fact, we never seem to have enough time connecting with colleagues in the stationery industry, partner vendors, the organizers and some of the great speakers that generally attend this event.  We are certainly looking forward to the festivities and new learning experiences at this year’s National Stationery Show.

Veterans have their own strategies for walking the show.  We often start out with good intentions by walking the aisles in sequential order having marked down “must visit” stalls from the Show catalogue.  Vendor stalls have  been arranged neatly in an Excel spreadsheet to avoid having to retrace our steps.  Preserving energy and avoiding tired feet and legs are essential to keep your sense of humor.  

For those who want to preserve their legs, I recommend Skechers or the more expensive Chung Shi shoes.  I have both and have found that the inclined sole on both pairs of shoes  helps keep the backbone properly aligned when you are standing and reduces the strain on your lower body.  They have been a life-saver.

As far as the Show is concerned, try to avoid retracing your steps.   Schedule your expeditionary walking tours to end near scheduled training seminars or demonstrations.  This is particularly important as “Happy Hour” approaches.    Where possible, source your lunch in the morning from one of the many delis near your hotel.  It will be far better and a lot cheaper than a meal at the Javits.

High Line New York City

While in New York, there are plenty of things to do.  I strongly recommend walking the High Line, which is an elevated train track now turned into a delightful garden.  The High Line is located  in the meat packing district (lower West side between 12th and 27th).  There are plenty of fun restaurants in the neighborhood and if you get there early enough, take a walk through the Chelsea Food Market.  The High Line is open until 9:45 p.m.

Richard W. May
Thérèse Saint Clair

On Tuesday, May 17th from 4:30-5:30, The National Stationery Show at Javits Center, New York City, is hosting a free educational event sponsored by Birchcraft Studios and featuring the co-producers of The 21st Century Bride Wedding Industry Educational Event, Brian Lawrence of Local Traffic Builder, an industry leading web design and marketing company and Robert Allen of Wedding Podcast Network. They will do a stationery industry focused presentation on selling and marketing to the 21st century bride.

Topics covered will include:

• How to use the most important free tool Google has to bring traffic to your website.
• Simple strategies that will make your website generate more response.
• The most important tool facebook has to help your business.
• How to use audio and video effectively to improve your website, build your brand and increase traffic.

A lively question and answer session will follow.

The event will take place in room 1C02/03 . . You may also pick up a free ticket at Local Traffic Builder’s booth 3100 any time before the event.

Any questions please call 866 274 – 3350

A couple of weeks ago, I participated in a Yelp sponsored survey to determine the relevancy of the Yellow Pages as an effective advertising tool for small business.  The last time I checked (several years ago), advertising in the Yellow Pages was an industry generating somewhere between $13 to $17 billion in advertising revenue.   I have not be able to find any more current data that I believe is reliable.  I suspect Yellow Pages advertising revenue has fallen, but I can’t be positive.

While Yelp’s results are no doubt skewed, Yellow Pages advertising for stationery stores and most local businesses is becoming less effective as “search” has migrated to the internet and mobile phones.  To determine how well your business is positioned to be found by online buyers, spend one minute and visit GetListed.org.  The results may surprise you.

If you are interested in acquiring the skills and knowledge to succeed in local search, visit the Stationers Guild sister site at www.rite4u.com for additional information.  Search marketing and local advertising is changing rapidly and a little time and a few bucks can make a great difference in attracting new clients.

Found below are the survey results from Yelp:

According to Yelp’s survey results “only 24% of our 3,500+ respondents said ‘Yes’ to the question, ‘Are yellow page phone books still relevant?’”  That’s quite a find. Here are some others:

1) Most business owners don’t think yellow page phone books are useful to them:

“Yellow page phone books are useful to me as a business owner.”
Agree – 11%
Somewhat Agree – 17%
Somewhat Disagree – 19%
Disagree – 52%

2) Only about 10% of business owners use yellow page phone books more than once per month; 3 out of 4 don’t use it at all:

How many times per month do you rely on a yellow page phone book to find a local business?
“Zero” – 75%
“Once” – 14%
“Between two and four times” – 8%
“Five or more times” – 3%

3) Very few business owners believe customers find them using a yellow page phone book.

Estimated percentage of customers who find me using a yellow page phone book.
“0%” – 43%
“1-25%” – 47%
“26-50%” – 5%
“51-75%” – 3%
“76-99%” – 1%
“100%” – 0.1%

The conclusion: Business owners have clearly observed the shrinking relevance of yellow page phone books. As we continue to move away from printed phone books, online and mobile directories will continue to grow as the customer’s choice for local business information.

I recently received an email invitation from XYZ Paper (which I couldn’t easily open given the security filters of my email provider)  inviting me to see their line at the National Stationery Show.  According to their website, XYZ Paper is a US-based ”invitation & stationery company that prints on recycled papers using soy based inks. XYZ is committed to producing the finest quality paper products in an ecologically sustainable manner. We believe in doing our part to make the world better.”

As readers of the Stationers Guild news are aware, the consumer and I have no way of knowing whether XYZ Paper is truly committed to “”producing the finest quality paper products” nor can I verify that they will do so in an “ecologically sustainable manner.”    Nevertheless,  the designs seemed interesting and I was about to jot down their booth number when I discovered that ZYZ Papers were selling their product on Etsy.  

This immediately raises the question:  Should a store front dealer represent stationery lines that are sold online? If so, under what conditions”?   These are questions that I have struggled with for several years and I suspect that, like others,  have simply rolled-with-the-punches and don’t really have any firm policies.  Opinions, yes; but convictions that lead to decisive action, no!

Now I plan to visit XZY Papers at the National Stationery Show,  but will do so with a far more hardened position regarding what bricks and mortar stationers should ”demand” in opening a new relationship a vendor.    I suspect that this “discussion” will not be easy for either party, but hope that it will lead to a more productive relationship for both.

1. I do not intend to open up any new personalized stationery or custom invitation line with a new vendor that sells directly to the public through their own website unless they have an affiliate program that is available only to bricks and mortar dealers.   Rationale:  Bricks and mortar dealers pay for the priveledge of marketing specific lines (the cost of the Albums) and it simply doesn’t make any sense competing against your own supplier. 
2. I will insist that any new dealer relationship offers a 50% commission on the retail price quoted in the Album.  Some premium vendors are now offering a 40% commission or sliding scale commission based on volume.   Rationale:  It is unfair to the consumer and other vendors to use the commission structure to determine which line(s) will be shown to the consumer.  Let’s have a level playing field to make sure that  the client gets the best value for his or her money without skewing choices based on profit margins. 
3. Establish which channel(s) the vendor intends to use to promote their brand.  With an entablished affiliate program, bricks and  mortar stores can cross-promote brands to attract buyers to their store and also provide internet  buyers with the option to make their purchase online.  Building brand awareness in multiple channels using vendor approved artwork can greatly leverage the brand visibility to an online audience and encorage interested buyers to visit stationery stores in their neighborhood.  

Integrated marketing strategies leveraging the touch-and-feel and service quality of bricks and mortar stores together with the reach of the Internet can greatly increase brand awareness for the consumer.  Stores and vendors that work in a coordinated manner to market a brand  seem to me to have the greatest chance of success in an increasingly competitive market.

Anil Jagtiani, the President of Crane & Co., has  “shared some thoughts” with its dealers in a recent communication entitled “A Look Forward.”  Seeking “to respond to consumer expectations with an integrated store and online strategy,” Mr. Jagtiani goes into great detail to explain how Crane & Co. plans to harness the energy of its bricks and mortar dealers with a more integrated online marketing strategy.  The new direction is the result of intensive conversations within Crane and its “partner” dealers.

Recognizing that both Crane and its dealers will “learn from the markets and may stumble for time-to-time,” “A Look Forward” provides a useful  explanation of Crane’s “emerging thoughts and actions” with regard to their multi-channel strategy. Among the more concrete action plans are the following:

• Crane.com e-mail promotional programs will strive to enable consumers to have the same pricing/promotions online or in stores.   In fact, promotional emails may include coupons that can be redeemed at Crane dealers.
• The retail store locator will be more prominently displayed on the Crane website.
• Crane will continue to run test programs with social media distribution channels to determine which ones may be of most benefit to the Crane family of dealers.
• Crane will launch an affiliate program for authorized dealers at the end of May. Further details of this program will be available shortly.
• Crane will explore the possibility of developing and sharing digital content with dealers to enhance websites and email campaigns of bricks and mortar dealers.

“Consumer behavior has changed” and one needs to connect with the consumer in whatever channel he or she finds more convenient to use.  While acknowledging that the “experience and service” provided by dealers is “unparalleled,” connecting with the consumer in multi-channels is critically important to promote the Crane brand and provide the consumer with the alternative to shop online or in a store. The objective  is to make Crane.com “an extension of your store.” Mr.  Jagtiani goes on to state that “we are approaching digital in a multi-channel way – as partners with you. Our objective as we work with you is to win in this changing environment together.”

This is the first time in my experience that Crane has taken a pro-active role in engaging dealers in a frank discussion of the changes that are dramatically affecting our industry.  Some of his ideas may be controversial but, in my opinion, help bridge a credibility gap that was developing among dealers regarding Crane’s online marketing objectives.  While this blueprint of “A Look Forward” may not resolve all issues as we stumble through the rapidly changing digital landscape, I am certainly encouraged by Crane’s new direction.

With a heavyweight like Crane finally taking the initiative on a strategy to engage its dealers in an integrated online marketing strategy with the consumer, the landscape of digital self-promotion, hype and dishonesty will most certainly change. Crane has been making fine stationery for over 200 years and has the “real” credentials to provide online buyers with an alternative to the hundreds of disingenuous and insipid invitation and stationery websites that now dominate  internet search. The question that will soon be answered: “Is there a place for quality stationery on the Internet?” If the answer is yes,” I suspect that online buyers will be flocking to stores to see and feel the “real thing” rather than settle for a digital representation.

Richard W. May
Thérèse Saint Clair

I don’t know about you, but I find the National Stationery Show website one of the most frustrating and user unfriendly websites in cyberspace.   I was trying to register for Seth Godin’s presentation entitled “Put it on Paper:  The importance of pen and ink in the digital age,” and the system collapsed as I was checking out.  Mr. Godin is one of the key tribal leaders of the digital generation (not sure he would like that designation) and the author of some 13 books on marketing and relevancy in the digital age.

Oddly enough, I came across Seth Godin when I installed my first Wordpress Blog and one of the PlugIns was entitled “What would Seth Godin do?”   Like most people with a new toy, I really didn’t give a fig what Seth Godin would do, but in retrospect it would have been useful to listen to this wise “young” man since he is one of the few people to sort through the bits and bytes and make sense of this digital revolution.   I  commend Patti Stracher and the other NSS organizers for snaring Mr. Godin and I would encourage anyone who reads this article to get their tickets now.  You will not be disappointed.

Ah, the National Stationery Show (“NSS”) website.  In an effort to modernize, the NSS now has attendees register online.  When you get to the show your digital pass will be scanned and you will be issued a paper registration tag with some mystery code that hides all kinds of personal data that might be useful to vendors.   I liken the process to going through scanners at the airport.  Fortunately, no groping is allowed.

While I am now immune to the dehumanization process of electronic screening, I blew a gasket when the registration system crashed as I was trying to checkout.    The system simply swallowed my credit card information that I had used to sign up for a few courses and I had no idea whether I was registered since the system simply advised me to “come back later.”    This was not the first time it had happened, but what can you do?

I then received a digital invitation to attend Seth Godin’s presentation as well as a paper invitation.  Thank God for paper.  Neither my wife nor I could open the digital invitation – it was so well encrypted that my browser refused to open the images.   In fact, we were prompted to download the latest version of Mozilla Firefox and Internet Explorer 8.  It was then I realized how clever Patti had been:  She was making the point that there are many gremlins in digital communications.  Indeed!

As much as we beat up on the poor Postal Service, e-vites have their own inconveniences.  I made the mistake of opening a “song and dance” video birthday card on my smart-phone and realized that it was configured for a 4G network rather than a 2G network.  It  took forever to download and by the time it did, my battery had died so I missed the cool e-Birthday greeting.   Rather than spending  time disabling the pop-up suppressor and going to the tools menu to all “pictures,” I have simply stopped reading evites.  Eventually, someone will call you and ask you if you are attending.   Is it rude not to open an evite along with the other junk mail in your inbox?

In a not too surprising development, it was announced yesterday that Shutterfly would acquire Tiny Prints for over $300 million in cash and stock.  The terms of the acquisition are somewhat complicated but not unusual in this type of acquisition in that institutional shareholders (read private equity firms) will not be allowed to sell their shares for 6 months and the managing partners of Tiny Prints who collectively own 12% will be locked in for 18 months.

What does this all mean?  Firstly, this is a great deal for the shareholders of Tiny Prints whose growth potential appears to have stalled as both Tiny Prints and Wedding Paper Divas are beginning to find it increasingly more difficult to differentiate themselves at the high end of the custom invitation and announcement market.  As long as the share price of Shutterfly doesn’t fall over the next 18 months, the Tiny Prints shareholders will be well compensated for their original investment.   I suspect that there will be a significant fall in the price of Shutterfly beginning in the fourth quarter as private equity firms jettison their shares.

Secondly, this is a very aggressive move by Shutterfly to diversify their sources of revenue and income.   Shutterfly operates at the low end of the market with an average sale of $32.88 in 2010 ($44.41 for the 4th quarter).    How will Tiny Prints’ strategy of paying over $50 in search marketing expenses to acquire a single sale resonate with Shutterfly’s Walmart and Target marketing focus?  Clearly, there are advantages to help smooth out the seasonality of  Shutterfly’s business with the addition of Tiny Prints’ baby and wedding business, but is it enough to offset the fact that over 50% of Shutterfly’s revenues occur in the fourth quarter.    Personally, I suspect that Tiny Print’s product offerings will diminish in quality and price (they were already moving in that direction) rather than lift the quality of Shuttefly’s overall product offering which is firmly entrenched at the lower end of the market.

Thirdly, what does this say for the wedding invitation and baby announcement business as a whole?  As readers of the Stationers Guild are aware, this is just another step in a consolidation process to protect margins at the lower end of the market.   It is a question of rationalizing cost structures to compete in the mass-market.   There is no end of competition in this market segment.  For instance, Paper Culture has immediately jumped into this marketing milieu by promoting its environmental qualifications when compared to Shutterfly and Tiny Prints.   How reassuring it is to know that Paper Culture is planting a tree for every order that they receive.  Does this make Paper Culture green?  The co-founder and CEO of  Paper Culture is Christopher Wu, whose background is in technology.  With  jobs at Yahoo, Microsoft and HP, Mr. Wu doesn’t strike me as one who is a spokesperson for either the stationery industry or the environment.    Are consumers just being played?  You be the judge.

If you are confused, you should be.  There is a lot going on in cyberspace as online marketing heavy-weights compete for visibility.   The hype has reached outrageous proportions and only reconfirms what Eric Schmidt, the former CEO of Google, said about the internet:  It is a “cesspool” of misinformation.  For those of us who value the craftsmanship that goes into making fine paper,design and custom printing, we are witnessing the digital footprint of the barbarians reducing a proud industry to recycled scrap paper.  Personally, I don’t think the consumer will be so easily conned and the only way these online behemoths will able to compete is on price.  This is a sure recipe for disaster.

Well done Tiny Prints.  You got out at the right time.  Hopefully Shutterfly won’t collapse until you have had an opportunity to sell your shares.

Brian Lawrence is one of the true experts on how to build a credible personalized stationery and custom invitation business.  With substantial experience in both camps, Brian understands the needs of bricks and mortar stationery stores as well as vendors who create and print cutting edge designs which shape our industry.

On Monday, March 28th, Brian and other leading experts will be hosting The 21st Century Bride, an event which is certain to change the way you approach your wedding business.   This event will be held in East Rutherford, NJ but will be broadcast around the world for those that can’t attend in person.  There is already considerable interest in this event, so book your reservation now and learn from the leading experts in the industry.    At $129 for the online presentation, this is a bargain that will pay for itself many times over.

As readers of the Stationers Guild are aware, Brian and I share many of the same concerns over the forces that are shaping our industry.    Brian has founded Local Traffic Builder which helps local merchants  optimize their business for online search.  With bridal couples increasingly using the internet for online search, many small stationery stores are missing the boat because they simply can’t be found by people who would like to shop locally.  Whether you have a website or not, I would strongly recommend contacting Local Traffic Builder to see what Brian and his colleagues can do to improve your search results.

Again, The 21st Century Bride is packed full of riveting speakers and other than the National Stationery Show, is an event you don’t want to miss.  Register now for The 21st Century Bride.

Richard W. May
Founding Member of the Stationers Guild

As a stationer, I am privileged to meet with many creative designers, fine printing companies and, most importantly, fellow stationers who share my passion for fine papers and beautiful designs.    For me, paper has never lost its relevancy and I still get goose-pimples when I visit the Morgan Library in NYC to see the stunning illustrated manuscripts from the Medieval age or royal crests engraved on handmade cotton paper.    While some will argue that digital media has made fine paper printing largely obsolete, I suspect that the tangible and unique quality of a paper wedding invitation is far more personally relevant than a template invitation from Facebook.   

Owner and Creative Director Sugandha Rosenhaft of Arabella Papers continues to raise the bar in the invitation industry for her dazzling colors and rich designs since her debut in 2007.   If you haven’t had a chance to see Arabella Papers, schedule your appointment now with a stationer in your neighborhood.

Who is Arabella Papers?

Atlanta based Arabella Papers made its debut in the American stationery industry in the winter of 2007.   Their custom holiday line quickly made its mark as a source for top-quality, sophisticated cards and invitations.  With elaborate patterning, vibrant imported papers and their trademark Bellpress™ print process, stationers nationwide begged the question, “When can you do wedding?” Six fine custom stationery albums later, Arabella Papers continues to push boundaries with exciting, new concepts for wedding and bar/bat mitzvah.

Arabella’s signature Bellpress™ printing, is a hand-printed process that uses soft, synthetic dies to layer inks for a raised affect, without bruising the paper. Unlike other raised print processes on the market, this trademarked printing method allows for greater design flexibility by allowing two-sided printing, ink layering, multiple colors, and has proven to be a favorite among fine stationers. Their signature “tessuto” (tone on tone) fabric-like patterning, burnished golds and metallic inks, elaborate folders and elegant but bold global designs are unlike any other product on the market.  The invitations themselves are all hand-cut and hand-assembled, the envelopes hand-converted and the papers hand-dyed. Each order is meticulously created to be the perfect introduction for the client’s event and the same detail and craftsmanship that goes into creating a custom couture gown is the approach that Arabella Papers takes for every invitation. Arabella’s turn-around time is only 2-4 weeks from proof approval, which is astonishing considering the precision and care that goes into every hand-made custom creation.

 In the Fall of 2010, Arabella launched into the mid-range stationery market with their first offering in the affordable luxury collection, Bella Weddings. “We had to get creative and change with the economy.” Owner and Creative Director Sugandha Rosenhaft explains, “There was an incredible demand from clients who loved the look of our sophisticated luxury invitations but couldn’t necessarily afford the lavish pieces. Every bride deserves luxury, and we set out to do just that.” Bella Weddings offers the same quality and craftsmanship that sets Arabella apart, but showcases more exclusively layered cards and simple folders. Also, Arabella established base pricing to let brides go as simple or as custom as they like, allowing clients to customize according to their need and save on cost.

 Arabella Papers is featured regularly in top bridal magazines and has an impressive portfolio of well-known clientele such as Trump Towers in New York City, actress Julie Andrews, makeup superstore Sephora, and the Prime Minister of Belize, to name a few. But regardless of whomever the client might be, customer service and complete client satisfaction continues to be of top priority at Arabella. Sugandha sums up the Arabella Papers approach to customer satisfaction like this: “I never want someone to feel that they are talking to just an answering service or they are another number in the day. Our environment is that of a family and all of us strive to deliver the same for our clients.”

Arabella’s newest launch is Custom Wedding: Volume II, the second album in their sophisticated luxury wedding collection.  It showcases 13 complete design suites with each displaying a full range of wedding stationery: save the date sets, invitation sets with inserts and response cards, as well as full reception accessories such as menus, programs, place cards, and table numbers.  Arabella is also launching the second album in its affordable luxury collection, Bella Classic Weddings, in April of 2011.  A new Bar/Bat Mitzvah album is also planned for late 2011, a relief to the diligent retailers who have been on the waiting list for that album for nearly a year and a half.  With all of the exciting changes and growth happening for Arabella Papers and its dedicated group of employees and clients, Sugandha says, “Sometimes, juggling being a business owner, a designer, mother of a 13 month old and a wife can become overwhelming, but I can truly say that I am where I dreamed I would be in life.”

 Arabella’s custom lines are available in fine stationery stores all over the US, such as Thérèse Saint Clair in Greenwich, Hyegraph in San Francisco, Francis-Orr in Corona Del Mar, Tabula Rasa in Salt Lake City, and Arabesque in Naples to name a few. Please visit www.arabellapapers.com for a complete list of retailers and be sure to visit them at booth 1237 at NSS in May!

Richard W. May
Founding Member Stationers Guild