The Stationers Guild

I just received an announcement from Hank Beresin, Vice President of Sales for William Arthur, advising me that William Arthur had launched a new website affiliate program for their dealers.    The program is open to all registered William Arthur dealers.  The affiliate program provides dealers a 20% commission on each retail sale that links from a dealer’s website to William Arthur.  The website affiliate program is managed by  LinkShare, “a well recognized and respected third party agent who will track and manage all outgoing activity and payments.”

In a very simplied form, the William Arthur website affiliate program works like this:

1. You signup for the program by linking to the website provided in Hank’s letter (I am not providing hyperlink for reasons of confidentiality).
2. You complete the application at LinkShare (about five to ten minutes of your time).
3. You then provide the William Arthur Sales Department  your “Site ID number” which is generated by LinkShare.
4. Using  your unique LinkShare’s ID number, you will be prompted to auto-create some html code that must be copied and pasted into your website.  Some have images and some are text links.  You can and should use both. 
5. Insert the LinkShare code into your website and each time a visitor clicks on that link, it will take the visitor to the William Arthur website.
6. Your unique code tells William Arthur and LinkShare that you are the referring website and should the client buy online from William Arthur, you will receive a 20% commission.

Let me provide a hypothetical example.  Let us assume that you write a Blog article about William Arthur or include a link to William Arthur on your website.  Instead of using the standard hyperlink to the William Arthur website:  http://www.williamarthur.com , you will now use the  special SiteID html code generated by LinkShare.  It might read (entirely fictional):  http://www.williamarthur.com/linkshare/?!xdbTr33.  Somewhere in the html code provided by LinkShare is a unique code that identifies your website/Blog as the referring website to William Arthur.  If the client closes the sale online with William Arthur, you receive a 20% commission on the sale.

While one can debate the conceptual merits of this program and online selling in general, I for one applaud this bold initiative by William Arthur.    It sends a clear message to its dealers:  Let’s work together to promote the William Arthur brand in whatever media or distribution channel the buyer prefers to use.  Furthermore, it is a strong inducement to storefront dealers to adopt “21st century” marketing and advertising strategies.    The quicker we start using these affiliate marketing strategies, the stronger we will become as independent dealers.  This is just the first of many changes I see sweeping through the industry.   As independent dealers, we have the best product(s) in the industry and far more experience and knowledge than online newbies.  Get started now!  This is one industry where a little knowledge goes a long way.  As Heraclitus said “A man with one eye is King in a land of the blind!”  Go for it!

Richard W. May
Therese Saint Clair

P.S.  Heraclitus also threw himself into a volcano to prove that he was a god.  Just settle for being a king.

At the National Stationery Show in May, I had the opportunity to chat with Sugandha  Rosenhaft, the President and Creative Director for Arabella Papers.  The occasion of the meeting was to introduce Arabella’s new Custom Bar and Bat Mitzvah Invitation Album, scheduled to be released later in the summer.

Sugandha Rosenhaft of Arabella Papers

Sugandha, shown above with sample Bar/Bat Mitzvah invitations in the background, was justifiably excited about these substantial and attractively designed invitations.  For a stationer, there are few events more rewarding than working with a family to craft an invitation for their daughter’s or son’s Mitzvah.  The paper stock is substantial - often layered in an array of bold colors - and each invitation incorporates motifs, monograms or font styles that complement the color scheme of the invitation.

Sample Arabella Bat Mitzvah with Die-cut Flower

Arabella Papers, with its patented Bellpress printing method, truly outdid themselves with this stunning new album that we recevied last week.   I was most impressed with the contemporary and sharp new invitation designs as well as the large array of customization options. 

Sample Bar/Bat Mitzvah Invitations from Arabella Papers

While some of the customization features may seem overwhelming, Arabella Papers has greatly simplified the process with a clear and articulate explanation at the beginning of the Custom Bar and Bat Mitzvah album.  For instance, they show 6 basic invitation paper styles – including one circular invitation - that range in price from $5 to $16 (including envelope).   To the basic paper style can be added “upgrades,” such as a wallpapered back to the invitation, or “additions,” that range from liners to direction cards.  For those working on a budget (and who isn’t these days), this upfront explanation saves much time and anguish in sorting through the cost of specific customization options.

While Arabella Papers is rather new, they have left a strong imprint on the industry with their fresh new designs, bellpress printing process and a very responsive staff from their Atlanta facility.  If you are not familiar with Arabella Papers, I strongly suggest that you schedule an appointment with a Guild Member stationer that carries Arabella Papers. 

Richard W. May
Therese Saint Clair

At the National Stationery Show this May, I had the opportunity to meet the talented President and Creative Director of Arabella Papers, Sugandha Rosenhaft.  At an off site meeting to introduce Arabella’s new Bar Mitzvah album (the subject of an upcoming news Blog), I was pleased to see two elaborately decorated tables incorporating Arabella’s impeccable taste in menu cards, place cards, seating cards and table cards.

Arabella Papers Table Cards, Menu Cards

While many bridal couples focus on save-the-date invitations and their wedding invitation, there are many other “paper” moments at the rehearsal dinner to tie in color themes and/or reinforce design motifs that characterize the occasion.   The Stationers Guild website refers bridal couples to the “paper trail” and “timeline” to help organize your event.

If color, design and stunning presentation is your cup of tea, Arabella Papers using their innovative bellpress printing technique might be the right choice for you.

With some of the most talented designers in the country, Louella Press has been breath of fresh air in the stationery industry.   Using the ancient and noble printing process of engraving,  Louella Press creates luscious engraved invitations for weddings, Bar & Bat Mitzvahs and milestone events.  Words are not enough to describe their stunning custom invitation designs which are rich color, texture and boldly printed using engraving.

Engraved Invitation by Louella Press

Now through June 30, the folks at Louella Press are offering to engrave the outer envelopes free of charge with one ink color (or, get 2-color envelopes for the 1-color price).  This is an exceptional offer for those looking for an engraved custom invitation, but trying to keep the budget in line.  Schedule an appointment with a Guild member store in your neighborhood who carries Louella Press to take advantage of this great promotion.

Louella Press Custom Invitation

Important events should be celebrated in style.  Doing so with a custom invitation from Louella Press could be the start of something big.

I recently received an email from trendy stationery designer Boatman Geller indicating that they were now a proud supporter of the nationwide 3/50 Project.   The Stationers Guild was one of the early supporters of Cinda Baxter’s 3/50 Project and, as Guild members, we are very much encouraged that leading stationery companies are now getting behind this important initiative.

As readers of this Blog may recall, the objective of the 3/50 project is to save “the brick & mortars our nation is built on” by encouraging residents to support local businesses.  Spending patterns suggest that roughly two-thirds of the money spent at local stores remains in the community. The benefits to the community through taxes and employment of online sales are virtually negligible.   With small business employment continuing to plummet, town and community infrastructures across the United States will be radically changed.  The 3/50 project is simply a call-to-arms to help protect local businesses and the fabric of our communities.

Boatman Geller will be sending a printable manufacturer’s coupon that can be redeemed at any retail store that carries Boatman Geller’s Personalized Collections.  This is very encouraging news and will hopefully be emulated by other fine stationery companies to protect their bricks and mortar dealer network.

Nevertheless, a far more positive step would be sell Boatman Geller’s personalized collections exclusively through retail stores.  My own opinion is that “fine” stationery sold through internet distribution channels will eventually  become little more than “paper” to consumers that are deprived of the tactile and visual experience of selecting their stationery in person.  Perhaps, Boat Geller might want to reconsider whether the “value” or “uniqueness” of their brand is really enhanced by selling through 24 online resellers.

Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia (MSLO) in conjuction with Crane & Co. introduced a new wedding invitation line at last week’s National Stationery Show.  A suite of 24 invitation suites together with a brochure were distributed to Crane and Co.’s dealers late last week.   The new line was officially launched by Martha Stewart and Charles Kittredge, CEO of Crane & Co. on May 18th at the Rainbow Room in Rockefeller Center in New York.

Martha Stewart & Charles Kittredge

The new line was prominently displayed at the Crane & Co. booth at the National Stationery Show.  The 24 invitation suites are comprised on invitations, save-the-date cards, response cards and supporting pieces in a range of attractive styles.  The collection is made from all-cotton tree-free and certified recycled papers. 

Martha Stewart at Crane & Co. Display

Crane dealers now have samples of the 24 invitation suites together with a brochure describing each style in more detail.  In a marked departure from previous releases by Crane & Co., prospective bridal couples may also download the Martha Stewart Wedding brochure (a pdf file, which requires a free download from Adobe Acrobat Reader) from the Crane & Co. website.

This attractive new line reaffirms Crane & Co.’s stylish design capabilities coupled with Martha Stewart’s characteristic good taste.  Found below are a couple of samples that may be found in Martha Stewart Stationery Weddings brochure:

Baluster Edge Wedding Suite

Crown Ecru Wedding Invitation Suite

Paper is a tactile experience and we encourage bridal couples to see the Martha Stewart Stationery Weddings samples at a Guild member store in your neighborhood.

Sarah Schwartz, the talented editor of Stationery Trends magazine, gave two standing-room only presentations at the National Stationery Show last week.  The topic was Stationery Trends for 2009.  There was so much useful and practical information crammed into Sarah’s colorful presentation that it was sometimes difficult to keep pace with her rapid-fire overview of 2009 stationery trends.  With apologies to Sarah for missing something significant, I would like to comment briefly on the six key themes highlighted in her presentation.  I am doing so without graphics since I don’t want to overload the server.

Trend 1 - The Value Proposition:  Clearly, the economic recession has had a marked impact on consumer purchasing decisions.  There were numerous examples of companies offering different printing alternatives (flat-printing or lithography vs. letterpress) to provide more affordable options for the consumer.  Along that same line, several companies were offering less expensive substitutes.  For instance, Demby and Solomon have an attractive line of return address stickers rather than the generally more expensive printed envelope.

Trend 2 – Colors to Covet:  Purple is emerging as a “hot” new color.  Orange and yellow have been around for several years and both remain popular choices for today’s young consumer.  Gray features in many upscale designs.

Trend 3 – New vs. Old Patterns:  Several companies have created a modern twist on old patterns.  For instance, Elum Designs has created some truly contemporary stationery letterpress designs using old patterns.  Lucky Onion is another company that comes to mind that is producing some “hip” invitations using traditional designs.

Trend 4 – The Perfect Green Storm:  Many companies are offering Eco-friendly stationery or invitation papers.  Playing the “green” card has become quite fashionable.  I did give the papers made from elephant dung a pass, but Night Owl Paper Goods has some attractive greeting cards and invitations made from wood.

Trend 5 – Designer Cachet:  A number of fashion trend-setters have added their name to stationery and invitation lines.  Vera Wang branches into new territory with the debut of Wedding Invitations II in June.  This follows Vera’s very successful Wedding Invitations I with William Arthur in 2005.  Martha Stewart has partnered with Crane & Co. to produced a line of 24 wedding invitation styles.  Lilly Pulitzer, MOMA and several others are adding their own distinctive touch to new stationery and invitation lines.

Trend 6 – Design Trends:  Sarah cited so many design trends that I will only highlight a few.  Animal prints (particularly wild animals), birds and butterflies are popular across many invitation lines.  Cityscape patterns found in Lallie and Faux Designs are also proving to be quite popular.  For me, the most distinctive trend was the introduction of texture into the design process.  Lattice, lace, damask and toile were evident across may lines and in some cases, like the new Vera Wang wedding invitation line, were the most riveting feature of the stationery ensemble.   Personalization, through monograms or names, continues to a growing trend in stationery.

Sarah seminar is clearly a must-see for those who are looking for something new and distinctive.  While the National Stationery Show was somewhat smaller this year, I did manage to discover 10 new companies that were not on my initial target list.  Thanks Sarah for a great introduction to this year’s National Stationery Show.

We have just received word that the talented stationery designer Lallie will supply ”The Calendar” for 2010.  Following the unfortunate closure of the esteemed Consortium group late last year, Nancy “Lallie” Lashley has been fielding phone calls from distraught dealers all over the country to fill the void left by Jansson’s coveted calendar.  Not one to step away from a challenge, Nancy will debut her distinctive Lallie Calendar for 2010 at the National Stationery Show which opens this weekend.

We are occasionally asked whether it is “proper” to use adhesive-backed mailing labels to address your wedding invitations.  The simple answer is that mailing labels tend to “cheapen” the appearance of your wedding invitation.   In general, the mailing label strikes one as ”too commercial” and “out of place” since the color of the mailing label does not match the color of the envelope.  Printed envelopes are certainly recommended.

There are several printing options available to address your invitation envelope(s).  While hand calligraphy is certainly the best choice, it is often beyond the financial reach of many bridal couples.  Hand calligraphy prices vary significantly and addressing double envelopes could cost anywhere from $3.00 a set upwards.

Many Guild member stores offer machine calligraphy services to address your invitations.  You simply supply your stationer with a list of your guests in a spreadsheet or text file and the stationer will print the inner and outer envelope in the ink color and font of your choosing.   Again, the cost of machine calligraphy varies, but generally costs no more than half the price of hand-calligraphy.  It is wise to consult with an experienced stationer since the quality of the paper and the thickness of the envelope (particularly if it is lined) will affect printing options. 

Julie Holcomb Wedding Handbook

If you or one of your family or friends have good writing skills, there is no reason why you can’t address the envelopes by hand.  I would strongly recommend that you purchase a copy of Julie Holcomb’s The Wedding Invitation Handbook  to learn the proper etiquette if you are planning to address your invitations.  In fact, Julie’s excellent handbook has some great advice on planning your wedding and will help make sure that all the “i’s” are dotted and the “t’s” are crossed.