The Stationers Guild

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.

As a stationery store with an online presence, we receive many requests for a catalogue or samples of  wedding invitations.  Visitors are surprised that Thérèse Saint Clair has no catalogue nor do we send out “sample” wedding invitations.  Usually these visitors to our website come to understand that there is more to selecting a wedding invitation than looking at paper samples or limiting oneself to a few designs in an catalogue or online store.   Let me explain why.

Like most of the fine stationers found on the Stationers Guild website, we represent many excellent design companies and printers.    In the case of Thérèse Saint Clair, we represent over 60 companies that print wedding invitations; each of whom has their own unique style or designs, custom printing process and papers.   It would be presumptious of me to select sample designs for someone I have never met without having the benefit of a conversation and, most likely, a meeting to discuss their requirements, budget and style preferences.  If there is one piece of advice I can give prospective bridal couples, it is this:   If you decide to purchase a wedding invitation from a catalogue or online be prepared to be disappointed.  The outcome is unlikely to meet your expectations.  Let me show you why.

My responsibility as a stationer is to help my client select a wedding invitation and reply card set that reflects their preferences and design features – not my own!  For instance, I find Vera Wang wedding invitations to be particularly stylish in that they seemlessly incorporate many of Vera’s latest fabric designs into the actual invitation itself as shown below:

Vera Wang Wedding Invitation

While this is obviously a very striking invitation ensemble, the colors, the paper and, indeed, even the elaborate styling may not appeal to you.   For instance, you may be more attracted to the classic simplicity of Crane & Co.’s classic wedding  invitations or, perhaps, the bold designs of Oblation’s letterpress wedding invitations.

Oblation Letterpress Wedding Invitation

Imagine the complications of being faced with samples from over 60 companies:  Your head would likely be spinning.   There is a tendency for people to throw up their hands in frustration at the seemingly endless number of choices.  Nevertheless, working with an experienced stationer can often help narrow down the viable choices fairly quickly.  There is  a distinct advantage to working with an experienced stationer who has many samples of custom invitations, printed ink colors and paper swatches to help insure that your printed invitation meets your expectations.  This is simply not possible in the online world where low image resolutions distort ink colors and, most certainly, don’t begin to pick up the subtle textures of paper and their different weights.

The Stationers Guild has hyperlinks to many fine paper companies who sell wedding invitations.    Some of these printing companies sell online, but many do not.  Let  these designers and craftspeople tell you their story in their own words and see samples of their great designs.  While this is a useful way to do your research, there is no substitute to visiting a qualified stationer in your neighborhood.  While Guild member stores may not carry all the lines shown on our website, spending an hour with an experienced stationer will help point you in the right direction and will probably save you both money and many hours of frustration.

Sheila P. May
Thérèse Saint Clair

Sean Bradley, the passionate store manager of Tabula Rasa Social Stationers, has some very good advice on the proper way to respond to an “e-vite.”  In an open letter which clearly articulates the differences between custom invitations and fast-food e-vites, Sean recommends that you “Click on delete and report as Spam.”  I’m not sure Sean goes far enough.

In a quick impromptu survey of other Guild members, most concurred with Sean’s recommendation but some went a step further.  Here is a just a short list of some of their comments:

1. How about a $25 gift certificate to attend an Emily Post webinar on etiquette?
2. How about an e-RSVP which is cc’d to all of your Twitter followers inviting them to crash the party?
3. Post the e-vite  on eBay and see if you can get someone silly enough to bid for it.  (P.S.,why didn’t I think of that one?)
4. Send an e-apology saying that you would gladly participate vicariously if the party was recorded and posted on YouTube.
5. Block the sender.
6. Forward the e-vite to David Letterman to see if makes his Top 10 List of Tacky e-vites.
7. Change the Google map place listing for the party.
8. Take a deep breath and send your “friend” a polite note on personalized stationery declining the e-vite.  (P.S. If you want to push the envelope, include a $25 gift certificate for personalized stationery).
9. Kindly decline the invitation but offer to pipe-in music from your  iPod  through a PodCast.
10. Offer to make a cameo appearance by video  posted on YouTube.

I guess there is a time and a place for everything, but quite frankly I have never found the time for an e-vite nor do I expect to anytime soon.  Once we strip the formality and personal touch from the way we communicate with each other the importance of the occasion begins to lose its relevance and interest.  Thank you, Sean, for sharing your letter with us.

Checkerboard, a leading designer of custom invitations, is offering 25 free invitations with any custom invitation order of 25 or more paid invitations selected from their four party albums:  Soiree, Social Butterfly, Paper Palette or Checkerboarders.  This offer expires on August 2, 2009.

The New York Times reports that luxury stationer Mrs. John L. Strong is closing.  This venerable stationer, founded by Flora Strong during the depression (the Great Depression of the 30s, not this one!), closed its Madison Avenue store on Thursday.

All of us in the stationery industry lament the passing of one of the great design firms for fine stationery and custom invitations.  Needless to say, the presence of Mrs. John L. Strong will be sorely missed.

Browershots recently showcased the StationersGuild website as an example of superior design incorporating CSS style sheets and user-friendly navigation.    Browershots listed the website in their CSS Gallery along with other website designs which incorporate state-of-the-art design features that comply with web standards.

This is not the first time that the StationersGuild website has been cited by web designers.  Inguna Trepsa of Ante Meridiem Design is responsible for creating this exceptional design for the StationersGuild.  The focus was on ease of navigation, speed in loading relevant information for the online user and a simple “search” feature incorporating Google Maps to help buyers of fine stationery and custom invitations locate qualified stationers in their neighborhood.

Richard May, a founding member of the StationersGuild, notes that “it was a pleasure working with Inguna and aside from her inspired design for the Guild website, she managed to keep the site efficient and easy to navigate for the online visitor.”