The Stationers Guild

I read with great interest that the 2010 National Stationery Show has succumbed and, indeed, embraced social networking to promote interest in the National Stationery Show scheduled for May 16 through the 19th at the Jacob Javits Center in NYC.  According to Patti Stracher, the NSS Manager.  ”Social media sites are becoming increasingly important for impromptu business discussion, in a world that has become accustomed to instant feedback and news.  Websites such as Twitter, Facebook and others are helping us to communicate quickly and concisely in a way that works for busy professionals on the go.”

Last year, as an April Fools joke, I published a Blog article suggesting that the National Stationery Show would be digital by 2012.   The latest announcement by Ms. Stracher suggests that there was, perhaps more truth than humor in my “prediction.”    While one naturally assumes that “social networking” makes great sense to promote the National Stationery Show, I always ask:  “Who benefits?”   For instance, would you use the Kindle to market the National Book Show or Skype to promote a long-distance calling plan?    While I have no regrets in using every available marketing tool (particularly if they are free) to market my business, Ms. Stracher and other organizers should think carefully how these promotional tools will be used.   As far as I am concerned, empowering social networkers to promote the National Stationery Show is akin to giving the keys to the Jedi spaceship to Darth Vader.

Twitter is a social network based on the simple concept that friends and followers are actually interested in what you are doing.   I realize that any sane person could care less what I am doing.  Furthermore, I firmly resolve not to encroach on your privacy even if you are inclined to be a contestant on a reality TV show.   In other words, “Thank you for not sharing.”   I don’t mean to go Andy Rooney on you, but if you are genuinely interested in what I am doing 24/7 you probably have a pretty sad life.

While Twitter may have started out as a social phenomena for people desperately trying to “connect” or “follow” someone with lives less shallow than their own, its “social” function has been taken over by big business and media manipulators.   Like most of my fellow stationers who attend the National Stationery Show, I don’t plan on texting.    While I do carry a cell phone, it is not text enabled and, to be honest, I have found little to call about, let alone text at the National Stationery Show.  If stationers are not texting or tweeting, who is?    This brings us back to the central questions:  “Who benefits?”

Texting and tweeting is big business.  Professionals and paid free-lancers will be busy using the NSS social and their own platform to promote their brands, websites and anything else which attracts “eyeballs” or visitors to their booth (assuming they are even registered as an exhibitor).  In fact, I am quite confident that as I write this blog,  paid mercenaries are busily crafting scores of 140 character tweets in anticipation of the event to promote their own brand.   It works something like this: 

• BrandX Company plans to launch a new line of wedding invitations called “Cloud 9″ at the May show
• BrandX  Company’s marketing department contracts Indian and Philippine copywriters to write thousands of 140 character “text” messages promoting “Cloud 9″, “wedding invitations” or “BrandX wedding invitations” within the context of the NSS show product launch (at $1 to $2 an hour,  you can generate a lot of messages cheaply and you don’t even have to spell too well)
• Many thousands of messages have been created around the product launch (coordinated with article and PR releases) that will then be timed to be released around the time of the show
• The artificial “buzz” is self-generated by BrandX and will quickly be picked up the search engines and those who track key words (i.e. wedding invitations) on the social networks.

The end result of this manipulated social  “marketing campaign” is that consumer has been played.    I realize that there is an old adage that says “Let the buyer beware.”  Nevertheless, for NSS organizers to blindly jump on the social bandwagon without evaluating the consequences is, in my opinion, most disheartening.  The organizers at the National Stationery Show must should ask themselves:  ”Does social networking  lead to a stronger industry, better craftsmanship and a more-informed consumer?”  I think not.

Richard W. May
Thérèse Saint Clair

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

 With the lavish introduction of the new Vera Wang On Weddings at the 2009 National Stationery Show, I was curious to learn how Vera’s inspired fabric creations were so faithfully recreated on paper. I was fortunate to have an extended discussion with talented designer Meghan Carey, Lead Vera Wang Designer for William Arthur, and Lisa Blinn, William Arthur’s Vice President of Design. The fruits of that enlightening discussion are summarized below.

Meghan Carey with Vera Wang Necklace

I think it is fair to say that Vera’s new wedding invitation designs have matured since they were first introduced at the 2005 National Stationery Show. The original designs were unmistakably Vera’s: the stylish oyster-colored paper, the geometric rigor applied to paper sizes and envelopes and Vera’s ever-present wedding motifs that permeated the invitation and envelope lining samples. The new designs reflect an unwavering confidence in translating Vera’s inspirational patterns to paper. As Lisa remarks, “we understand Vera’s aesthetic and tactile sensibility.”

It is hard to believe that the new wedding invitations album went from design to approval by Vera in just over 3 months. Most paper designers take between 12 to 18 months to produce a new line. Meghan and Lisa immersed themselves in Vera’s world by attending Runway Shows and design and fabric conferences to distill the elements that make Vera’s designs so unmistakably Vera. The secret was to translate these tactile designs to paper using the cutting-edge printing capabilities of William Arthur.

New Vera Wang Wedding Invitation

One new design element that features prominently in this new album is the kalogram: a term that refers to a monogram using a person’s full name. Note: This is a great word for Scrabble enthusiasts when you have an “a” rather than an “i”.  Their beauty is unmistakable and adds a level of sophistication not often encountered in fine invitations. New type styles and exaggerated motifs add a level of stylish playfulness that was not generally available in Vera’s initial wedding album.

Grosgrain is a textured pattern ribbon often found in Vera’s clothing designs. This grosgrain pattern is faithfully reproduced on the invitation sample above through engraving. I actually had to run my finger across the ridges of the engraved design to convince myself it wasn’t ribbon. There are many more surprises as you leaf through Vera’s new album, but I encourage you to visit a Guild Member store in your neighborhood that carries Vera to “touch” these great designs for yourself.

I could go on and describe how the ruched tulle or damask patterns in Vera’s ready-to-wear line have been incorporated into these new invitations, but it is best to see her new album in person. While William Arthur will sell Vera’s invitations online, there is no substitute for visiting an experienced stationer who can assist you with customization options that are not easily available online. Contact a Guild Member store in your neighborhood to see the new Vera Wang On Weddings invitation album.

As Sheila and I walked the nearly deserted aisles of the 2009 National Stationery Show on closing day (May 20), we reflected on the significant changes that have swept over our industry during the last 7 years.  While overall traffic was clearly down, there was still plenty of good vibes, great design artistry and paper craftsmanship and, most importantly, shared chuckles with our fellow stationers, sales reps and the many fine paper companies whose lines we are privileged to represent. 

Emi Havas of Paperfolio in Summit, NJ suggested that the hardened stationery warriors were there to show solidarity with each other.   We certainly agree with Emi that there was a spirit of fierce determination among fellow stationers.   Nevertheless, the difficult economic situation, changing consumer behavior patterns and the overriding influence of the internet clearly threaten the industry as we know it.    We certainly don’t have all the answers, but established storefront stationers will soon be forced to make some critical business decisions. 

First and foremost, stationers must decide whether they wish to continue to represent “premium” lines that market aggressively through alternative distribution channels:  a corporate e-commerce website, home dealers, chain stores, non-stationery businesses, charitable and religious organizations.  Clearly, it is asking too much of indendent dealers to invest their time and money to represent lines that are mass-merchandized through alternative distribution channels.  This is not a business model that is sustainable over time and will inevitably cause experienced dealers to close or hibernate as home dealers.  

Just today, the parents we helped to select a birth announcement informed us that they had decided to purchase the identical invitation online.   Unfortunately, this trend is increasing as consumers are aware that a “validating touch” is clearly more important than a low-resolution internet image.  This is a “free” service that disgruntles most stationers and one which independent dealers can’t continue to perform if we expect to stay in business.   In effect, by freely giving our experience to merchandise for a third-party we are simply contributing to our demise.

Secondly, fine paper companies must clearly articulate a business strategy that makes sense to management and the distribution channels that carry their products.   The myth that the market is segmented into “internet buyers” and ”store consumers” is simply an urban legend.  Paper companies who promote this silly justification are simply deceiving themselves and expose themselves to the ridicule of their dealers.  If fine paper companies who sell online want to retain their dealers, they must make it financially advantageous for them to do so.  They can do so by providing their dealers a better margin, extended terms or totally unique products which are not sold on the internet.   It’s not reasonable to expect dealers to satisfy boxed product quotas when online buyers can simply buy personalized stationery and custom invitations online at the same price or even less as they can from cash-strained dealers.   While fine paper companies will do what they think makes sense to meet their financial objectives, the implications of these decisions are far-reaching and probably intractable.  Economics 101 suggests that a massive supply of undifferentiated products (i.e. 72 pixel images) will overtime result in lower prices.  In other words, only low cost producers can expect to survive.  If you want to mass-merchandize a premium brand, prepare your shareholders for lower and, most probably, unacceptable margins. 

And finally, we must all start doing a better job reacting to the false marketing claims, insipid sales arguments and, most importantly, the ludicrous marketing representations of online marketing companies, wedding portals, paid Tweeters and other BlackHat SEO strategies that will eventually bring the industry to its knees.  Make no mistake, these online companies are built on generating advertising revenue and commissions for promoting products that they don’t even manufacture.  They could care less about the industry we represent or the craftsmanship that goes into making fine paper.   While I have no problem with someone making a buck off someone else’s labor, these self-appointed online ”experts” are driving consumer behavior in ways that will eventually destroy the industry by turning fine paper into recycled waste paper.  As industry leaders, we have a responsibility to demonstrate to the public that the craftsmanship that goes into making fine paper, civility and proper etiquette still matters. 

For those who managed to sit through this “heavy” diatribe,  Sheila has asked me to give you some links to several of our favorite restaurants in NYC.  With the exception of Porchetta and Momofuku, all of these restaurants require reservations.  Nevertheless, the Mario Batali restaurants seem to like old people and we generally get seated within an hour without the mandatory reservation. 

Momofuku Ssam Bar:  Inspired food creations from David Chang
The Spotted Pig in the West Village
Porchetta:  The best porchetta that we have eaten outside of Italy (Umbria style)
Babbo:  Mario Batali’s flagship.  Always good and packed.
Lupa:  Another Batali restaurant.  Very good.
Esca:  Another Batali.  Our daughter’s favorite fish restaurant (Italian style)
Balthazar:  A favorite for breakfast or brunch.

Sheila and Rick May
Therese Saint Clair

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.

The effervescent Emi Havas of Paperfolio in Summit, NJ provides these insights for the 2009 National Stationery Show: 

It was evident that the National Stationery Show was smaller this year and attended by fewer buyers than usual.  Nevertheless, the mood was upbeat and positive, especially at Kickoff party Sunday night at the famous Rainbow Room in Rockefeller Center.  Overlooking a dazzling New York skyline, buyers and vendors enjoyed gourmet cuisine and danced to the music of a fantastic DJ. 

“No one deserves this party more than us,” quipped a woman from the Midwest in line behind me at the appetizer bar and how right she is:  It’s not just us that are attending the stationery show who are feeling the economic pain.  All retailers are experiencing tough times with the economy, low consumer confidence and the growth of online shopping.  Nevertheless, everyone I spoke to was here because they believe they are going to survive.

You can’t sell it if you don’t have it and selling it pays the bills.  After a day of looking and buying, what better way to say we are moving forward than to have a party.  This was more than just a party . . .  this was a celebration of a renewed sense of success.  It was a positive action against all of the negative.  A demonstration of our commitment to the industry that we love and will certainly not let fail.  And it was, above all, a heck of a lot of fun!

Emi Havas
Paperfolio of Summit, NJ
Founding Member Stationers Guild

Editor’s P.S.  Emi advises me that the young woman dancing in the photo is not her.  Actually, it is a photo copied from the Rainbow Room website.   

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.

Despite the economic downer, most stationers are looking forward to May’s National Stationery Show at the Javit’s Center in New York City.  According to the NSS website, over 300 new exhibitors will participate for the first time at the Stationery Show.   While overall attendance is likely to be down, those stationers and exhibitors who make the effort to attend will undoubtedly be treated to a special event.

While I expect to be logging in some serious foot-time, I always make a point of attending a few of the show’s informative seminars.  It gives you a chance to rest, reflect and hopefully gain some insights into the “big picture” of the stationery industry.  This year, I will certainly attend Sarah Schwartz’s seminar on “Stationery Trends in 2009.”  Sarah is the editor-in-chief of Stationery Trends, arguably the best publication for serious stationers and the stationery industry as a whole.

Other seminars that have caught my eye are Linda Cahan’s “Going Green Gradually and Gorgeously” and Cinda Baxter’s chat on “The 3/50 Project.”  “Going green” has become a popular rallying cry in the last few years.  Fortunately, guest speakers at previous Stationery Shows have proved to have a very balanced approach to this most complex topic.  I am hopeful that Ms. Cahan will continue this tradition since we are constantly bombarded by media ”greenwash“  to the point where meaningful discussion has largely been overtaken by cult-like sound bites and disingenuous claims.

Cinda Baxter’s 3/50 Project is very close to my heart.  Her noble effort to encourage buyers to shop locally has not only enviromental advantages but helps preserve the bricks-and-mortar businesses which fuel our economy.  With TARP programs and government bailouts, we often lose sight of the true engine of our economy.  Attend Cinda’s presentation and learn how you too can contribute to this worthwhile cause.

If you have a few minutes to spare and want to take a break from the grind of the show, attend one or more of these informative seminars.