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.

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

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 reported earlier, Google is aggressively reaching out to local businesses to improve search results for people who place a local qualifier in a search.  Google Places is certain to overhaul the search dynamics and improve search results for those seeking “wedding invitations Greenwich, CT” or “wedding invitations 06830″.  The natural or organic search results will return a stationery store -hopefully yours – in local search results for “wedding invitations” in your town or zip code.

Clearly, mobile search has been driving Google’s effort to improve the search experience for a growing number of consumers using mobile devices.  This is a tremendous opportunity for mom and pop stores and smaller businesses to effectively position their store for mobile search.  To determine how effective your online marketing is working for you, visit getlisted.org to see how well your store stacks up for local search in the four key search engines. 

Twitter is also beginning to make “big” noise on the local search front.  While I have reluctant to recommend Twitter and other social media tools, the local search component has caused me to reassess my position.  With technology, it is difficult to forecast what is coming next, but clearly the time of Twitter and Facebook has arrived.  If you value your business and want to help tech savvy consumers find your business, it is about time to reallocate your Yellow Pages advertising budget to online search.  You will be glad you did and so will your new customers.

This is also the death knell for wedding portals who have so corrupted the local search component.  If you are paying for advertising on The Knot, Martha Stewart Wedding or other wedding portals, this money should now be reallocated to local search.  It’s a heck of a lot cheaper and far more effective.  Why pay for advertising to compete with the likes of weddingpaperdivas.com who are paying close to $50 for each sale in your local space?  Makes no sense.

Richard W. May
Therese Saint Clair

I was saddened to learn that the last bookstore in Laredo, Texas – a city with the population of 250,000 – closed its doors shortly before Christmas.  Timothy Egan, from the New York Times Opinionator, reports that this sad event coincides with the fact that on Christmas day, Amazon.com sold more digital book downloads than physical books.  Granted, most people don’t shop on Christmas day, but one can only speculate what this means for our society.  Timothy Egan argues that it “raises two issues: what the loss of bookstores does to communities and what the brave new publishing world will mean to authors and readers.”   I believe that Mr. Egan would concur with Thomas Jefferson who in 1815 wrote to John Adams that  “I cannot live in a world without books.”

If this is the fate that lies ahead for bookstores, what does it foretell for independent stationers whose business is already under assault by dot.com companies masquerading as stationery companies; suppliers who now sell directly to consumers online; and event organizers for the National Stationery Show who now see social networking as their savior for declining attendance?  I wish  the “true” leaders of the stationery industry step up and say “In the best interests of the consumer, the craftspeople and designers we are proud to sponsor, and the many fine stationers who merchandize our products professionally, we do not intend to compromise our standards of excellence.”  Unfortunately, I suspect this will not happen anytime too soon.

The sad reality is that the true craftsmanship that goes into making fine papers and the labor of love that goes into creating exquiste designs and new font styles has been usurped by digital mercenaries flogging vastly inferior products to an unsuspecting public that assume Google search results will point them in the direction of fine stationery.  Indeed, there are many printing companies now selling their wares to the public who can’t even print in a straight line.  In fact, I recently came across a vendor introducing a new line of letterpress stationery when she couldn’t even spell stationary correctly.  She seemed angry when I suggested that it might help her sales if she could spell the product properly. 

I know it may seem silly to suggest it, but wouldn’t it be nice if “quality” rather than “quantity” were the mantra of the National Stationery Show.    Or perhaps, “correspondence” rather than “tweeting” or “communication” rather than “promotion.”  It might be a far smaller show, but dealers and vendors would rejoice and, the consumer, would most certainly begin to realize that paper is not stationery.

Richard W. May
Founding Member Stationers Guild