For many years I channeled my industry passion on behalf of one company and its dealers. In my new chapter and identity as partner in Local Traffic Builder, we design, market and consult for numerous retailers and brands. In addition, I have had the personal satisfaction of having an influence on the development and direction of some new companies that will be exhibiting at the National Stationery Show for the first or second time as well as helping established companies reinvent themselves.

In my years of exhibiting, the biggest question retailers have is “what’s new”?

Here are some companies with something new that I recommend you visit at the show or contact if you are not able to attend.

Dalmazio Imports Booth 1241 http://bit.ly/JfCuGp

Dalmazio Imports has been an industry mainstay for many years as a wholesale importer of fine favors, gifts, and accessories. Sandra Dalmazio, co-owner of Dalmazio Imports created her own niche as an extremely talented invitation designer and party decorator in the New York City metropolitan area. She would take upscale brand invitations and add her own adornments including the use of boxes instead of envelopes. She now has a wholesale product line for invitations with appliqués, hand painting and other enhancements at a level that stands alone in the industry.

Sandra was in the process of gathering her samples for a photo shoot for a new site focusing on invitations, when her entire building and all its contents were destroyed in a fire several months ago. In recovering from this devastation, she courageously made a last minute decision to still participate at the show. She has no professional photos and we posted some cell phone shots on Pinterest that will give you a glimpse of  the “wow” effect http://bit.ly/JfCuGp. Just wait till you see the designs in person.

Thankster – Booth 1370 – http://www.thankster.com/contents/view/For_Invitations_Retailers

When I saw this company, multiple bulbs lit up in my head. While thank you cards are usually never the focal point of an invitation sale, this company has a concept that can change all that.

The essence of their offer is they digitize handwriting, turn it into a font and create personalized printed thank you cards that look like they were handwritten. Every card can have a different message or they can merge the guest list with one message. A good solution for the angst created for parents when forcing their Bar/Bat Mitzvah kids to write individual notes to each friend and relative as well as busy newlyweds who grew up on a computer and may have forgotten how to write with a pen (okay an exaggeration).

However, this is only the beginning; Thankster stuffs, addresses and stamps the envelope and off they go.

Let’s get to the profit part. Each card retails for $2.49 regardless of the quantity for any style they carry. They even offer the option of using customer-supplied stock for a reduced price. The dealer discount is among the most generous in the industry at 55%. If you are a retailer that discounts based on competitive pressures and are also selling many lower priced invitations, selling this product with all of the value added service at full price can increase the profit on your invitation order 50-100%.

Exclusive Bordering –  Booth 2876 http://www.ottoprinting.com

I do not know any retailers who are not challenged by consumers that are price shopping and trying to make apples to apples comparisons. Exclusive Bordering offers valuable finishing and product enhancing services such as Hand bordering, hand deckling, paper laminating, letterpress, beveling, and edge coloring. This can help you enhance album sold products or customize your own products to inspire creativity in customers and quench their thirst for differentiation. You can actually visit their booth and leave with a boxed sample kit that is an excellent sales tool that is given free to qualified dealers. You can also view celebrity Kim Kardashian’s wedding invitation.

Intricutz – Booth 3053 http://www.lasercutweddinginvitations.com

Laser cut invitations is one of the new looks touted in Martha Stewart Weddings. Intricutz offers a product line that is a laser cut suite of invitations, enclosures and accessories that include menus, programs, seating cards and favor boxes. They create intricate, lace details or simple, modern, geometric cutouts. The designs are versatile and can be also used for bar/bat mitzvahs, milestone events, and corporate events. The laser cutting of the name is very distinctive and can even be done in Hebrew. Printing methods of laser, thermography and letterpress are available.

Owner Martha Rayon has worked tirelessly for months to create this product line and build a strong infrastructure for service and delivery. I love the idea that they offer quantities in increments of “10” after the first 100.

Simply Personal Booth 3055 – http://www.simplypersonalblog.com

Owner Susan Strauss visited the Local Traffic Builder booth two years ago to see how we can help her revamp her website for online retailing. I immediately saw the simplicity and elegance of her products and ordering process and suggested that she consider shifting to become a wholesale brand. Talk about taking action. She exhibited last year even though she was just starting the company.

No other brand of invitations sold through retailers markets to brides the use of easy technology to design their invitation in collaboration with their local retailer. This will save hours of time in the typical selection and ordering process from album brands.

From the moment a bride views a co-branded Simply Personal online portal, they feel they are in control, but in reality, you have control of the sale.

The custom portal empowers the bride to select her invitation with an online elegant design tool that allows the customization of an invitation on rich paper stock from endless combinations of ink colors, fonts and motifs with a choice of three methods of printing. When selecting the invitation or finalizing the sales process with you she can see and feel the physical invitation along with viewing ink color charts and swatches of paper.

Their elegant sample kit, paper, and color chart is elegant way of showing the physical product in stores and even at bridal shows.

Here are the details:
When: Tuesday, May 22, 2012 from 11:00 am–12:00 pm
Where: Javits Center, NYC Room: 1C02/03

You can also visit us at booth 2851 any day during the show. Visit the National Stationery Show’s website for more information.

We took some time to review the changes and analyze how these changes effect Facebook from a marketing perspective. Like many other internet marketing experts, we see some opportunities for businesses, but are not happy with some of the changes. Particularly, we feel Facebook has diminished the effectiveness of a useful marketing tool, the Welcome page (also referred to as a Welcome tab).

The major problems with the new Timeline pages are:

1. Welcome pages can no longer be set to be the first thing people see. People will always come to the Timeline first.
2. Welcome pages no longer refresh to show fan-only content (content shown after clicking the like button)  Facebook has changed this and it is now possible to have the page automatically refresh and reveal fan only content.

Facebook has added some features that are good for businesses. An example being the About Section. By placing contact information for your business near the top of the page, rather than being hidden in the info tab, they have made it easier for people to access your contact information. There are some other benefits, but for now, we want to focus on how the change effects Welcome pages and the visual and marketing scope of Pages. In the new Timeline layout, the cover photo (large banner image at the top of the page) and the profile photo are the most important visual branding elements. Secondary to that is the row of Application Tabs.

An example of a Timeline Business Page. Click the image to expand.

What to do now?
We want to offer the best advice to you. As of now, we feel that the Welcome page is not as effective because the new Timeline layout relies on people clicking on a Welcome tab rather than automatically being shown a Welcome page upon entry by a new prospect. It is our recommendation that you don’t invest in a Welcome Page at this time. Instead, you may want to focus your energy on promoting your Facebook content through other mediums such as email blasts that encourage people to like your page and by including Facebook links on your website. Read more below about what you can do to prepare your page for March 30th.

Already have a Facebook Welcome Page?
To all of our clients and any others who have invested in a Welcome page, you should know what to expect on March 30th. The Timeline Layout will automatically be applied to your page. Your Welcome Page will still work and it will be linked to from a small graphic near the top of the page (called the application box). This graphic can be changed within Facebook.

The Welcome page will be alone on a new page and can now be wider (810px wide), all current designs will be centered in the space. If you have content that is only revealed when someone clicks the like button, a visitor will need to manually refresh the page after hitting the like button in order to see that content. Facebook no longer has the page automatically refresh, which was poorly considered on their part. Unfortunately there is nothing that can be done about this presently. UPDATE: Facebook has fixed this issue. Pages now automatically refresh when someone clicks the like button.

An Example of a Custom Page within the Timeline Layout. Click to expand.

To prepare for the change, we recommend that you do the following so your page will look it’s best on March 30th.

1. Prepare a Cover Photo
2. Adjust your Profile Photo if needed
3. Create a graphic for any of your application boxes
   How to add your graphic: While you are previewing your page in Timeline, go to the arrow to the right of the application tabs to reveal all tabs. Rollover the tab you want to change and click the pencil icon. Select Edit Settings. From there you can rename the tab and upload a graphic for the tab.

Here is an article about the size requirements for all the different parts of the Timeline layout.

If you are interested in having us work on your cover and profile image or Welcome page graphic, please contact us.

We will be coming out with more posts about the changes to Facebook  soon, so please stay tuned. We are also interested in hearing your thoughts about the new Timeline layout.

A unique window display can attract customers who never knew your store existed as they pass in their car or on foot. There are different approaches to window displays from large posters that sometimes are manufacturer supplied to sample boards or actual samples that are hung with clothespins.

A strong display also helps the whole ambiance of the sales area. In a store that sells other services a strong display can also attract attention to that department. You probably have experienced this in restaurants where there are paintings on the walls that contribute to the atmosphere; sometimes, these paintings feature a particular artist and are for sale.

Every so often I come across services or products that may be helpful to you. I learned of an attractive product line by Purple Raincoat. It can enhance your invitation display on a wall or window (or even standing on a counter top). This also looks like a good add-on sale to invitations. Purple Raincoat is run by Carol Colman, a former invitation retailer who is making beautiful framed invitation collages as keepsake gifts that showcase invitations as works of art. After having some success retailing the product, the company is working toward launching a wholesale division. Even though she is the artist, her concept is to co-brand with your store so that you get credit for selling the art. To learn more or share ways that this concept would be attractive for you, you can reach Carol by email or by phone at 617-803-0366. Examples of her work are available on her website.

Here is an example of a custom invitation display created by Purple Raincoat.

First of all, you receive an invitation in the mail. If you want to include a website, why not just list it on the invitation? Then the recipient can visit the website. In my opinion, the QR Codes are ugly and take away from the aesthetics of an invitation.

What I think along with my colleague, Alan Berg, is that the best place for a QR Code is on a direction card so it can serve as a functional tool to go to Google Maps or a GPS. One invitation brand that is doing this is Simply Personal.

However, Crane took an opposite viewpoint and will be designing invitations with QR Codes, feeling they have to anticipate where the market is going. Using QR Codes will surely be confusing to the older generation. Grandmothers, Grandfathers and other older family members are not all going to be up with the times. They will most likely be boggled by the QR Code and may even take it to the supermarket to have it scanned when they see it. I believe you should simply give guests the all the information they need about getting to the wedding on the actual invitation. Also, it certainly does not mean more revenue for the invitation retailer.

How do you feel about QR Codes on invitations?

It is easy for a wedding professional to feel they are very proactive in promoting their business by taking the time to take a basic listing on many advertising websites or take small ads in wedding magazines. Getting noticed and generating a meaningful response this way is like attending many crowded sporting events hoping that the television camera panning the crowd will see you and put you on television.

Investing in elegant and prominent advertising, marketing and branding both online and in print in carefully chosen places will make customers hunger for you. If you are in NY or NJ, come watch Alan Berg Amy Wilkins, publisher of Martha Stewart Weddings and myself discuss how to merge your print and online marketing in a great wedding industry networking and educational event on January 11th at The Rosewood in Edison. Pre-registration is closed by you can register at the door, learn, network and enjoy some good food and entertainment. For info click here.

We are experiencing a strong growth period. We are looking for a
freelancer and an intern to work on a number of current website projects.
There is a possibility of full-time employment for the right person. We
are looking for a highly aesthetic and intelligent website designer with a
strong knowledge of CSS, Photoshop, and Illustrator or InDesign.
Experience with WordPress and SEO is a plus. You will be working on
websites from concept through completion, branding, logos and photo
retouching. You will have direct client interaction, and must have good
communication and writing skills. To start, you will be working primarily
on Local Traffic Builder projects.

You will be working ONSITE in our Nyack, NY design studio.

Our websites are: www.LocalTrafficBuilder.com and www.Mosaicology.com

No phone calls. Please respond directly to the requirements noted in this
post and supply digital samples of your work by email to employment@localtrafficbuilder.com. Thank you.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KgZ4ZTTfKO8

While this is wonderfully entertaining, there are business lessons here.

Has the videographer used this as a PR piece? Has it been used as an SEO video, to pull traffic from the internet?

Is there a business in orchestrating a family entertainment piece that can make every wedding special, unify the guests, allow the bridal party and both families to get to know each other?

You tell me. And I’ll tell you there are many business opportunities that get missed every day.

Don’t overlook this one. Take a look at Local Traffic Builder. We can creatively help you identify your great opportunities. Opportunities that will distinguish your business in the marketplace, make your website more elegant, more compelling, and help the brides in your area find you. And if you need someone to help you orchestrate a family entertainment production, well, perhaps we can help with that too. If you write to me, I’ll show what we did at my son’s Bar Mitzvah. (It brought the house down.)

Certain manufacturers such as Lemon Tree, Checkerboard, Natural Impressions and Pioneer have made direct overtures saying they will help dealers who have existing Encore orders, or orders to place, re-create the products if possible.

The main issue dealers face are the catalogs that need to be replaced.

Brands that offered customization, and designed products and offered conversion services with processes like die cutting, foil stamping, embossing, and laminating, are scarce with Encore gone, especially given the recent closures of Jansson and Elite.

If you are a dealer trying to find alternate resources for certain papers that Encore carried, and do not see them in other albums, you should know that the paper sellers have greatly consolidated in the last 5 years and the main paper sellers that Encore used were:

Legion Paper www.legionpaper.com
Lindenmeyr www.lindenmeyr.com
Central www.centralpaper.com
Rainbow www.rainbowpapers.com

One other source that needs mentioning is JRC Industries, the manufacturer of many of the designed stamped and embossed invitations, as well as the Felt Paper Deckled Edge invitations found in the ES Collection and Simply Encore 2 Albums. JRC does not sell direct nor do they personalize invitations. You can email jf@creativestationery.com, with a picture of the invitation needed and they will likely be able to find you a source for your customers’ needs.

And in reality this information is of limited value because of the large minimum quantities often required, processes that Encore might have applied to the paper after being purchased, and of course, cutting.

I want to clarify that I am only sharing these resources to help expedite remedies to unfinished orders and other problems the closure of Encore has caused dealers and not in any way to give dealers direct resources that bypass the current supply chain. However, perhaps the paper suppliers can direct you to a brand that carries a particular paper or an outlet where you can buy and send to the supplier you may use to print the invitation.

The following resources are meant for the beginning of a discussion which I hope will generate a lot of dealer comments. Please share your opinions and suggestions on how to go about best replacing the resource Encore was to the stationery industry. What existing suppliers can best fill the void?

Please note that many invitation dealers throughout the country have never been to the National Stationery Show or have not attended in a number of years, so while some of these suppliers are mainstays to you, they be insightful to other dealers. Also as a web design company, I will tell you that many of the manufacturer websites are not representing the elegance of their products effectively so please call them for additional information or samples.

If you have a retail store, certainly William Arthur offers more customization than they had 10 years ago. Elegant layered invitations or pockets can be had from a company like Envelopments, who has elegant printing methods.

One of the top letterpress and foil stamping invitation brands, Dauphine Press, has very talented designers and in house capabilities to help Encore dealers with more intricate, one of a kind, custom designs.

One company that based their designs on the folding of Elite and Jansson was Little Wedding Works, who also is a retailer but has established a growing wholesale brand that does many custom and layered invitations with appliqués and broaches. Their pricing is very competitive.

Otto printing, who gave out a great customization kit at the Stationery Show, can handle most custom orders requiring Letterpress, Engraving or Thermography. They offer Hand Bordering, Deckle Edging, Layering, Laminating, and Pasting of sheets together, Beveling with round or square corners as well as Contoured Bevels, Colored Bevels and Edge Coloring.

As for your Encore albums, I want to again say, I did not tell anyone to throw out the albums. Remove them from the shelves until you get official word from Encore to discard them.

Here are some additional suggestions, per album. This is only a start. Please add your thoughts to these.

Expressions of Love and Ensemble Collection:
Natural Impressions – www.natural-impressions.com
C’est Papier – www.cestpapier.com

ES Collection
Checkerboard – www.checkernet.com
Simply Personal – www.simplypersonal.com who debuted at the stationery show and offers one of the strongest online design tools that allows both the retailer and customer work together with simple technology to design elegant letterpress or thermographed single layer invitations on good paper stock with elegant motifs, fonts and inks.

Classic Collection
Arzberger Stationers – www.arzbergerstationers.com
Prentis Douthit – www.prentissdouthit.com
*Crane – www.crane.com
*William Arthur – www.williamarthur.com

*both luxury brands require dealer to have a storefront and purchase packaged products

Bar Mitzvah
Pioneer – www.pioneerannouncements.com
Jebs – www.jebsdesigns.com
Mosaica Studios – www.mosaicastudios.com
Lemon Tree – www.lemontreestationery.com

Encore Edge
C’est Papier – www.cestpapier.com
Natural Impressions – www.natural-impressions.com
Otto Printing – www.ottoprinting.com

Simply Encore Wedding and Bar Mitzvah
Birchcraft studios, always heralded for their turn around time, proficiency in production and outstanding customer service, have raised the bar on their wedding and Bar Mitzvah invitation designs in recent years that certainly can help fill the void of the Simply Encore Wedding and Bar Mitzvah albums. Call 1 800 333 0405 for dealer information.

Carlson Craft’s product line is so broad that there are options at a lower price point in both categories www.carlsoncraft.com

Holiday
Checkerboard – www.checkernet.com
Elum – www.elumdesigns.com
Crane – www.crane.com
William Arthur – www.williamarthur.com

Calligraphy
Just Calligraphy – www.justcalligraphy.com – is equipped with customized and highly productive state of the art envelope printing machinery that can print onto shiny, metallic surfaces and any other envelopes of any thickness, with or without a lining.

A number of dealers expressed that we need to share resources generously for the good of the industry. So, please post your comments and suggestions on this blog so dealers can help each other. And if I did not mention a supplier who should be listed, please make a comment. I also invite suppliers to comment as well. Please remember to post links to resources you recommend that were not included. Please also note that while I categorized these companies under album categories, there certainly may be crossover to other albums and categories.

Click here to download and print a PDF version of this blog post.

Finally, late yesterday, an owner called me and verified the company was closed. He told me they were shipping all orders they could through the end of the business day Tuesday. Our conversation was brief and there was such sadness, it almost brought me to tears. He said that a formal announcement will be made, however the announcement may take some time.

If you are an Encore Dealer, you know that I had been the voice of the company for many years prior to leaving in 2010 to more fully focus on the growth of Local Traffic Builder. During my 14 years I came to know you and I understand how a delay of this information can impact you with your customers.

You need to pull the albums and put them in storage, remove display samples unless they can be exactly replicated and remove any images or text about Encore from your website. If we can help you with those site changes and help research other images from other brands, please let us know.

If you have an Encore order in house or one that you were planning to place, some custom brands may be able to replicate certain items or come close, so you may try that route before informing your customer that they have to make an entirely different selection.

I also want to say that owners of other brands also contacted me with concern and they were gracious and very saddened by the news. Encore was a great company and both owners are gems of human beings. This must be devastating for them, so please be understanding. I am sure you will hear from them in their own words. I just wanted you to know to protect the interest of your business.