• NSS Conference Looks at Stationery Industry's Future
  
  

• Trends Seen at the NSS
  
  

• Latest Lines from ISA Members
  

Welcome from the ISA!

We'd like to welcome you to the second issue of "ISA Insights" -- the official e-newsletter of the Invitation & Stationery Alliance. Each quarter, "ISA Insights" aims to bring you the latest trends and industry information on the exciting -- and ever changing -- stationery marketplace. In this issue, "ISA Insights" Editor Kathy Krassner reports from the recent National Stationery Show on trends seen at the show, new launches from ISA members that exhibited there, and highlights from a special industry conference that took place at the NSS. As always, if you have any questions about the ISA or would like to suggest future topics for this e-newsletter, please feel free to contact one of us.

Sincerely,

NSS Conference Looks at Stationery Industry's Future

The future of the stationery industry was the focus of a special, invitation-only conference held on Saturday, May 15, during the National Stationery Show at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in New York City. Called "Navigating the Journey from the 2D to 3D World," this fascinating, five-hour-long conference sponsored by the National Stationery Show and GLM featured a keynote session and panel discussions, presented to an audience that included stationery retailers, reps and manufacturers.

The conference got underway with a unique look at today's retail environment by keynoter Paco Underhill of Envirosell. "You need to be cognizant of who your customer is and exuberant about what your business is," stressed Underhill. He explained that today's retail competition has gone "from a war to a bar fight," meaning that retailers are facing far more competitors than just the big-box stores.

To survive, Underhill stated that independent stores should be "convenient, local, fun and interesting." If you're not having fun on the floor, he said, then your customer isn't. He also discussed ways to enhance the retail environment with better traffic-flow patterns (going in a counter-clockwise direction), better flooring (changing textures to slow down traffic) and better sightlines (being able to see the back of the store). Other tips from Underhill included using a circular table in the invitation department of a stationery store to generate "hip-to-hip" action, which he said is more effective than "eye-to-eye"; and installing seating at the front of the store to make the customer's "two-legged dog" -- i.e., husband or boyfriend -- comfortable.

Two panel discussions also provided compelling information for keeping the stationery industry relevant and vibrant. The first, "Today -- The Issues, Solutions and The Next 5 Years," was moderated by Adam Glassman, creative director of "O, The Oprah Magazine." The panelists were Chip Owen, executive v.p. of Avanti Press; Violet Brandwien, senior buyer for Kate's Paperie; Martin Reed, CEO of Cardstore.com; and Paul Wainman, president of William Arthur.

"The challenge is to stay true to your brand so your customer knows who you are and can rely on you," said Brandwein, who recommended that businesses have both a physical and online presence. She also noted that social media -- such as Facebook and Twitter -- gets the word out and makes communication available to a wider audience.

"All vendors and retailers should have functioning websites and be on Facebook," agreed Wainman. He emphasized that using fine stationery is not a "younger versus older generation thing; it's the preference of the consumer."

Reed observed that greeting cards are purchased mainly by women both online and in-store, but he believes there may be more of an opportunity online to capture male customers. He also thinks that new technological tools will help stationery products appeal more to men. "Greeting cards with photos and videos, and invitations with maps and directions, are going to be available on the iPad," he said. Summed up Owen: "It's a crazy, exciting time!"

The second panel discussion, "Connecting With Tomorrow's Customer and the One 10 Years from Now," moderated by Dan Rubinstein, editor-in-chief of "Surface Magazine," included four members of the younger generation: Jessica Hallie Morgenstern, stylist; Laura Guido Clark, "climatolgist" and trend watcher; Ami Kealoha, managing editor of Coolhunting.com; and MaryLeigh Krasniewicz, trend analyst of the Intelligence Group, a division of CAA.

Morgenstern shared that, among her generation, social stationery is used for major occasions and that everyday communication is done on Facebook and Twitter. Therefore, she says, companies "need to connect their brands to the social-media world."

"Getting younger people engaged with your product online helps them to understand your product and to garner their future business," stated Guido Clark, adding that, "Social networking is an opprtunity to engage customers; it's not a one-way street."

When marketing to younger customers, businesses "need to speak teen's and tween's language," asserted Keahloha. Added Krasniewicz: "Tweens are learning how to interact online. They expect items to have an online component, like Webkins."

Morgenstern also noted that personalization attracts Generation Z. "Personalization helps them to identify themselves," agreed Keahloha. Additionally, Guido Clark remarked that "cause marketing is important to this generation."

The conference concluded with a special video presentation and champagne toast honoring Hallmark Cards' 100th anniversary in business. For further information about the conference, please visit www.nationalstationeryshow.com.

Trends Seen at the National Stationery Show

Whether you're a retailer, manufacturer, designer or rep in the stationery industry, there's one annual show that you know you can count on to find the latest hot trends and product introductions: the National Stationery Show. Held May 16-19 at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in New York City, the 64th annual NSS was smaller in scope than in years past, but offered much stationery-related merchandise to be excited about.

Non-paper line extensions continue to move patterns from social stationery and invitations to gifty items such as tableware and organizational items. Among the more prevalent non-paper categories seen from stationery companies at the show were personalized melamine plates and reusable water bottles. Both of these items are more eco-friendly than their disposable counterparts -- reflecting the strong "green" trend at the show. Among companies with great-designed melamine plates were Boatman Geller, Hicks Paper Goods and Kelly Hughes Designs; while Milo Paper, Lipstick Shades and Fontaine Maury were among those with colorful, personalized water bottles.

Wine remained another popular theme at this year's NSS. From wine imagery on invitations and greeting cards, to wine-related accessories such as bottle tags and decals, there was no shortage of products to choose from for the wine enthusiast. Decorative wine-bottle gift tags were offered by Drink Me and Tagit; Wine Wear featured 3D greeting cards that fit over the neck of a wine bottle; Timeless Paper had wine-glass place cards; and reusable "Drink Dots!" were offered from Paper Taffy.

One of the most popular colors at the show was purple, and it could be seen on everything from invitations to journals to partyware -- and even the directory and signage of this year's NSS. One of the more interesting products to be featured in a vibrant purple hue was the "Re-Bottled Notebook" from Michael Roger Press, Inc. This eco-friendly spiral notebook features a felt cover made entirely from recycled plastic bottles, and won a "Best New Product" award in the Think Green category at the show.

As for design trends, comments regarding this topic posted on a "Trendspotting at the National Stationery Show" discussion page I started on the social-networking site LinkedIn indicate that simplicity is in, while "graphic swirls and curls" seem to be out. Additionally, the "DIY" trend continues to be a strong influence. In the LinkedIn trend discussion, retailer Hannah Rodewald, owner of The Pleasure of Your Company in Lutherville, MD, says that her customers "want really nice things they can print or assemble themselves, not cheesy, crafty DIY." An example of an interesting DIY-related item at the NSS was also one of the show's "Best New Product" award winners -- the "Texture Boutique Embossing Machine" from the Sizzix brand of Ellison, which won in the Paper Craft/Scrapbooking category.

Sites such as LinkedIn and Facebook, as well as stationery- and design-related blogs, can be useful for keeping up with trends until the next National Stationery Show, to be held May 15-18, 2011. For more information on the NSS, please visit www.nationalstationeryshow.com.

Latest Lines from ISA Members

ISA members have been busy developing many exciting new products for 2010. Here's a sampling of what you can expect to find in their latest catalogs and may have seen at the National Stationery Show in New York City.

Invitation Stationery Alliance
www.invitationstationeryalliance.com