Kate Harper's Blog, page 5

Are Trade Shows Dying?

It's no secret that over the last decade gift shows are declining, both in exhibitors and attendees. It's not just in the gift industry, but in almost every product industry.  So what is the future of trade shows? 



I believe if trade shows are expected to survive, they must incorporate technology in functional ways, such as:







Plan daily free "events" and demonstrations in the booths, instead of having a static display. Have the show organizer coordinate all the events on eventbrite. Then attendees can register for the events ahead of time. Popular events can add more sections as needed.
Open the show to end consumers for crowdsourcing and product development. Allow them to vote and rate products in real time (like threadless does) which will generate outside buzz.
Divide vendor booths into "themed" sections of the show, instead of randomly. 
Create a circular seated "lounge" area in each themed section. Have snacks, seating and product powerpoint presentations in the background. This allows for relaxed social interactions among buyers and sellers.
Use Ustream to broadcast the event as if it were a TV show.
Do podcast interviews on the floor with key attendees, and post them on itunes.This way, anyone subscribed to the RSS feed will get it both now and in the future.
Invite people to the show who cannot physically be there. Allow them to register for classes which are streamed live.
Use Google hangouts for group meetings.
Use Google helpouts for one-on-one paid consultations.
Use Ohours to auto-schedule virtual meetings.
Offer live educational webinars for remote attendees.
Create Youtube videos for product how-to presentations for retailers.
Use your badge QR code to download preformated digital friendly catalogs that can be delivered to your tablet on the spot.
Don't send people home with paper. Instead offer to send documents to a person's kindle app where they can read it in leisure time or on the airplane.
Optimize and digitize product images so buyers can download them, take them home and mull over products without having to go from website to website. 





I think the future of trade shows might be like the annual tradeshow in Boston called "Inbound." It has grown from 1,000 to 10,000 attendees in 3 years.  They avoid using rows of booths.  Instead, they have lounge gathering areas.



What are thoughts on tradeshows?  Leave your comment below or on my Facebook page.












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Bookmark Samples Arrived

Here are some examples of bookmark giftbags I designed for Universal Designs.  Their color quality is top rate.























→ New! Online Class: Getting into the Greeting Card Business
• Sign up for Greeting Card Design newsletter.

What kind of Greeting Cards do People Buy?

I  asked Meryl Hooker some questions about the retail scene and what artists should know about greeting card trends.



She has worked with many independent card designers as a greeting card sales rep, won several awards for her sales skills and has a special talent of pinpointing what people want. When I worked with her, she was often my top selling rep.



She is now the card and gift buyer at Pulp, a trendy store in Washington DC. (more bio below).







What do customers want these days?



One thing I see every day is that people still want, and actively seek out contemporary items that reflect who they are. We have a national drugstore chain one block away from the store and people could choose to get their cards there, but they come to Pulp instead. That says something to me about the quality of product and aesthetic our customer base is willing to pay for.



Going from a manufacturer's sales reps to a greeting card buyer at a
store, my plot point has moved and I'm closer to the customer than I
was. I am exposed to vast amounts of raw, uncensored data every day in
terms of what customers want, think, and are willing to spend.









For the independent card designer, what do you think they should pay attention to? What should they stay
away from?



My best advice for independent card designers is:




Build the strongest, most cohesive, sellable line you can. 
Create a strong collection of birthday, thank you, sympathy, wedding and baby cards. 
Blank cards still have legs provided the designs are strong. 
Learn how to run a business and understand it is, first and foremost, a business. 
Learn about the industry from both the creative and retail side. 
Ship on time. 
Be professional and easy to work with.
Stick with a traditional 5x7 size and stay away from square cards.





I recently interviewed six stores who sell handmade cards and they all said card sales have increased over the last 2 years What do you attribute this to?



People have an innate need to connect with other people. As sexy and
convenient as social platforms are, ultimately, they lack human warmth.
You can't send a text to the birthday boy at the party when you hand him
the gift and even in our practically etiquetteless society, you still
can't email your condolences.



At the end of the day, each of us wants to feel connected to other people and just the right card can express how we feel. No matter how tech savvy any of us is or becomes, we can't get away from that basic need.

The primary thing I've noticed is how much paper we still sell at Pulp. Cards have always been a key category and I'm really happy to say it continues to be true. I've seen so many independently owned stores move away from greeting cards as a major category in favor of gift items so I was pleasantly surprised to see that cards are still cranking at our registers.







As a buyer, what are the important things you look for, when selecting cards for the store?





I am primarily looking for a solid lines that will meet the needs of my customers in terms of purpose, price and design. Every card on my shelves must pass the "why would someone send this card?" test. The price has to be consistent with the type and quality of the card and, most importantly, the design has to fit in with the Pulp brand. There are dozens, if not hundreds, of card lines that I personally love but will not bring into the store because they aren't the right fit. Believe me, it's hard to turn so many brilliant companies away, but the business manager side of my job has the final say over the creative, artistic buying side.







MORE ABOUT MERYL


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<span style="font-size: small;">Meryl Hooker is an independent business development expert dedicated to helping locally owned businesses thrive in a big box world. She is an internationally recognized speaker, consultant and writer currently serving as the General Manager & Buyer at PULP in Washington, DC. In 2012, Meryl retired after nearly 15 years of serving as a Mid-Atlantic sales representative for greeting card and gift companies.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><br />She was a partner at Center Aisle Group and co-authored a book for the greeting card industry  "<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0578... the Envelope: the Small Greeting Card Manufacturer’s Guide to Working With Sales Reps</a>" and"<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0578...! The Greeting Card and Gift Company’s Guide to Trade Show Success</a>".<br /> </span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">A self-described sales nerd, Meryl takes great pride in the fact she’s seen the legendary rock band, KISS, 19 times – and counting—and openly credits KISS, Inc., as the model and inspiration for her business structure and success. </span><div class="blogger-post-footer">→ New! Online Class:<a href="http://skl.sh/1f0lJPG"> Getting into the Greeting Card Business</a><br/> • Sign up <a href="http://kateharperblog.blogspot.com/p/... Greeting Card Design newsletter.</a>
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"Most Artistic Christmas Card" 2013 Contest!

Have an artistic Christmas card? 

Submit it to this blog's 2013 contest for the


Most Artistic Christmas Card Contest!







See Past Contest Winners: 

2010 Christmas Cards with a New Look

2009 Most Unusual Christmas Cards










JUDGE

Kathy Krassner is a longtime gift and stationery industry veteran who has worked as an editor on numerous trade magazines. She currently is the Director of Communications for the Greeting Card Association, Editor-at-Large of Gifts and Decorative Accessories magazine, Editorial Consultant for the National Stationery Show, Senior Editor of NobleWorks Inc., and columnist for the U.K.-based Gifts and Greetings Review.  She is also the owner of Krassner Communications.



















DEADLINE: Submit by December 1st, 2013







How to Submit:




• Send card by email to GCDBlog@gmail.com



• Use email Subject Line: CHRISTMAS CARD SUBMISSION



• Send as many as you want.




• Send .jpg or .png format. 




• Preferred size: 600 pixels wide (this is the width of the blog page).




• Embed your card with your contact information (see example #1). Make sure your website or email is printed, scanned or digitally added to the artwork. This helps keep track of art in case it is separated from the email file.



• If your card has important inside text, embed under the card (see example #2). Inside text is not necessary.




• If your card has a white background, include a black border around it. Otherwise it will disappear into the background of the blog page.












Example #1




Embed your website address on or below the card (either is OK). The goal is to make sure your contact information never gets separated from the art.














Example #2




If you have important text on the inside,  

create white space below the card (like example above) and add the text there.














DEADLINE: Submit by December 1st, 2013










What You Get:



Show your card to thousands of people starting December 1st!

This blog has over 20,000 monthly page views, and 10,000 followers and subscribers. It is a great opportunity to promote your art. Readers include card publishers, trade associations, editors, designers, sales reps and retail stores.






Stay Connected with Card Designers





Sign up for Greeting Card Designer Newsletter

Take an Online Class: Getting Into the Greeting Card Business

Sign up for Kate's Facebook page with daily updates:

 


→ New! Online Class: Getting into the Greeting Card Business
• Sign up for Greeting Card Design newsletter.

Halloween Queen: Nancy Michalak

I really like the style Nancy Michalak's cards because they evoke an eerie feeling of Halloween!  You can walk right into the scenes.  I asked Nancy about her process of designing her art.  Here is her response:



"My work is a mixture of both collage and paper cutting. I use black silhouette paper, then drawing a detailed design or image.  Then I cut out the image using small manicure scissors.  The resulting image is one piece.



This image is then overlayed onto a collage background that is created by using various papers and watercolor media.  The collage must align with the paper cutting to create the mood or effect intended. Finally, in addition to the underlying collage, I sometimes overlay on top of the paper cut additional decorative elements. I then print the images and hand apply them to cards."



Check out her website and shopping pages:

Nancy Michalak

Etsy: http://www.etsy.com/shop/NancyMichalak?ref=shop_sugg

Fine Art America: http://fineartamerica.com/art/all/Nancy+Michalak/all






































































→ New! Online Class: Getting into the Greeting Card Business
• Sign up for Greeting Card Design newsletter.

Online Greeting Card Sales Increased 17%

The IBIS marketing research company reported a 17% growth in online card sales in 2012.  The original report has several interesting facts about the changes in the card industry:





• The prediction is a 12% annual growth of online card sales through 2017. This is attributed to the growth in social media and technology.

• There are no companies who dominate the online greeting card market, and established companies like Hallmark and American Greetings face mounting competition from new companies. 

 
• Personalized cards have increased in popularity. 



• Customers are paying more for cards and want higher quality materials.
 







Many of these trends also coincide with the independent retail stores I interviewed recently. What I conclude from this information is that the industry is changing rapidly.  It appears customers want high quality cards, the convenience of having someone else mail them, and a unique personalized style.










What is your experience?




Answer the pole and see all results.








In the last 30 days, how many of these did you experience?

I received a traditional card in the mail.
I received a card in another way (not through the mail).
I received a virtual e-card through email or social media.
I received a physical card through a 3rd party mailing service.
I personally made a card for someone.
I ordered cards from a website.
I received or purchased a handmade or specialty card.
I touched a card.
I know how much a stamp costs.

  

 




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→ New! Online Class: Getting into the Greeting Card Business
• Sign up for Greeting Card Design newsletter.

Halloween Mail Art

I fell in love with Wendy Wallin Malinow's Halloween mail art when I first saw it. What is mail Art ? It is a process where strangers (or friends) mail each other art, and in Wendy's case, "make art" out of mail.



Wendy grew up in a family of artists. Her dad was an architect, but also
collected stamps and loved getting things in the mail. Her mom was a
calligrapher and loved any kind of hand lettered forms. She has always
loved drawing and painting. Early on, she made her own cards and faux
stamps. She is an illustrator and has created commericial greeting
cards, gift items, and books.



Wendy says "I love
participating in swaps and pen pals. I'm currently working on altering
vintage envelopes and postcards, mixing them up with vintage stamps and my
own stamps. Some of my originals and prints are in my Etsy shop and my
tumblr site."





Contact Wendy: 



Wendy Wallin Malinow eyefun@comcast.net

Etsy store: eyefun.etsy.com

Website: inkhead.tumblr.com



Got Mail Art? View or Contribute your own work to the Mail Art Gallery on this blog.




































→ New! Online Class: Getting into the Greeting Card Business
Includes 8 Units, 14 videos, 39 steps, final project, and feedback: $20 at Skillshare.com

Please Vote on the Direction of the Blog!

Hi Readers! I need your advice about my blog. I have been writing it for 5 years and have about 30,000 monthly readers and subscribers.  I'm feeling like I might want a fresh direction, especially after the new info on the growth of the handmade and indie card market.



So give me your opinion and get a freebie (below)!  Also leave comments.






What topics interest you the most? (Pick 1-3)
Step-by-step "How-to" instructions
Technology help (photoshop, etc)
Making cards for fun (hobbyist)
Making cards to sell (business)
Selling designs to companies.
Freebies
Expert Interviews

  










How often do you want articles?
5 days a week
3 days a week
1 day a week
Twice a month

  







Thanks! -Kate



Please enjoy the download of this freebie Ebooklet:  How to Start an Artist's Support Group








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→ New! Online Class: Getting into the Greeting Card Business
Includes 8 Units, 14 videos, 39 steps, final project, and feedback: $20 at Skillshare.com

Free Greeting Card Booklet

October is my favorite month because I like Halloween.  So I'm celebrating by giving away this booklet Unusual Ways to Market Your Greeting Cards for the next 5 days (until October 10th - the maximum days Amazon allows). It's not scary but it might help you sell scary cards.



Click here to download to any digital device (smartphone, ipad, computer, kindle, etc...)









Note: You don't have to own a kindle to read this.  If you need tech help on how to do this, see: http://www.amazon.com/gp/feature.html/ref=dig_arl_box?ie=UTF8&docId=1000493771→ New! Online Class: Getting into the Greeting Card Business
Includes 8 Units, 14 videos, 39 steps, final project, and feedback: $20 at Skillshare.com

Greeting Card Class Gallery

Here's a sample of some student work in my card class art
gallery!










 







For more information on this class:




When: Anytime. Class is self-paced with student/teacher feedback on your final project in the skillshare gallery.



How to Register: Register here. 

Cost: 
$20






→ New! Online Class: Getting into the Greeting Card Business
. Also sign up for Greeting Card Newsletter.