I always say new projects keep me sharp, and bringing The Paper Society to life has certainly challenged me to regard stationery with fresh eyes. The concept is simple: 200 retailers receive a free box filled with stationery and gifts to consider for their store shelves — gaining the valuable opportunity to experience them in their own space before taking the purchasing plunge.
Rather than just throwing a bunch of stuff in a box — the working model of many subscription boxes — my team at Stationery Trends also aimed to elevate the experience with not just an unboxing video, but a micro-publication to fill you in on the backstory of each. My premiere Editor’s Letter tops this post!
I’m really proud of all we generated, and beyond grateful to the makers who participated (drumroll please!): Barone & Co.; Better Day Books; Artists to Watch/Fun Folks; Sheryl’s Virtual Garden; Toute-Petite; Ümlaut Brooklyn; and Willow & Ivy Press.
But while The Paper Society is about putting down your devices to experience the wonder and magic of stationery, it has simply been an incredible experience to open Instagram and see our ambassadors sharing their finds and tagging favorite pieces.
Thank you Avenue Wrapping, Passion on Paper, Paper Lady Denver and Bulloch’s for making Instagram fun to this Paper Nerd again!! A lot of our ambassadors — like Annie’s Blue Ribbon — have shared finds in their stories too. I love seeing every last asset, and sincerely hope every card gets sent and lots of orders are written.
I also am so grateful Carlos Llanso of the Greeting Card Association — his support was absolutely integral to this project’s success.
Finally, when you launch a new project, you never know it how it will land. Happily, we had many more applications to be Paper Society Ambassadors than we had boxes. But I do want to urge all retailers to apply to upcoming editions. Scroll ALL the way down on this page to do so!
And please, don’t hesitate to reach out to me directly with questions, feedback or what have you. It is my goal to make these mailings work for all parties concerned, so I want to hear your thoughts.
