Sponsored

No matter how you sell it, Carlson Craft celebrates every new arrival 

{Sponsored} American life was transformed by COVID-19 — and the custom stationery market wasn’t immune. Not only were countless get-togethers postponed or cancelled, brick-and-mortar shopping, particularly custom ordering, was severely impacted. 

But the forecast isn’t completely gloomy. According to Report Linker, the global baby market, estimated at $11.7 billion in 2020, will reach $15.2 billion by 2027. Since the COVID-19 Baby Boom never materialized, each new arrival receives lavish attention. Fortunately, Carlson Craft enables its dealers to bring every dimension of new parents’ visions to vibrant life. Director of Sales & Marketing Tara Sikel shared more. 

Q: What tools have you introduced for today’s reimagined dealer-client interaction? 

A: Our Carlson Craft partners have leaned on our flexible virtual solutions during the pandemic. Increasingly, our partners shifted to an online digital solution for selling. We offer a maintenance-free custom website. These allow for 24/7 shopping, virtual proofs and immediate new product access. Our partners can share samples, sample kits and online lookbooks with customers, all while earning up to 50% profit!

Q: How does Carlson Craft get customized samples to its partners’ clients? 

A: Partners with custom Carlson Craft websites share the link with customers via social media, email, or even by text. Customers find their favorites and order samples, which are delivered to their doorstep. Partners can track interactions, so they still manage customer relationships. Following up with a customer after they’ve received their sample(s) creates a virtual touchpoint. We also encourage dealers to order samples on behalf of their clients.

For those who still want to meet in person, we’ve unveiled a new approach to selling wholesale stationery: Collections by Carlson Craft. These light and portable presentation boxes of samples have been released in Wedding, Bella and Holiday Collections. 

Q: Has the Photo Birth Announcement become more important, and what design details are parents swooning for? 

A: Photo Birth Announcements are a new parent must-have. With so many loved ones not able to see the brand new baby, it is even more of a treasured keepsake. Typography elements featuring fun font combinations and inspiring messages are popular.

Q: What other embellishments are new parents loving? 

A: We’ve been perfecting the art of foil stamping for decades but we’re very excited to be paving the way for modern designs using new technology as well. Our new process, called enhanced raised foil, adds a dramatic layer of metallic foil, resulting in a shiny, raised effect that gleams in the light. Meanwhile, our traditional foil stamping is still unparalleled.

Q: What special importance have rainbows lately assumed — and what role do they play in your offerings? 

A: Walking through the neighborhood during the early stages of the pandemic, it was common to see windows featuring rainbow artwork to spread color and hope. Some referred to this as the Rainbow Hunt Movement.

The rainbow already had so many different meanings … LGBTQ, Rainbow Baby, Christian symbolism, sign of hope, and now the COVID Rainbow Hunt. We’ve incorporated it as the primary design element in some stationery and as a complementary element in others. Its bright, beautiful colors can impart the same meaning to a printed piece without the actual rainbow symbol. 

Q: What ancillary pieces are new parents seeking? 

A: Yard Signs! And, of course, thank-you cards are still a must and offer an opportunity to share some more of that fabulous newborn photography. For in-person celebrations, custom napkins are a fun, affordable way to add an impressive touch to the party.

Q: What do your more successful retailers do that others may not? 

A: Throughout this pandemic, the folks who flourished were flexible and willing to try new solutions. More importantly, our most successful retail partners share one approach: They listen. Those who do this and customize the client experience based on what the client needs tend to do best. That’s why we offer several ways to sell, both online and in-person, and we’ve been doing that long before the pandemic began. We want to make sure our retail partners can offer the shopping experience each customer is looking for — be it shopping online on a custom website or a lavish, in-person viewing experience of fantastic samples emerging one after another from elegant presentation boxes.

 © 2021 Carlson Craft