Fall 2020 - 6

EDITOR'S LETTER
A Thirst for
Connection
t's official, 2020 has left its ugly mark on all of us somewhere. So
much, it seems, has been canceled, then rescheduled with lower
expectations, only to be canceled yet again. It's left us cynical and
isolated, with only our masks and computer monitors for company. As
tough as it has all been, for stationery, there
has been one enormous silver lining - the
artistry of our makers.
I can't think of another industry so wellI
poised
to respond to a national crisis and to
help us collectively trudge through it. Yes, there
is all the wonderful " We're all in this together "
messaging that Madison Avenue has treated
us to to sell various goods and services, but
it's the far more authentic wisdom and humor
emerging from card makers that is helping get
me through this with, if not a smile, at least the
shadow of one.
In fact, a brand new card category, Coronacards, has emerged from the
dark recesses of the pandemic to keep us connected through time and space.
" 2020 could be worse, " reads one recent release from Wild Card Creations,
" your name could be Karen. " I find it so interesting that our current
circumstances have actually led us to take a step backward technologically
speaking, back to snail mail, back to the USPS, back to basics, really.
And make no mistake about it, customers are sending cards out. The Las
Vegas Market sent me the top searched stationery items in its exhibitor
directory, and it is so telling that Emily McDowell & Friends Empathy
Cards are smack at #2! Stickers, journals and gift tags were on its tail - so
by this measure, the urge to reach out and touch someone is followed by
the need to know oneself, which is immediately followed by the desire to
reach out and gift someone!
So for this, my favorite issue topic of the year - Design - I tried to
present a lot of ways to help your clientele achieve these lofty, benevolent
goals. Because the office has become portable, I kicked off the issue
with a deep dive into what's happening in that now-nomadic category.
Then we dive headlong into our annual A to Z of Design guide, followed
by my reporting on Black stationery makers. Diversity, inclusion and
representation are the expectations of more and more customers; it
should be your goal to help every last one of them connect with their loved
ones with product that feels as though it speaks directly to them. No, it's
not a cure for what ails us, not yet, but this will help us lumber through
this until brighter times appear.
Until next issue,
PUBLISHER
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
EDITORIAL DIRECTOR
MANAGING EDITOR
MULTIMEDIA DESIGNER
CIRCULATION
PRODUCTION ASSISTANT
CREATIVE DIRECTOR
CUSTOM MARKETING MANAGER
VICE PRESIDENT
& GROUP PUBLISHER
CFO & DIRECTOR
OF HUMAN RESOURCES
COO & CMO
CEO
Brian Virgona, 616-350-8360
stads@stationerytrendsmag.com
Sarah Schwartz, 216-577-4821
stedit@stationerytrendsmag.com
Julie McCallum, 616-520-2134
jmccallum@greatamericanpublish.com
Debbie Eisele, 616-520-2158
deisele@greatamericanpublish.com
Amanda Mackey, 616-520-2157
amackey@greatamericanpublish.com
Becky Stovall, 616-520-2138
circulation@stationerytrendsmag.com
Samantha Orsi, 616-520-2148
sorsi@greatamericanpublish.com
Kristina Howell, 616-520-2168
khowell@greatamericanpublish.com
Jess Schmidt, 616-520-2141
jschmidt@greatamericanpublish.com
Bob Bellew, 616-520-2164
bbellew@greatamericanpublish.com
Deb Carnes, 616-520-2169
dcarnes@greatamericanpublish.com
Kimberly Baker, 616-520-2135
kbaker@greatamericanpublish.com
Matt McCallum, 616-520-2133
publisher@stationerytrendsmag.com
EDITORIAL ADVISORY BOARD
Chandra Greer, GREER Chicago
Lisa Mattison Roberts, Rock Paper Scissors
Grace Kang, Pink Olive
Audrey Woollen, Urbanic Paper Boutique
Daniel Collier, Daniel Richards
PUBLISHER'S ADVISORY BOARD
George White, Up With Paper
Mark Smith, Envelopments
Greg Geller, The Boatman Group
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6 Fall 2020 | STATIONERY TRENDS
Photo courtesy of Simone Jowell Photography

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Fall 2020

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Fall 2020