Dear Envelopments,
I appreciate how deeply you care about this. I do as well, probably more than you realize.
In keeping with my vow not to get caught in the middle, I’ve sited my sources with Mark, then abstained from direct contact with both Envelopments -and- angry retailers contacting me outside the blog. This is the only way possible to avoid “he said, she said” scenarios or the impression there are back channel agreements.
This protects you as much as it does me.
In the end, everything boils down to one question: Are home studios allowed to participate in Envelopment ads?
Not about how the ads are paid for. Not about what the home studio should or shouldn’t have said. Not about who called her or why they called her. It’s simply about ”Are they or aren’t they?”
I’ve read the emails and Facebook messages you’ve sent, and listened to the voice mails, but continue to ask that you please bring your side of this conversation to the blog, clarifying what the Envelopments policy is.
If you absolutely cannot do so, please forward me text I can officially quote here on the blog in a new post. Do not ask me to engage in off-blog debate or conversation about the topic or we’re back to the “he said, she said” scenario which I simply won’t risk-—for either of us.
If your policy bars home studios from participating in Envelopments ads, please say so in clear, black and white terms. You’ll look like heroes while I’ll be writing the mea cupla of the century, right here on the blog for everyone to see.
If, however, you allow home studios to participate in ads, stand behind your decision. Convince us why it’s a good idea.
But please do not ask me to explain a decision that I don’t stand behind myself.
I look forward to your official statement, in comments or via quotable email.
With the very highest regards…sincerely,
Cinda
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Looks to me like there are some of those listings of “retailers” that are in question right there in front of my face when I look at that Martha Stewart advertisement. In fact, it looks like there is even a special category for them. Maybe I am misreading this, but it is certainly quacking like a duck right now.
Cinda,
Thank you for giving us an opportunity to respond. As a general rule, Envelopments does not respond to blogs or forums, we prefer to communicate directly. After an unofficial response was posted, we thought an official response on your blog was warranted in this case.
To answer your question directly, yes studio locations can advertise in our Co-Op advertisements. This has been the case from the very beginning. We have featured both types of resellers (specialty studio and storefront) as early as 2004, when we first started Co-Op Ads. We want to ensure our consumers can access our product line and find the nearest location to service them. Depending on geography, we invite the participation of a retail location or specialty studio that best exemplifies the Envelopments brand.
A healthy, diverse retail channel filled with innovative and service-oriented resellers is what’s best for the consumer and that’s been evident from the beginning. Our diverse reseller channel has been instrumental in ensuring Envelopments’ phenomenal growth. When we started in 1995, there were few retailers creating and selling custom invitations. Since our very first National Stationery Show, it was both storefront retailers and specialty studios who helped us create the critical groundswell. These early adopters (with their passion and customer service) helped to grow our distribution to a level necessary to ensure our products and services were accessible to our consumers.
At Envelopments, we’ve found strength in diversity. And we make it our highest priority to enable each and every one of our valuable resellers to succeed whether they operate out of the studio or storefront. For example, there are a number of unique incentives for retailers who make the commitment to sell from a storefront that are not offered to studios. Our history has proven that a healthy, robust and diverse reseller channel is an integral part of ensuring customer satisfaction, growth, and brand loyalty.
As the economy takes us for an interesting ride, it will bring challenges and opportunities to studios, retailers, and manufacturers alike. It’s important to focus on what each of us does best – servicing customer needs, gaining insight and leveraging innovations to continue growth.
If any of our customers or potential customers are interested in our policies please feel free to contact us directly, we welcome your inquiries.
Best regards,
Patrick Chen
Brand Manager
Envelopments, Inc.
envelopments.com
patrick.c@envelopments.com
Note: Email addresses are not normally included in comment posts. However, given the impact the Envelopments policy has on storefront retailers, and at Patrick’s specific request, his direct email is being included here as a one-time exception.
You may contact him directly through that address, or continue discussing the topic here. The comments section will remain open, as normal.
I feel in no way threatened by home-based studios; in fact, a number of my customers are home invitation designers that can’t afford the annual fee Envelopments levies on dealers (one of the best ideas they’ve ever had, I think).
I’ve been in the business even longer than Envelopments – I started in 1994 as, no surprise, a home-based business. I now operate a custom invitations showroom in a design center with a staff of three. I remember going to Envelopments tiny warehouse on Valencia and picking up my order with Mark’s baby napping on the floor. We’ve all grown, and that’s good. Most of my clients wouldn’t be comfortable going to look at paper swatches in someone’s spare bedroom or at Starbucks. But then, most of home-based studios’ customers wouldn’t be comfortable paying what I charge for my designs and expertise. The markets are different. Different is good.
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