Creative, Colorful, Inspirational!

It is refreshing to know that even though technology has permeated almost every aspect of everyday life, there are still instances where people prefer to put pen to paper—whether it be to record upcoming appointments and events or remember special moments or milestones. Writing details down can also help people remember them. Plus, the act of actually picking up a pen and writing out thoughts can inspire a creativity not found when placing fingers on a keyboard. Fortunately, there are plenty of unique planners, journals, and calendars that can provide extra inspiration.

Shelley Brown at SunGraphix asserts that one does not have to search hard online to find an outpouring of appreciation for paper planners and journals. “What is considered to be old is now new again as people are bringing paper back into their lives for its ease and usefulness,” she says. The company has received feedback that their customers believe it is easier to get organized on paper, it is nice to have the space to plan, it is always accessible with no need for batteries or wireless, and the ability to flip pages when scheduling is extremely easy.

Warwick Publishing’s Phil Martin agrees with Brown’s sentiments, adding that, “Calendar demand overall has been steady and actually showing increases over the past couple of years as people realize it’s much easier to just look at a calendar on their desk, wall, or refrigerator rather than locating their phone or tablet, finding the calendar app then the date they want. Consequently, more companies and services are realizing the value in calendar advertising that’s there all day, every day of the year for just pennies a day.”

SunGraphix has added a hardcover collection of new Letts products to its offerings, which Brown reports is for the second half of this year. “Specifically, these items are for those that prefer the tactile experience of paper,” she explains. “Included are useful tools such as: a travel journal, 12-month perpetual diary, and a password book along with an assortment of notebooks and address books. We have also expanded our line of very popular Filofax notebooks that offer the flexibility to ‘Remove, Remix, and Refill’ pages and have product options such as color custom pages, rulers, and tab dividers.”
 
Brown continues that these new Letts products have inspired her to look at the tools she currently uses and consider making the switch herself. “Like many people, my information is split between electronics and paper,” she relates. “I have always preferred to use a paper planner, and I really like the idea of one place for certain types of information to serve as a hard reference, such as a perpetual calendar. I am in the process now of digging through my online calendar—no easy task—to pull out all the important milestones to add to a perpetual calendar. I am so excited that I will soon be able to quickly flip through the information that will take me hours to track down online.”

Over at Beacon Promotions, Gwen Brey says that the company’s new Ruled Monthly Format Stitched to Cover Desk Planner 2020 is a hot commodity. It’s great for an office setting, but versatile enough to carry with your laptop, so you have a hard copy version of your schedule.  

Warwick Publishing has seen success in using full-color calendars as a year-long “awareness” program for remember-the-date programs, don’t drink and drive programs, cancer awareness, full- color custom high school and college sports schedules as well as new buildings, new product introductions, and personalized photos offered with small minimums and low costs, Martin maintains.

Items such as planners and calendars feature staying power, Martin continues. “Full-color, digitally printed calendars are probably more easily sold as a year-long ad that’s right in front of your customer every day rather than actually saying the word ‘calendar,’” he elaborates. “Calendars can offer year-long daily exposure for usually less than a penny a day.”

Brown at SunGraphix urges distributors to provide a spec sample including all the product options and some customized content for the client company. “They will appreciate your effort and either immediately love what you created and move forward, or new ideas will come to life through the product demonstration,” she explains. “If you can prove why a journal or planner will be most effective in spreading the client's message and then why the recipient won't want to part with it, then you have won the sale. 

“You are working with the most versatile products in the industry, that fits every event, industry and audience in how it can be used,” Brown continues. “Journals and planners are extremely versatile for both the end buyer and the recipient. The client has a beautiful backdrop to create a custom message, while the recipient has the freedom to create endless possibilities within the pages. Personalization will make the recipient even more reluctant to part with it, because as we all know, it is fun to see your name in print! Remember planners and journals fit with any industry or organization. No matter how tech-savvy someone is, there will always be a time when it is just easier to quickly write something down or draw out a concept.”

CASE STUDY
Gwen Brey, Beacon Promotions: The local hospital provides the RR7421 Monthly Format Ready Reference® Planner to all their doctors, nurses, and support staff. Many of the employees work shifts and this is a helpful tool for them to keep their schedules straight. The employees appreciate having this tool to help them organize their lives. The planner includes other helpful information on finances, travel, recycling and more.