Above: A framed assortment of antique pencils in the MacPherson’s Emeryville office Ah, the pencil. The original art supply for so many of us, especially those of us who were in first grade before STABILO’s Woody 3 in 1 came out. National Pencil Day is just around the corner, on March 30th! Consider posting some fun facts on social media (or around your store). Fun Facts The word pencil comes from the Latin word pencillus, “little tail.” It can also be derived from the French pincel, meaning “little paintbrush.” Before erasers were gluten-free: back in the day, people used bread…
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Check Your Calendar: National Tie-Dye Day
National Tie-Dye Day is on April 30th. A celebration of color, improvisation, individuality, expression and the fabric arts, tie-dye is so much more than rainbow spirals (though that can be fun, too). Tie-dye was originally popular in the 70s, when counterculture communities utilized funky fashion to push back against mainstream expectations. Tie-dye can show up as starbursts, ombres, wild color combinations, expressive patterns, subtle pastels or a grungy acid wash. Encourage customers to revive a boring t-shirt, add splashes of color to home decor or customize personal accessories. 3 Ways To Celebrate Incorporate this day into your displays, promotions, demonstrations…
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Check Your Calendar: National Craft Month
Time to strategize for the next featured theme, National Craft Month. This month is a great time to inspire customers to craft, whether they are trying something for the first time or revisiting a well-loved hobby. Crafting is a broad term that encompasses kids, fashion, upcycling, home decor, gifts, framing, knitting, party decorations, decoupage, gilding, glitter, jewelry, quilling, scrapbooking—and this list is hardly extensive. Choose a craft that’s popular in your community or pick four, one for each week, to feature in tandem with various sales. You can also promote a class (either one that you offer or a locally…
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Check the Calendar: President’s Day
Each month, we feature a holiday or theme from the Customer Engagement Calendar in hopes of supporting our community with social media assets and inspiration for in-store engagement. For February, we’ve put together resources for President’s Day, the first big sale day of the year! A time for patriotic celebration and remembrance, President’s Day also falls on the first three-day weekend since the holidays—a great time to clear out Holiday/Winter inventory and get ready for Spring. Three Sales Tips Timing – Limit the length of your sale to create a sense of urgency (cashing in on “FOMO” (Fear of Missing…
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Happy National Handwriting Day!
January 23rd is National Handwriting Day, and we’d like to share a demo by artist Shayda Campbell: how to turn favorite quote into a beautiful work of art. Try it out today and set up a try table tomorrow with whatever you come up with; make testers out of various lettering pens, markers and surfaces to inspire customers to participate. Check out Shayda’s YouTube page for more art tutorials; discover projects involving painting, drawing, hand-lettering and more. We leave you with a quote from Shayda, a nice reminder that supporting creatives in any way we can is essential, meaningful work:…
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Engage Community Via Instagram Live: Flax Art’s Maybe Mondays
Flax Art & Design is a Bay Area institution and a local art supply staple for over 80 years. Flax Art has two stores, one in Oakland, California and the other San Francisco. In addition to a broad selection of art supplies and a framing station, they also specialize in fine art papers, pens and gifts, with a comprehensive e-commerce site as well. Their San Francisco store recently relocated to a space in historic Fort Mason, right on the water between the city’s famous Fisherman’s Wharf and a neighborhood known as “The Marina.” Social media can grow business, foster relationships…
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Flip to Page 54: Use Your Screens in 2019
In an effort to make using social media a less daunting task, we’ve put together a two page spread in the Winter Back-To-School Buyer’s Guide with five social media related New Year’s resolutions. We recommend tackling each section with a cup of something soothing and steamy, an open mind and a highlighter in hand. You’ll find tips for each core social media platform: Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, Twitter and Pinterest. Pick and choose which platforms your store wants to focus on, and identify three actionable items for the new year! Click here for more social media resources, courtesy of the marketing…
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The Wet Paint Way: 4 Strategies for Successful Marketing
Wet Paint is an independently owned store in St. Paul, MN that is well known for their social media and marketing verve. They organize regular in-store events, classes, weekly newsletters, an interactive website, regular social media postings via Instagram, Facebook, a bit of Twitter and Google+ content as well as a blog on WordPress and videos via YouTube. They also maintain a steady flow of print materials. In short, they do a lot. This dynamic, multi-platform strategy is made possible by the dedicated Social Media and Marketing team: Kristina Fjellmen and Chris Nolt. Kristina and Chris are both working artists…
