Grammar & stamps for sale.
My eagle-eyed, highly accomplished friend Seth Matlins also appreciates the art of a finely-crafted letter on high-density stationery.
He noticed this new service and sent it to me to share with you.
http://techcrunch.com/2014/02/21/gramr/
Co-founders Matt Richardson and Brett McCollum wanted to make sure their products would appeal to stationery junkies, so they worked withChen Design Associates and used premium materials, like cardstock by Neenah Paper (a popular brand among designers, letterpress printers, and paper crafters), and kraft envelopes from French Paper Co. with lined interiors and foiled accents. Cards are 5-by-5 inches, big enough for relatively lengthy messages, but not so large that they put off people who are not used to handwriting notes.
But Gramr aspires to be more than just a greeting card subscription service. Richardson says he wants the startup to “turn the world into a more grateful place.” For those of you who think this sounds outlandishly cheesy, several research studies have found that showing gratitude regularly can increase your happiness and even have physical health benefits like stronger immune systems and lower blood pressure.
Of course, being the recipient of a handwritten note telling you how awesome you are also feels great. Richardson says he and McCollum wanted to launch a greeting card startup, but couldn’t find a business model they connected with until they started thinking about thankfulness. After reading about the benefits of gratitude, Richardson started sending thank you cards to his friends and family. Then he began writing to people he had lost touch with, like former teachers and mentors.
“Their minds are blown because it’s such a radical thing to experience nowadays,” Richardson says. “I’ve gotten calls from people and they’ll be crying. It’s not always an extreme reaction like that, but at least you know you are moving somebody.”
Each month’s box of cards feature images from photographers with large followings on Instagram or VSCO; Richardson says Gramr wants to make cards that people will display instead of filing away. Gramr’s founders hope their subscribers become part of a community and share tips about how to show gratitude in different situations.
Eventually Gramr plans to expand by adding a B2C service for small companies that want to find new ways to connect with customers. Richardson says he thinks handwritten cards are a much better alternative to promotional e-mail blasts or cheap calendars.
“In the world of marketing, you can’t tell people what to think about a product,” he says. “But you can stand apart by making a sincere gesture.”
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