The Floral Craft: the dark side of floristry
We met the owner and head witch behind The Floral Craft to talk branding and dark arts.
Forget everything you know about florists. Bathed in moonlight and crystal glow, the creative spirits at The Floral Craft master the dark art of floristry to conjure up hauntingly beautiful designs. They find inspiration in the macabre, the Victorian era, and the mysteries of nature to create a haven of magic in their San Diego shop.
We met Danielle, the owner and head witch behind The Floral Craft, to talk branding and dark arts.
Tell us a bit more about yourself. Where does your love for the macabre come from?
Hi! My name is Danielle and I am the owner and head witch over at The Floral Craft. I am an Aries Sun, Capricorn Moon, and Cancer Rising. I was destined to do something creative with my life and I am very fortunate to have found a career and started a business that can keep me full in my imaginative endeavors.
I’m an old soul – I am attracted to anything that comes from a long time ago. I love watching black and white movies, especially if they are spooky and have Vincent Price in them. I collect old items like photo cabinet cards, brass candlesticks, vintage antique poetry books from the 1800s, antique flower paintings and Victorian-style couches.
I’ve always been attracted to a darker aesthetic and all things macabre. With Halloween being my absolute favorite holiday, it only made sense to take something I love and make it beautiful – but also a bit creepy! So I wanted to show that I can mix what I love with what I love doing and share it with others like me.
What sparked the idea to create The Floral Craft, your shop and floral studio?
After graduating from the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising, I was seeking out a career that would coincide with my Visual Communications Degree. This was a challenge, especially living in San Diego where the industry isn’t as vast as Los Angeles. After a few failed jobs, I came across a job posting for a floral designer on Craigslist (is that still a thing?). I didn’t even know there could be such a job as a floral designer. The job requirements were for a seasoned floral designer to make flower arrangements in a creative environment and work in a fun and fast industry. “Sounds great!”. The only catch was a five-year experience requirement. After seeing this, I made it a mission to send my résumé and cover letter to 12 local flower shops and event companies. I never heard a word back from anyone.
I decided I would probably have to start from the bottom – and that’s what I did. I got a part time job as a sales associate for a local flower shop. There, I met a woman with almost 30 years experience in the game, who would later become my mentor. I told her this is what I was meant to do and she taught me five years of experience within a year. In 2010, I started my business – and the rest is her-story.
I wasn’t happy with booking the same wedding clients with the same color palette and same centerpieces and same “rustic chic” decor
It wasn’t all roses and daisies, though. I learned so much, especially from a lot of struggling and failure. I started the business with a different name and I was trying to be like other florists out there that were booking high-end clients and making lots of money. There is nothing like imposter syndrome to really harm your confidence and your business. I wasn’t happy with booking the same wedding clients with the same color palette and same centerpieces and same “rustic chic” decor. I needed to change the direction my business was heading in. I decided to change my business name and do a total rebrand of my company and, in 2017, The Floral Craft was born.
We don’t usually associate flowers with darkness, yet you’ve proven they make the perfect pair. Why do you think this combination works so well?
I think they pair so well together because it’s unexpected. Usually, you associate a brighter color palette when it comes to florals, something you would expect to see in a golden-filled garden on a warm sunny day. But I wanted to embrace the beauty in darkness.
Using a color palette like blushes, creams and emerald greens will give you depth and romanticism. Using a softer color palette in tones of dusty rose, mauve and deep plum will give off a hauntingly beautiful design. I want people to embrace both sides of light and dark since this is a reflection of how life and nature is. We use flowers to convey so many different emotions, be it for happy times like a wedding or welcoming a new baby, or even in dire times like an apology bouquet or the loss of a loved one. Flowers can mean so many things and I wanted to show that there is beauty in it, no matter what the occasion is.
You have such a unique and recognizable brand identity. How did you go about developing it?
I wanted to embrace the terms “Flora + Fauna”. Especially owning a flower shop, I wanted to associate the natural essence of flowers, plants and animals. By starting with a base color such as black, I can make all my photos of flowers pop and become the main focus of my branding.
I love showcasing branding items on my Business Cards like a skull with a flower crown, snakes, a spider web, or even a ram (my zodiac sign!) with flowers. These branding icons refer to things that I love and they’re a bit about me, and I am so happy I can make them significant in my branding.
Where do you find inspiration for your compositions and products?
I love being in nature. The natural mystery of being outside has always been something I love and fear, which makes it so intriguing to embrace. I’ve always been drawn to a darker aesthetic, so of course having that as part of my brand identity makes it more appealing. I also follow a lot of artists who make such beautiful art with the same aesthetic, and I love showcasing similar products in my shop.
You have expanded from flower arrangements to incense, stationery, apothecary, and even taxidermy. How did that fit into your vision and strategy for the brand? How do you see The Floral Craft expanding in the future?
I am obsessed with the Victorian era and I wanted to showcase my shop as something you would find in a parlor or natural history museum. Items like antique books about gardening, taxidermy animals, plants and fresh flowers all the while mixing in witchy items like incense, smudge, crystals and our very own apothecary line. I also offer Floral Tarot Readings as The Floracle. These are tarot readings using a floral tarot deck, reading the meaning behind flowers – it fits into our brand so well.
I would love to expand our company by opening up another flower shop, but mixing in a tea house. You see a lot of coffee and flower shops, but none with just tea. I envision a Victorian greenhouse-style design with afternoon tea on the weekend, filled with finger sandwiches, pastries and vintage tea sets. We would incorporate Victorian Tea Leaf readings as well as workshops on how to customize your own tea. All the while having the flower shop open and gifts abound.
What do you like the most about managing your own studio? What’s the most challenging?
I love making it my second home. Making it my own. Making it into something completely magical and something you have not seen before in a retail flower shop. The outside of our building is black! How exciting and intriguing to bring in your curiosity and find yourself in a flower and gift shop. I love mixing in vintage and antique items with new and fun products.
My most challenging thing about owning a studio: TIME. I find it so difficult to manage my time. I pretty much wear all the hats in the business, so I am constantly juggling all different tasks. Everything from taking care of the flowers and plants on a daily basis, to making all the florals for weddings, making sure the shop is stocked for inventory, cleaning, cleaning, cleaning, managing the team, marketing, emails and accounting. It’s a lot.
How did you approach your promotion strategy?
Always with excitement. I love featuring new products or changes that I have going on that I am excited to share with others. Like right now, we just started offering workshops. They are so different from other workshops where you are only learning or doing one type of thing.
At The Floral Craft we offer workshops like making your own smudge bundles, learn how to mount and spread taxidermy butterflies, making your own Moon Ritual Bath Soaks and of course floral design or wreath making. We also are opening the shop up for anyone who wants to host their next event there. So a fun group activity for a birthday, bridal shower or just a ghouls night out. Something a little different for everyone.
How do you use MOO for The Floral Craft?
I love MOO! I was excited to find a company that made professional but budget friendly Business Cards and promotional items to use for my business when I rebranded. I knew I wanted to make a collection of items that would pair so well together.
My favorite are the Square Business Cards. They have a unique design on each card that has our business info on each side of the square. I love the thickness of the cards and how beautifully my photos are printed on the cards. I also make custom price tags that go on the MiniCards from MOO. I use the Stickers on wrapping items up in the shop with tissue paper and such.
Are you working on any exciting new products that you can tell us about?
As of right now, I am wanting to structure my business a little better. I feel a little all over the place, so I think by the time the new year comes around, I will have more of a structural idea of how I want my business to run. I’ll also take a deeper dive into setting it up successfully so it can run as smoothly as possible while I take on more business.
I want to expand the apothecary line a little more and come out with custom candles. They seem to be a success in the shop. I would also love to come out with some of my own prints for the shop. I’m still playing with this thought, but I have this idea of venturing into drawing and making some of my crazy ideas and dreams come to life. I would love to come out with my own collection of floral poetry – not a lot of people know this about me, but I love to write short style poetry and I have a small collection stashed away. Maybe I will be brave enough to release it, but in the meantime I hold onto it and cherish it.
Do you have any advice for small business owners looking to expand their brand while maintaining their unique identity?
Find yourself. Find what inspires you and hold onto it. Run with it and embrace it. If it wasn’t for me finding the darkness inside myself I would have never been able to make beautiful work and share it with others.
Find what inspires you and hold onto it
Focus your attention on details and figure out what draws you to it. For me, I kept finding I was being drawn to the Victorian era and romanticism of poetry and the love of a dark aesthetic were just a few items that fueled this passion I already had of doing flowers.
Give your brand a unique voice and grow your business in style with MOO products.
The secret to good gifting starts with a great gift guide. A holiday gift guide lets you show off your products and inspire shoppers (and save them tons of time, too). They’re perfect for both the super organized gifter and the procrastinating panic buyer.
The secret to a good gift guide
Making an enticing gift guide is all about a good theme – whether it’s occasions and holidays like birthdays and Valentine’s Day, or sales, promos and product launches – use them to add value on social media, drive more traffic to your website or bring customers into your store.
And it’s not just big calendar events. You can use a gift guide to shout out your favorite small businesses, local crafters and sustainable heroes. Here’s our top five tips on how to create a gift guide this season and throughout the year. So all your customers have to do is sit back, watch their giftees unwrap and wait for that ooooooh moment.
Create a gift guide in 4 steps
1) Be super specific
Be really clear about who your gift guide is for, as a generic guide might not get as much interest. Sure, you might be creating a gift guide for an occasion like Christmas, but who are you really talking to? Is your audience a specific profession like teachers? Or is it even within a certain budget, like your top ten perfect pressies for pink-lovers under $20?
Take a small biz wiz, for example, they might need a new Notebook for all their ideas. Or a new mum might need an indulgent candle to relax at home. Or jewelry for a fashion lover.
Your current customers should be your first thought when creating your gift guide, but they can also help bring back old customers as well as attract new ones. Take a look at the products or services that were your best sellers this year, or the ones that got rave reviews and start making a list.
2) Choose a theme
Whether you’re a candle maker, artist, jewelry designer or ice cream tester – you’ll have products you create or love from others that you want to share with the world. And having a good theme means you can mix and match products in your gift guide while still looking cool and cohesive.
Choosing a theme can really bring your gift guide to life visually. You can choose a theme based on your products and your customers’ faves from you – like all black for all-round appeal. There’s a reason black never goes out of style – it’s smart, chic and great for (almost) all occasions and tastes. By using color to create a theme you can create a collection of pressies that look great together.
You can always make not one but two (or three, or four…) gift guides with a particular theme in mind. Or be brave and introduce a new trend.
3) Create a winning layout
Presentation is everything and not just for the presents themselves. This is where you can add value – making your gift guide as enticing as possible and surprising customers with new ideas can really help drive sales and shares.
Try these top tips for designing your gift guide:
- Use a collage – a collage can be a great way to showcase multiple products. Adjust the size and position of your images on the page so they don’t look too cluttered and think about the space between your images.
- Give it a title – be specific about who it’s for. The more specific your gift guide is, the better it will be at attracting its intended audience.
- Add a strong call to action – where do you want your customers to go? After you’ve inspired them, make sure you point them in the right direction to buy – like your website or to pop in store.
4) Share, share, share
Another reason to create a gift guide is that it gives you engaging content for your blog and they also make excellent social posts too. You can get your name, brand and products out there by sharing far and wide on your channels like social media, email lists and your homepage. And maybe even boost your engagement and followers in the process.
So there you have it – how to make a gift guide for happy shoppers. It’s all about surprising and delighting your customers, so they can surprise and delight with their gifts. Make sure they can’t wait to wrap and share with ideas they hadn’t thought of – take a look at our festive uses for our four-cornered things like Gift Tags and more.
Giveaways can be a great way to engage your customers and get the word out about your brand. The best giveaway ideas combine an original concept to an exciting reward while targeting the right audience with relevant messaging. Ready to get started? Follow our tips here.
Choosing the right giveaway idea for your business
Giveaways are not just about how many people get involved – who they are is just as important. First, think about what your giveaway is for – is it to engage your customers? Or attract new customers? Or something else?
If you want to get loads of people participating, then choose something with mass appeal. But if you want to gain new shoppers, you need to make the whole experience relevant to your ideal customer. Everything from the way you market the giveaway to the prizes you offer, should all be super exciting for your target customer.
7 giveaway ideas guaranteed to excite
Here are our best giveaway ideas to engage your customers and build brand awareness:
1) Discount lucky draw
Everybody loves a freebie, right? Vouchers are a classic giveaway gift idea for a reason. It’s hard to resist a discount, even more so when it’s for a great product. Use your social media platforms, email campaigns or website (or wherever you most interact with your customers) to create a lucky draw for people to enter to win a discount in the form of a code or gift voucher. And the amount is totally up to you! You can offer multiple discounts, like 10%, 25% and 50%, given at random to your lucky winners. The temptation of winning that higher discount could pull in even more participants.
2) Pick your own prize
What’s even better than a freebie? Choosing exactly what your prize is. It’s the perfect giveaway gift idea to get shoppers to visit your website – and discover your whole range. We’ve seen brands doing more and more of these recently – from jewelers offering to choose your own ring to salons letting you choose your own treatment. The fact that the prize is hand-picked also means it’s perfect for each customer, making your giveaway idea super relevant and exciting for everyone.
3) Hashtag competition
Should you use social media for your giveaway contest ideas? Yes! Offering a discount on your social media platforms is great, but also think about having a hashtag competition to boost your brand awareness and increase your followers. A hashtag competition is a great way to get your followers engaged and even boost your brand’s rep. If you’re a home goods store, for example, ask your followers to post a pic of their best baking skills to win a set of brand new, swanky kitchen things.
First, think of a creative giveaway name for your hashtag, one that speaks to your business and brand. Then ask your followers and customers to post using it. Limit your contest to a certain period of time, or make it a recurring competition to keep user-generated content coming. A hashtag competition will help you track your social media engagement and it’s also a fun way to build a community with new and existing followers.
4) One for them, one for a friend
Another way to level up your engagement is with a referral-style offer – ask your followers to tag their friends on your post. The more friends they tag, the more chances of winning they have, and the more people you reach! In this giveaway contest idea, you can choose not one but two lucky customers to win your giveaway, and gain some new followers and shoppers in the process.
5) Caption contest
Caption contests can be so much fun. This is the perfect giveaway idea for businesses with a fun, friendly brand identity. Post a pic of something relevant to your brand and ask followers to caption it. The best caption wins! This is a great way to engage your customers and create some highly shareable content in the process. You can either choose yourself or choose the one with the most likes.
6) Treasure hunts
Now, this giveaway idea takes a little more planning but will definitely delight your shoppers. Treasure hunts are great for creating urgency and excitement. Ask customers to look out for a special image or banner, with a discount code. It could be hidden anywhere – on your website, your social media or in an email. Ask them to subscribe to your mailing list or keep checking your website or Instagram stories for your hidden giveaway. It encourages them to stay up-to-date with your comms, which is perfect if you’re planning a big launch.
7) Quizzes and trivia
Make them play the game! Quizzes and trivia can be a great way to excite and engage customers while raising brand awareness and even gathering useful information about your audience. Ask questions about your new range, your best-selling products or your brand story to encourage them to visit the website and find out more about your business and products. You can also create a fun Buzzfeed-like test to entertain your audience, allowing them to share the results in a fun way. You can use those to gather some information about your audience to inform your next campaigns and products.
Promotional giveaways are a great way to engage with your prospective customers, generate leads, and nurture those leads into paying customers. These giveaway ideas for small businesses are sure to inspire you and your push to increase brand awareness and keep customers coming back for more. Utilize your business’s social media platforms, listen to what your customers want, and give away items that are hard to resist…
And if you want to create exclusive custom-branded gifts to treat your customers, why not give away a limited edition Water Bottle or Notebook?
We spoke to the National Breast Cancer Foundation to find out why nonprofits need great branding too.
It can be tempting to see nonprofit organizations as a world apart from profit-making businesses – and to feel they require completely different marketing strategies, including when it comes to creating a brand identity.
But strong branding can be a crucial tool for nonprofits too, to help express their mission in a clear and effective way. Every element of your brand, from company colors right through to your chosen font can have a major impact on how the world sees your organization.
We caught up with the National Breast Cancer Foundation (NBCF) to find out why they feel branding should be a priority for nonprofits, and how the charity’s distinctive pink-and-white branding, alongside their inspiring tone of voice, works for them.
Why do you believe in the power of branding for nonprofit organizations?
Strong branding is important for nonprofits because it helps to convey each organization’s approach to their mission. Color, language, imagery and attention to detail can all help convey to the audience the organization’s personality and trustworthiness.
Great branding can also help differentiate nonprofits that are in the same field, but have a different focus.
What are the benefits for your organization?
As well as reinforcing our core values in how we approach our mission, it helps us to be efficient and focused in terms of design, copy and the projects we take on.
As a nonprofit looking at branding, you always have to be aware of the mission and everyone who’s affected by it. At NBCF we are always mindful about how our branding and messaging can come across to our audience, at whatever point of the breast cancer journey they’re on.
When a customer walks away from a for-profit business, it’s the business that loses. But with a nonprofit, when a patient, donor or corporate partner walks away, the entire mission is impacted – which for us means someone might not get the help or support they need.
How has the NBCF brand identity evolved over time?
Our branding started off looking very corporate and institutional. Over time, it’s been simplified, and now we have a more approachable look and feel. Leading with compassion and hope is a core value of ours, and that’s reflected in the simplicity of our design, and our softer tones and language.
Our attention to detail and consistency have helped to build trust in our brand and organization.
What does the NBCF branding look like?
We’ve been able to use our simplified pink ribbon as a core element in designs for our corporate partners, and in the collateral pieces we give away when we’re out in the community – for example, at breast-health educational events.
Meanwhile, internally, we make sure we use a limited number of typefaces and colors for all our documents, including using templates for documents with branded headers, footers, and icons.
Through trial and error we’ve found (and accepted) that the creative team can’t always control every single piece of branded material that’s created by our organization. A simple, compelling, and easy to understand branding strategy makes it easier to guide all our employees, and to make sure we’re all speaking the same visual language.
How did NBCF use MOO to help realize its branding strategy?
We’ve used MOO primarily for our nonprofit’s Business Cards, thanks to their durability and the many options available. We’ve used the standard business cards for most of our employees – they feature personalized illustrations of each employee as the main design element, to make them more memorable and personal.
We use Luxe business cards for employees who do a lot of networking, as the heavier weight and choice of color seam make them stand out from the others, and also use MOO Cotton business cards for a lightweight card which still boasts a high-end look and texture.
Want to step up your nonprofit’s marketing strategy? Create your nonprofit’s business cards or visit MOO Business Services to get in touch with our team of experts. Or you can fill out the form here and a friendly Account Manager will reach out to you.
Originally published on Sep 1, 2020
Mya Naguit is fresh out of college and she’s already wearing the hats of collage artist, activist, and founder of stationery brand Paper Puso. Collating together notes, illustrations, and magazine cutouts, the mixed media artist conjures intimate, authentic feelings through a visual melting pot.
We met Mya to talk about her collage work, the origins of Paper Puso, and the importance of connection in art and life.
Tell us a bit more about yourself and your background. What attracted you to collage and mixed media art?
Hi, my name is Mya! I’m a 22-year-old Filipino creative and collage artist from Orange, California. Ever since I was a little girl, I’ve always had this love for creating. I was terribly shy, and it was really hard for me to connect with others and truly express my feelings. Naturally, making art was my safe haven.
Making art was my safe haven
I don’t remember exactly what drew me to making collages specifically, but I do know that mixed media art was somewhat born out of my large collection of teen magazines, in addition to the journal entries I would write regularly. To this day, I still have a collection of journals and sketchbooks I’ve finished over the years. Almost my entire adolescence is mapped out through these books, using pens, markers, glue, and paper. It’s really cool to have a tangible record of each chapter in your life.
How would you describe your style? Where do you find inspiration?
Since so much of my relationship with mixed media collage was born out of my adolescence, there is this through-line of mixed emotions and nostalgia in my work. I’ve always loved art that marries the contrast between messy and complicated emotions with pretty, pastel colors. I think my art definitely represents that. I find a lot of inspiration through the physical papers I clip, late 1990s-early 2000’s pop culture, music, and the fashion magazines I obsessed over as a teenager.
How do you go about making a collage? What’s your favorite part of the process and what materials do you enjoy using the most?
The beauty of making collages is that you can really make them out of any resources you have readily available to you. On the most basic level, this usually consists of an adhesive, paper materials, and maybe a pair of scissors. Personally, I love to use Posca paint pens, glue sticks, and gold star stickers, which show up in my projects frequently.
For me, inspiration for a piece can come from any of my materials – whether it be a color I’m drawn to at the moment, a song lyric I can’t get out of my head, or a clipping I’ve found out of a vintage magazine. My favorite part of the process is the physical act of cutting and ripping of the paper; it’s really therapeutic!
Mixed media artist, content creator, activist, storyteller… You wear many hats! How are all those connected?
Being an artist, content creator, activist, and storyteller are inherently intertwined and intersected parts of my identity. In saying this, I mean that I don’t think I could bear one label without bearing the other, and vice versa. For instance, being an activist often involves storytelling aspects of confronting an issue and forming relationships with a community that can open your eyes to perspectives you haven’t considered before.
This universal longing for connection […] is what drives us to create
In addition to that, creative work can be a sustainable and accessible way to tell and pass down a story. This is why we need to encourage and harness the skills and talents of our community members to put forth the change we wish to see in the world. I really do believe that this universal longing for connection, and with that, community, is what drives us to create. At least, that’s the reason why I began creating.
This idea of connection seems to be at the core of your work as an artist and activist. Can you tell us more about how you translate it in your visual work?
I think that any time you pour your heart into something, connection is inevitable; whether that be in a positive way or in a negative way. Making collages was something I used to do privately, which is what made the work so authentic and fearless.
When I started sharing my art online, I knew that I didn’t want to change that aspect of my process; there were obviously many personal places where I felt I had to set boundaries with public exposure, but I knew that whatever I did choose to share would always have to come straight from the heart. With that being said, I never shared my art with the specific intention of connecting with an audience… I was just being myself. And, as time passed, I noticed more and more of my audience relating to my vulnerability.
Did you face any challenges in your journey as a Filipina-American artist?
Being Filipino has shaped everything I’ve experienced throughout my entire life. I have never felt “challenged” in my journey as a product of my identity as a Filipina-American artist, specifically. If anything, “Filipino” is a label I’m proud to bear in any and all spaces that I can. I think the only challenge I face in relation to this is a pressure I put on myself to continue honoring the legacy my family and ancestors have shaped for me.
Can you tell us more about your brand, Paper Puso? What motivated you to start your own business while you were still in college?
In my personal life, art-making has always been a sort of therapy for whatever I’m going through at the moment. Like most people in the midst of the 2020 lockdown, I found myself feeling more lost, yet more hungry to create than ever before. Of course, I was struggling with attending my junior year of university completely online; but the very physical chaos outside of my small bubble seemed to be producing the bulk of my anxiety.
I found myself feeling more lost, yet more hungry to create than ever before
One night, on a weekly pandemic Facetime call with three of my best friends, I brought up the idea of sharing my art online. I needed a space to archive my creative work, while doubling as a record of the art I was making (and the emotions I was feeling) during a global pandemic. Their simple words of encouragement were enough to push me to take the leap. And just like that, Paper Puso was born.
As a homage to my Filipino heritage, I chose to go under the name “Paper Puso” which translates to “Paper Heart”. It started with some pages scanned from my personal journal, and then some commissions from friends and family over the holidays. Now, over a year later, Paper Puso has garnered an entire community of support, has been featured in multiple digital and print platforms, and has produced hundreds of Postcard prints and Stickers that have shipped nationwide.
You mentioned that Paper Puso was inspired by your own love of letter-writing. What do you like most about it?
There’s something so romantic to me about physically writing your loved one a letter. I was born in 1999, so my generation grew up on the Internet; I actually don’t have a single memory of living without computer access. I think that harkening back to traditions like letter writing reminds us of the beauty of tangible artefacts; it’s one of the reasons I love journaling by hand. You’d be surprised how much one can express in a handwritten note that they’d never dare to speak out loud!
If you could be a pen pal with any historical figure or past artist, who would it be and why?
This is a great question, and one that I’ve had to think a lot about! I think it would be amazing to send the younger versions of my grandparents a handwritten note on the back of one of my Paper Puso postcards. I’m really curious to read first-hand accounts of how both sets of my grandparents handled their early 1920s in the Philippines.
How do you use MOO to promote your collage work?
I had heard about MOO from another artist in a vlog, and decided to try it out to print my first set of Postcards. I had originally planned to try MOO alongside other printing businesses to narrow down which service provided the most outstanding quality; but after ordering my first 25 Postcards from MOO, I was so satisfied with the products that I never got the chance to try out any other business!
Ever since that first “test run”, MOO has been my primary source for the bulk of my products. As an artist and a small business owner, I like to release new merchandise designs periodically, so I love that I can order in batches as small as 25 to phase out any old designs. The quality and customization of my Postcards keep me coming back. I also think the MOO support team is incredibly helpful and responsive. Needless to say, I’m a huge fan of you, MOO!
Any projects coming up you’re looking forward to?
I’m going to be releasing a very exciting apparel collaboration with another small business for October, which is Filipino American History Month. There’s not much I can share about it as of yet, but my followers can keep a lookout for any news on my Instagram! I’m so excited.
Do you have any advice for young creatives looking to apply their skills to causes they care about?
I know that putting yourself out there and being vulnerable can be really scary. I think my generation has garnered so much fear surrounding failure, and that relentless insecurity is really difficult to navigate. So, above all things, I challenge young creatives to start small. Take a tiny step forward. Find resources that can help you inform your own experiences. Find what causes are affecting the communities you’re a part of. We each have something to offer. We all have the power to affect change, no matter how small… And the more tiny steps forward there are, the further we can go together!
Put yourself out there with MOO Postcards starting from 25 per pack.
Packaging is nothing more than gift wrap for grown-ups. Whether you’re making jewelry or selling toilet roll holders, a good unboxing experience has the power to surprise and delight customers, making them feel like a 6-year-old on their birthday.
Your unboxing experience should help customers dive into your brand universe and foster loyalty, enticing them to come back for more. You can tell that story and reward them with cleverly designed custom packaging inserts, from thank you cards to promotion Flyers.
Uncover the secrets of the best packaging inserts to become a packaging wiz with our handy guide.
A packaging what?
Packaging inserts can turn a simple order into a great unboxing experience, but what are they exactly? A packaging insert is a little extra item that you can add in your packaging before shipping orders to your customers. They’re added for free and are used to reward customers and foster loyalty. Packing inserts are also a great opportunity to build your brand narrative.
Thank you cards, samples, referral Flyers, coupons… Packaging inserts take many forms. They tend to be quite cost-effective and are a great way to support your campaigns and business objectives, from growing your customer base to promoting a sale. Because you know exactly what the customer ordered, you can tailor your insert to their needs and promote offers and products they might be interested in.
4 packaging insert ideas to delight your customers
Packing inserts are a versatile tool. Here’s a few packaging insert ideas to surprise and delight your customers. Feel free to mix and match with a custom packaging insert tailored to your brand!
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Thank you cards
Let’s start with the most simple yet effective insert: a thoughtful card thanking them for their purchase. It’s a simple insert card for your packaging, but a big step for your customer relationships. Thank you cards allow you to show your gratitude with a lovely branded design, but they can do so much more!
They’re a great opportunity to build awareness by talking about your brand ethos, showcase your product range, and share your website and social media accounts to stay connected with your customers. If possible, add a personalized note to show customers you care about each and every one of them individually. It’s always nice to know there are humans behind the brand!
Get some thank you card inspiration with some of our community’s most stunning designs here.
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Coupons
Whether you call them coupons, discount cards or promo flyers, the idea is the same: rewarding customers with a little something off their next order. Coupons are a great way to encourage repeat purchases for both new and returning customers. It’s one of the best packaging insert ideas to foster loyalty and create a lasting relationship with your customers.
In practice, you can share a discount code for a specific amount or percentage off. If your offers are limited to a specific product or range, make sure you choose the relevant one for this specific customer based on their purchase. You can base the terms and conditions on a minimum spend or a time range, depending on your objectives. Print your custom packaging inserts on Flyers, Postcards, or even Business Cards that can double as a keepsake.
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Referral cards
One mission: spread the love! Referral schemes are a clever way to encourage your community to recruit new customers through word of mouth. The principle? Rewarding them with a freebie or discount when they invite friends, often giving a discount to the latter too. Referral schemes make the perfect packaging insert cards for a small business looking to expand their customer base and build a strong, lasting relationship with buyers. You can make your referral card look like an Invitation to make your customers feel like VIPs or use the Business Card format for a fun-size, versatile packaging insert card.
Find out more about alternative uses for business cards here.
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Freebies
It’s a fact: everyone loves a freebie, and it doesn’t have to be an insert card for your packaging to look awesome. Freebies can be as little or as big as you want and are guaranteed to bring a smile to your customers’ faces. From fun Stickers (get more inspo here) to put on their laptop to a nice sample to introduce new products, there are so many ways to treat your customers with a nice packaging insert.
You can also consider including a free full-size product – it’s a clever way to repurpose a discontinued range. Or create your own branded merchandise with a beautiful Custom Water Bottle or Notebook to say a bigger thank you to your loyal community.
Those are a few of the best packaging inserts to build awareness and loyalty, but you can also use them to share care instructions, information about the product or the range, and so much more!
Ready to delight your customers with packaging inserts? Insert some joy into your packaging with MOO Postcards and Flyers.
Everything that glitters ain’t gold – but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t deserve to shine. While gold sparks an opulent, rich feel, silver has that more subtle, toned-down elegance that screams (or whispers) modernity and class. And that applies to print, too. Silver Foil brings that extra shine that takes any card to the next level.
Here are four creatives who deserve a gold medal for their eye-catching Silver Foil designs.
Kane Banner: eyes on the prize
Based in Australia, Kane Banner is nothing if not multifaceted. In-house designer for a hospitality group by day, he also freelances for record labels and creates his own designs at kanebanner.com by night. He plays with intricate gothic and metal fonts, retro-inspired illustrations and pop culture references to create designs that catch the eye.
When creating his Business Cards, Kane chose Silver Foil to play with perceptions and the idea of “viewer”. He worked from his Instagram icon, a minimalist eye design and used foil to give it a mirror effect. “Everyone stares into the phone, I wanted to make something that stares back and shocks them […] I used the Silver Foil cards as I needed to stand out and wanted people to be able to interact with the card and hold up to their own eye.”
The square format gives his silver design an almost talisman-like aura, but it’s also ideal to carry. “[My favorite part is] the fact I can slip them in my phone case and give them away on the go. Perfect size.”
Sweet Pea Studio: metallic realness
Laura Carr is the founder of Sweet Pea Studio, where she wears the hats of graphic designer, marketing consultant and lead creative. From logo design to social media and PR, the British studio specializes in branding and marketing strategy, with a commitment to helping businesses reach their full potential.
For her client Niall Williams Sports Massage Therapy, Laura created a set of marketing materials including stunning Loyalty Cards. She chose Silver Foil Business Cards for their attention-grabbing metallic finish – that incidentally also evokes bright new gym equipment. “I absolutely love the finish on these cards. It adds that extra wow factor, even to the simplest of designs.[…] We really wanted to use the Silver Foil against the matte black as it would be super impactful. I created this signature style logo for the client, who has had it printed onto the wall of his studio, so to have matching marketing material with the slick, silver finish was a must!”
What does she like most about the cards? The contrast brought by the Silver Foil design, that makes the cards stand out in a striking yet subdued way. “I love the way the silver foil shines against the matte black. It’s subtle, but so powerful!”
Bright Spot Papier: beautiful words
Based on Prince Edward Island, Canada, Tania Pendergast is the mind behind Bright Spot Papier & Art. A calligrapher, illustrator and hand-lettering artist, the beauty of language is at the core of her practice. She describes herself as a “curator of beautiful words”, dedicated to conveying the feelings they evoke through lettering. With her brand Bright Spot Papier, Tania channels the power of words into inspiring artworks and Greeting Cards.
When looking to update her brand’s unboxing experience, Medium Silver Foil Postcards seemed the perfect fit to treat her customers to a beautiful Thank You Card. “I feel that when I package up an order, it’s like sending a gift out in the mail, so joyful details matter. To me, the idea of marrying words with Silver Foil really felt like a beautiful touch. When I send out an order, I wrap each item in my happy polka dot paper, pop in an extra vinyl Sticker and write out a little note too.”
Because words are at the heart of her work, Tania picked them carefully for her Thank You Cards. “I referred to my collection of notebooks full of quotes that I’ve collected over the years. Each time I create a new design, I go in search of words that move me. This time, I chose a quote specifically about words that was by Lucy Maud Montgomery, who was an accomplished and world-renowned author from the province that I now call home (think Anne of Green Gables).” She highlighted them with our shiny Silver Foil to add an extra layer of sophistication to her beautiful calligraphy work.
Her favorite part? “They are just the perfect bright spot to add to each of my orders! I love how they highlight both my calligraphy and my love of words. They are also a size that’s standard for framing (5×7), on a beautiful weight of paper, so they can be displayed if my customers so choose.”
Lindsay Shutt: iconic shine
Lindsay Shutt is a designer and illustrator based in Portland. After starting her career in a design studio, she moved to freelance work, creating powerful visual assets for bands, festivals and record labels around the world. The sense of freedom brought by this new stage in her career inspired her to think outside the box and create bold designs with a purpose. From print to digital design and apparel, she applies her creativity to a variety of mediums for clients from Portland and beyond.
For her Business Cards, Lindsay wanted to add some extra pizzazz to her bold design with a shiny Silver Foil finish. “I love [it] because it’s, in a word, EXTRA! The foil accents really pop and add a wow factor.” Passionate about music, she found her inspiration in iconic female musicians: “I was listening to a lot of female rappers and early 70s female rockers. Suzi Quatro, Mariska Veres of Shocking Blue, Leikeli47 and Princess Nokia in particular. These designs were inspired by dynamic, bold women.”
With these fun, colorful foil Business Cards, Lindsay successfully showed off her bold personality and unique style. “My favorite thing about these cards is I didn’t create them with any future employers in mind. I created these cards for me and had fun with them. I can’t wait to design my next set!”
Want the shine without the bling? Create your own silver designs with Silver Foil Business Cards and Postcards from MOO.