Sometimes finding a new way of “connecting with your market” is all about observing and reintroducing an old practice to a new audience. 
Today I wanted to tell you about a product I designed using my existing mission and product line to fill a niche in the holiday market. It addresses an obvious but not often mentioned holiday group: Grandparents.
My motivation? I heard Grandparents who were wishing for an fun activity with their grandchildren that did not involve involve technology. I understood they wanted to find experiences that their grandchildren would look forward to and make good memories. I knew this connected to my own mission of creating personalized memories with art and letters.
My answer? Introducing My Grand Mail™… a grand new thing to do. Receiving a card from a person who loves you at the end of a cranky day can change everything for a child. Who better to teach a child about the joy of receiving “snail mail ” than a loving member of the last generation to hand write their college papers? Creating a storied collection of holdable re-readable cards from your grandparents will definitely be a 21st Century keepsake.
Background:
One imaginative friend was already sending my personalized note cards to her 3 year old grandaughter who then carried them arround in a bag to show anyone who visited her house. This story coupled with the previously mentioned techno complaints made me realize that not all Grandparents could see the possibilities of snail mail on their own. Making a packaged mail kit might be the best way to start a little stampede of Grandparents mailing their Grandchildren!( One can hope right?) I researched the idea and found several good people working to introduce mail to kids but none with the grandparent keepsake in in mind. I added the TM symbol to My Grand Mail™ so that I can begin the trademark for the expression.
The Product:
I designed one new item ( the cloth mail keeper for the child ) with special graphics + stickers , added a selection of my existing cards for the Grandperson and a discount on future card orders. I packaged with a copy sheet to add value and the mission driven story to the products. I am offering to Grandparent holiday buyers via craft fairs as well as online. I am planning to book some “My Grand Mail “events in retail spaces after the holidays in order to further spread the word.
Bonus:
This activity is no work at all for parents after a busy day. It encourages dramatic replay, writing, collecting, thanking and something to talk about during phone calls. Most of all , it makes Grand memories that last a lifetime. That works for me and my business.
To see more details on My Grand Mail™ click here. Please do leave me your comments on this idea or suggestions for reaching more Grandparents.
Here are some other people doing admirable things with hand written mail and post card art: Viva Snail Mail, World’s Smallest Post Service, Abe’s Peanut, and 52 Weeks of Mail.
