Labeling a Lovely Holiday Gift

Customer appreciation gifts with custom tag and labels

The card shown here describes our intentions this holiday season—to thank our loyal customers and share with our neighbors. The project started as a simple gesture but involved many members of the Amherst Label team.

WarmWishes2017fDesigned in marketing by Angela Hornor and Ruth Sterling (yours truly), the concept was approved by management, including VP of sales Nye Hornor and sales manager Dawn Mahoney. Dawn set forth to arrange for savory soups from a prospect, as well as some special tea (which deserves its own blog). Sales coordinator Sherri Edwards reached out to her customer for some winter-scented candles, included in a select few packages. Nye arranged for heavenly toffee from our sweet customer Noni’s and yummy comfort-food coffeecakes from My Grandma’s.

SoupProjectSmPrivate labeling soup packages is right up our “AL-ley” here at Amherst Label. Showing off our digital capabilities, including a gently textured snowflake border, took some extra effort for our prepress artist Ruth Dichard and pressman Jordan Bristol and Will Delph. Eight labels were run one afternoon in late November; the card was run the next day. Our SeasonAL Greetings labels, which we had in supply, completed the package… except for the tissue paper, bubble wrap and crinkle paper in festive green. By the time the packages went out the door, even Nye and Angela’s children had joined the production, coming in one Saturday like Santa’s elves to prepare dozens of boxes. Sabine Johnson and friends in the shipping department made sure each sales person’s gifts were sent properly. Kayla Demanche used her expert label-applying techniques to decorate the bottoms of all the soup bowls. She also folded boxes and tissue paper as did Erin Karavas and her friend Donna who filled dozens of boxes late one Friday afternoon, approaching the task like a party game. Marketing assistant Skylar Curtis made her contribution by applying the nutrition facts labels to the backs of the soup packets and by drawing AL’s chef hat. The idea for the candle label came from a visitor from the west coast. AL without his label uniform on, with red long winter underwear embroidered in the original Amherst Label star (created by Ruth Dichard so long ago she doesn’t remember doing it) was revealed—for the first time. AL has never appeared without his label armor outfit before. Donning his cap for a long winter’s nap, with all-star high-tops beside the bed, and faithful Pal the pup.

All the loving details of this program come together to demonstrate how much we care at Amherst Label.

WiltonOpenPantryShareDelivery2017But the card promises that we will share a significant charitable gift on our customers’ behalf. Yesterday, Angela and I had the honor of presenting those gifts, in the wonderful company of two of the Hornor children, Carolyn (age 14, on crutches after foot surgery) and Hadley, age nine.

Visiting the Open Pantry in Wilton as the sun set on a short December Day warmed all of us through and through. Greeted by proprietor Roger Ladouceur and later joined by his wife Linda, we toured the well-organized, pleasant space. Rows and rows of neat shelves stocked with canned goods and essentials, full refrigerators of donated eggs from a local chicken owner, plus beef, chicken and turkeys. We left with a sense that anyone in need in our region would be in good hands if they walked through the red door of the Open Cupboard.

Our next stop was at Share in Milford, also an efficiently run operation serving so many.

The joy is in the giving, no doubt about it.

 

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