Mohawk Blog

Greetabl: The (Superfine) card that’s also a box

Words
Sarah Schwartz
Photography
Greetabl
hf-desktop.gif

Today, guest blogger, Sarah Schwartz, editor of Stationery Trends and The Paper Chronicles, brings us the story of Greetabl.

Great unions start at weddings, but sometimes too great ideas are born. That was the case for Joe Fischer, co-founder of Greetabl, who found himself giving couples checks at weddings. “He’d felt that opening a gift is more exciting than an envelope, and wanted a way to make the card into a present,” recalled Zoë Scharf, Greetabl’s cofounder and chief product officer.

So in 2013, Joe created a few boxes — made out of cut-up, inside-out cereal boxes! — and sent them through the mail. “They got an amazing reaction,” remembered Zoë. “Even the mail lady wrote ‘Too cute!!’ on an index card and left it with the prototype on his doorstep.”

Since then, Greetabl has built partnerships with both designers and gift companies so that online shoppers can build the perfectly boxed gift — completely customized with personalized note and even photos, no less. What they all have in common is that every Greetabl uses 100% Superfine (Beautiful Collection). I interviewed Zoë to learn more.

Zoë Scharf + Joe Fischer
Founders of Greetable
Black and white photo of Greetabl founders

How has Greetabl evolved since you unveiled it in 2013?

When we launched our beta in 2013 we had an eye towards wholesale — we wanted Greetabl to be sold in boutiques and gift stores. The product was sold flat and could be folded up to include a small gift and/or gift card. We quickly learned that our customers needed a solution that was easier. There were too many barriers to entry, from finding a gift small enough to fit, to folding it up. Even bringing it to the post office was listed as a challenge!

We took this to heart and completely rebuilt Greetabl from the ground up to be exactly what our customer needs. We got a lot of feedback from our beta that people were loving Greetabl for those ‘in-between moments.’ You know, when a friend gets a new job or has a bad day? A greeting card can sometimes not be enough, but the alternative is $50 flowers or browsing the Internet endlessly. We built Greetabl to be easy to use, totally personalized, and to cover that hard-to-find $10-30 range.

Lifestyle arrangement showing a Greetabl card and its contents

To your mind, what makes a perfect gift?

When a gift takes you away from wherever you are and seems to immediately transport you into a special moment with a loved person in your life — there’s nothing that beats that. Anytime a gift includes pictures I’m totally enamored. It’s true that they’re worth 1,000 words!

How often do you update your box designs — and where do you find your artists?

We change out our illustrations and gifts regularly, and will soon be expanding our collection to include more options that appeal to men and children.

We find our artists from all over! Many of them reach out to us, and many I find by browsing the Internet. I’m a graphic designer, so I’ve always tried to stay plugged into the design and illustration community.

Greetabl cards arranged in a circular dish

How often do you update your box designs — and where do you find your artists?

We change out our illustrations and gifts regularly, and will soon be expanding our collection to include more options that appeal to men and children.

We find our artists from all over! Many of them reach out to us, and many I find by browsing the Internet. I’m a graphic designer, so I’ve always tried to stay plugged into the design and illustration community.

What made you select Mohawk Superfine?

Well, the number one reason is simply because it’s what made our product its absolute best. We print different photos on every single box, so our paper had to take ink smoothly, hold its box structure sturdily, and also feel smooth to the touch. Superfine checked all those boxes! Not to mention, I recently discovered that Mohawk’s HQ is near my hometown in Upstate New York, which I love!

A Greetabl box arranged in a lifestyle setup with magazines and a blanket

What kind of feedback have you heard from your clientele about Mohawk Superfine?

It’s been awesome. People who don’t even know about paper comment on how great it feels. We know that the best version of Greetabl is synonymous with the best possible paper, and we feel like we nailed it with Superfine.

What can Greetabl fans expect from you in 2017?

We’ll be adding tons of frequently requested features! Beyond more illustration and gift options for men and women, we’ll be adding all sorts of helpful features like bulk order uploads, pre-scheduled orders, and even add-on gifts so you can sprinkle in confetti or gift cards to your candle or candy or other core gift. Plus…some secret projects we’re cooking up.

A Greetabl and its contents

Is there anything else you’d like to share with Felt & Wire readers?

We’re passionate about helping our customers be the best friend possible. Nothing’s better than hearing from our customers that their loved one opened a Greetabl and was in love. It’s been a crazy and exciting road since we launched the site in October 2015 and you can expect tons more from us. This is just the beginning!

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