8 minute read
Feature: Male and Father’s Day
Cherry Orchard
Cherry Orchard
Cherry Orchard
Danilo
Alljoy Design
Let’s hear it
for the boys! Raspberry Blossom Danilo
The value of Father’s Day sales is on the up - so it’s worth taking a look at this sector of your business and ensuring you have something to keep the male population happy!
According to the latest Market Report* from the Greeting Card Association, the value of Father’s Day card sales rose to £44.3m in 2021, up from £38.7m in 2020. So as a category that is on the up, it’s worth taking a look at your offering for the men (and boys) in our lives.
At Danilo, it’s a category that is continuing to expand, says licensing director Dan Grant: “We have been continuing to grow our Father’s Day card range as more opportunities open up around new captions, designs and new trends.’’
And as families change, extend and blend, the opportunities also widen: “We’ve seen that generational changes in family situations are altering the type of captions required for seasons such as Father’s Day. So, as well as main Dad/Daddy captions, we are also looking at supplying Stepdad/Husband/Daddy to be/Dad from captions to name a few,’’ Dan adds.
It’s a trend seen at Love Layla too, which has expanded its range to include more unusual names for grandads - such as Papa, Poppy or Grandfather. It has also seen an opportunity to personalise for other pet names too, with its Personalised range.
Take a look at our Unusual Captions Trends on p17, to see some more examples.
And It’s not just the two-legged members of the family who are getting in on the act, says Dan Grant: “With a recent increased demand for pet cards, we have also added in more designs for Father’s Day cards from the pet!’’
Male interest cards have had to move with the times too - although the classic interests such as gardening, fishing, football and drinking will always be popular, the technological age is taking hold. According to Statista, gaming penetration is at a surprising 62% for men aged 45-54 and a massive 79% for males aged 2534, and 88% in the 16-24 age group.
It’s a trend that Damilo is on top of, says Dan: “We are continually incorporating more gaming brands into our portfolio – popular brands include Minecraft, Pokémon, Super Mario, and Xbox. It’s also worth noting that, according to a report by WGSN, #DadsonTIkTok is a trend that has grown significantly since January 2021. Keeping a close eye on Generation Z language and use of humour on social media channels such as TikTok, will also help guide us for future captions and design ideas.’’
Many of the retailers we speak to say that they are always looking for something a bit different in their male offering, and suppliers are taking that on board.
Cherry Orchard Publishing has been focusing on it male ranges - its stylish Grayson range has proved popular, and has now been extended with Male Ages and Titled Ages. The new designs have the signature grey board, gold foiling and gold envelope.
Danilo, meanwhile, is doing the same - and thinking outside the box, says Dan: “We are consistently evaluating our ranges and designs to ensure that they are adapted in line with changing interest. This can be via new brands that we take on board - for example, popular preschool TV Show Bluey, which has huge appeal to little ones to give to their dad - or gaming cards such as Xbox, which resonate more directly with the newer generation of dads.
“In addition, recent movie trends such as the growing demand of superhero movie franchises, have also been reflected in spring season designs with hero captioned and themed Father’s Day cards.’’
Dan Grant, licensing director, Danilo
*Available at www.gca.cards/gcamarket-report-2022/ Ask the retailer
What do you stock in Father’s Day/male cards?
We stock a full range of Father’s Day cards, with cards for all kinds of Dads and to suit every pocket and taste. Our customers can filter our Father’s Day section by themes and styles to find just the right card. We like to stock unusual captions and as many styles of cards as we can. Kate Malt CEO, Love Kate’s www.lovekates.co.uk
Alljoy Design
Alljoy Design’s new Father’s Day/Male Pop-up cards come from the winner of Gift of the Year 2021. For something different to receive and keep, the Message in a Bottle pop-up card range is handmade, in a sixlayered laser and die-cut format. They simply pop open, with space on the back to write a message. Flat-packed, with full image and information, they will grace any card display. info@alljoydesign.com +353 (0)1 630 1213
Love Layla
Father’s Day is a massive deal for Love Layla, based in Pontefract, West Yorkshire; people always turn to them for the humour and hilarious part of Father’s Day. But the card company is also finding that demand from the not-so stereotypical 2 point 4 children family is becoming more obvious. Stepdad is a huge part of its Father’s Day season; as important as Grandad or Dad.
Love Layla has expanded its range as there has been a call for more unusual names for Grandad too, such as Papa, Poppy or Grandfather. Because of the demand on the unusual theme, Love Layla has also expanded to allow personalisation too. Directly for the customer to add their chosen pet name for the Old Man, customers can select a card from the Personalised range and add their name in to make the joke more personable.
Sticking with the usual theme of cheeky humour, Love Layla aims for everyday relatable topics with Father’s Day. Topics include lots of unusual quirks including travelling early to the airport to be prepared, the classic Resting My Eyes theme, the obvious DIY approach - and a new one is Beards and Tattoos. 01977 700 062 www.lovelayladesigns.co.uk
Raspberry Blossom
Raspberry Blossom’s Father’s Day offering for 2023 includes three new cards; two of those are from the die-cut and rich-in-colour Golden Moments collection. The first one is perfect for Grandads, with the design featuring a gorgeous greenhouse kitted out with pots, plants and even a gold foil-enhanced shovel to mark the happy occasion.
The other Golden Moments card is for the slightly more refined Dad, featuring a board stacked full of mouth-watering cheeses, succulent grapes, buttery biscuits, and a bottle of rich, full-bodied red wine. Finished with luxury gold foil touches and a die-cut shape around the bottle and board – this card is truly a treat for the eyes.
The third and final new addition is from the most recent Male oriented collection, Midnight. The abstract and modern card features simple Happy Father’s Day messaging, with the masculine colour palette and geometric design enhancing the blind emboss and spot UV luxury print techniques.
Also continuing are the bestselling Father’s Day cards from 2022; these include the modern yet luxurious Good Vibes collection; a simple yet stunning gold foiled collection, Whimsical; the glossy 3D fold-out Treasures’ and a fun and playful collection, POP!.
The Father’s Day curated box is also returning with bestsellers and newness. The seasonal box contains 15 designs picked from the awardwinning collections mentioned above. 01926 257 757 wholesale@raspberryblossom.com
Cherry Orchard Publishing
Cherry Orchard Publishing has definitely been focusing on its Male offerings and has launched a fantastic extension to its popular Grayson Range to include new Male Ages and Titled Ages. The new designs have the signature grey board, gold foiling and gold envelope and the new artwork is definitely a credit to the range!
It has also launched a fantastic collection of Father’s Day cards as part of its new Spring Season Package 2023. The range has been extended to include more designs in the package. The 16 new designs feature popular artwork from The Grayson Range and stunning artistic cards featuring popular hobbies and pastimes. Plus the new addition for 2023 are modern style and ‘daddy’ title cards.
This year Cherry Orchard is providing the package as a firm sale but has given customers extended terms. 01684 295500 info@cherryorchardpublishing.co.uk www.cherryorchardpublishing.co.uk
