Hallmark Cards and The MATLET Group: A Relationship to Remember When You Care Enough to Send the Very Best
The MATLET Group’s history credits Hallmark with the creation of the company known today as NOVA Marketing Services.
Both companies get involved in the two Dream Book versions for Keepsakes Ornament Club members (KOC) and an in-store version for all consumers. The Dream Book work dates back to 1981. CFP prints a larger size, high-end perfect bound book for KOC members. A number of the books are mailed to KOC members while the others are shipped to Hallmark distribution centers. More than one million copies are printed of the in-store version, which is smaller in size and saddle stitched. CFP also provides support for a variety of KOC collateral materials.
NOVA provides the back end support with Ornament fulfillment for KOC members. NOVA has been involved with the highly successful Keepsakes Ornament Club for 14 years.
“NOVA does a fantastic job in keeping postage and fulfillment costs to a minimum for our Keepsake collectors,” remarked Sherry Ratcliffe, Operations Manager for KOC. “The Keepsakes Ornament Club members are Hallmark’s best ornament customers. Due to NOVA helping us keep our costs down, we haven’t had to increase KOC membership fees for many years.”
The program integrates NOVA with a call center that accepts orders. NOVA then picks, packs and ships unique and decorative ornaments to the KOC membership with steadfast consistency. This is a great example of The MATLET Group’s end-to-end solutions.
The Date Book requires a more extensive effort. It too has an illustrious history, originating in the mid-1990s when Hallmark needed a solution to move order processing work from its Leavenworth, Kansas production center. The MATLET Group is the first and only company to create all the solutions for the Date Book.
CFP now ships weekly orders and reorders to 8,000 locations, including big box customer Walmart, Walgreens and CVS stores, and 2,800 Hallmark Gold Crown stores. This process includes fulfillment and tracking responsibilities.
“CFP also produces direct mail with newsletters, gift guides, catalogues and flat-piece bag stuffers, even some promotional pieces and postcards tied in with sales specials,” said Kent Shore, an Account Executive at CFP. “All of the mailings are national, which Hallmark distributes either to stores or direct to consumers. A typical run can be anywhere between 20,000 to 8 million; the largest orders require us to involve every department and every press at CFP. When you combine everything, we’re printing between 50-60 million pieces a year for Hallmark.”
Each year Hallmark recognizes key minority-owned suppliers as well as members of their buying team who demonstrate outstanding commitment to supplier diversity. CFP won Hallmark’s Diversity Supplier Award in 2011 when it was cited for efficiently combining press runs in 2010 for the Datebooks and pocket calendar work. Hallmark indicated various suggestions, CFP’s attention to detail and a willingness to go the extra mile in terms of service factored heavily in the award decision.
“In 2011, The MATLET Group received Hallmark’s distinguished Diversity Supplier of the Year award recognizing their superior quality and customer service,” said Hallmark’s Ferrell. “The MATLET Group is among a select group of Hallmark’s top performing suppliers that consistently delivers superior print and fulfillment services.”
Rock solid credentials
NOVA’s success with Hallmark is built on people and precision-like effort, but also includes several other avenues. The MATLET Group is a member of the prestigious National Minority Supplier Development Council’s (NMDSC) Corporate Plus® group of Minority Business Enterprises (MBE). NMDSC is a non-profit agency of national and local major corporations that provides an important link for procurement between corporate America and MBEs.
NOVA also has a lengthy track record in fulfillment efficiency, says company President Kathy Abbett.
