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Creative Leisure News
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Date: February 17, 2003 TABLE OF CONTENTSCOMMENTARY: THANK YOUDuring the HIA show I received the President's Award, "For his work in providing the industry with information and inspiration." Gee, I don't know about the "inspiration" part. As for the rest, I said in my acceptance speech that whatever Creative Leisure News is, is due to you. Without your support, CLN would be long gone.Your support is two-fold: Obviously your subscription checks pay the rent. But beyond that, your phone calls and emails with questions and comments help make CLN what it is. Countless times my reports on important topics started with a tip from a reader. Beyond the news and basic analysis, I wanted CLN to be a place where everyone can safely discuss important issues facing the industry: the problems of small businesses breaking into the industry, fair pricing, retailer/vendor partnerships, and stealing designs and product ideas are just a few of the issues we've reported on, thanks to you. I promise you this: I'll keep reporting as long as you keep in touch! Call 309-925-5593 or email mike@clnonline.com with tips, thoughts, questions, complaints -- whatever. I'll withhold your name, if necessary, and I'll delete any unproven charges against any individuals or companies -- but I will give you a voice. Anyway, thanks again.
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MICHAELS CHARGED WITH INSIDER TRADINGThe United Brotherhood of Carpenters Pension Trust filed a class action suit against Michaels and some top execs, charging the company with violations of federal securities law and alleging that the company misrepresented its financial condition between Aug. 8 and Nov. 7, 2002. The complaint alleges Michaels issued a number of public statements that misrepresented the true state of the company's expectations about future earnings. During the same time, key Michaels officials were cashing in stock options worth $15.3 million, the plaintiff charged.Michaels officials responded to CLN, saying "Of course, the complaint arbitrarily selects the individuals and the time periods to examine and contains no analysis of the cost of exercising those options nor the time period when those options expired. Michaels has no interest in trying this lawsuit in the press. The company intends, however, to contest the allegations of the Brotherhood complaint vigorously through the judicial process, believing that the complaint lacks substantive merit and seeks to take unfair advantage of the market's reaction to Michaels' announcement of a revision in its fourth quarter 2002 estimates. Michaels strongly believes that its position will become clear and vindicated as the judicial process runs its course." The plaintiff claims that the defendants had "concealed that the company was suffering from a host of undisclosed adverse factors which were negatively impacting its business and ensuring that Michaels Stores would report declining earnings and revenues during the next [third] quarter." The most specific charge: when Michaels released its second quarter results in late August, officials did not reveal that the bottom line had been achieved by "fully utilizing a $14.8 million markdown reserve previously recorded in the fourth quarter of 2001." This action, the plaintiff charges, "added 100% to Michaels Stores' reported margin improvement." The notice of the use of the markdown reserve was not revealed until Michaels filed its 10Q statement with the Securities and Exchange Commission on Sept. 17, about three weeks after the second quarter results were revealed. When Michaels reported its smaller-than-expected third-quarter earnings on Nov. 7 and revised downward its estimates of the fourth quarter, the stock dropped more than $11/share. During a conference call with analysts that day, Michaels officials said the effect of using the markdown reserve in the previous quarter had no effect on the company's profits and there was no correlation with the execs exercising their stock options. Within the 24 hours after the suit was filed, three other law firms issued press releases -- in effect trolling for individuals to join the suit. In order to become a part of the suit, a person must have purchased Michaels stock between Aug. 8, 2002 and Nov. 7, 2002. To read the entire complaint, visit www.scott-scott.com and click on "click here to view complaint." You'll need Acrobat software to read it. Here's a 2002-3 timeline: Aug. 28: Michaels announces its second quarter results, showing a 359% increase in net income. Sept. 3 - Oct. 21: Officials exercised stock options worth $15,319,716. Sept. 17: In its 10-Q report to the SEC, Michaels first reports the use of the $14.8 million markdown reserve in its second quarter. Nov. 7: Michaels reports lower than expected third-quarter earnings; lowers its earnings estimate for the year; claims the use of the markdown reserve did not effect the previous quarter's earnings; and denies any correlation with the exercising of stock options. Feb. 5: Lawyers for the plaintiff announce the filing of the suit. Feb. 6: Michaels announces sales for January, the fourth quarter, and the fiscal year. The stock price drops dramatically.
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COMMENTS ON THE MICHAELS LAWSUIT1. Stock options are a classic tool used by boards of directors to motivate top execs to improve the price of a company's shares. For example, an official is given an option to buy 1,000 shares at today's price of $10. The deadline for exercising that option is one year. If the price rises to $15 within a year, the exec can buy the shares at $10 and immediately sell them for $15.2. It's interesting that the suit was filed the day before Michaels announced its January, fourth quarter, and fiscal year sales (see article, below). 3. This clearly looks like it will be a case of dueling accountants. Did not mentioning the use of the reserve assets on the second quarter statement give a false impression to potential stock purchasers? I have no idea. 4. Some of the charges do seem false to me. For example, the suit claims the company was being deceptive in claiming that technological improvements were in part responsible for Michaels' strong market position. Excuse me? Does anyone remember the technological mess Michaels was in before Michael Rouleau became CEO? 5. Has Michaels stock dropped because of the lawsuit or the disappointing January results (see below)? Probably a combination of both.
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NEW STUDY: YARN USAGE & SALES UPA new study commissioned by the Craft Yarn Council of America reveals consumers in 2002 spent more money on more projects than ever before. The average yarn purchaser created 15.4 projects, a 40% increase in two years.The two most popular projects were afghans (55% of yarn customers) and baby blankets (47%). The yarn for the afghan projects averaged $30.50, up from $26.10 in 2000, while the cost of making a baby blanket rose 70 cents to $17.80. CYCA's public relations efforts are paying off. 52% of a sampling of all consumers agreed "It's cool" to knit or crochet -- up from 44% in 2000. The main reason why knitters and crocheters do their thing is for relaxation/stress relief. Data for retailers: When deciding where to buy yarn, 79% of respondents cited "Enough skeins in stock" and "Wide variety of colors"; "Convenient location" (76%) and "Organized yarn department" (70%) also scored high ... Far and away the biggest frustration cited by respondents was "Poor color selection" ... 33% expressed an interest in taking knit and/or crochet classes, up 26%. More than half of those showed an interest in an intermediate class ... Yarn consumers make 2.8 visits to a store for every project ... 66% "strongly agreed" or "agreed somewhat" that they bought other products, too, when they shopped for yarn.
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JANUARY SALES: SO-SOMix together fear of war, a lousy economy, high consumer debt, and a few winter storms and you have a month most retailers would like to forget.One exception was Hancock, whose same-store sales rose 8.4% -- the best we've seen of any retailer. For the year, total sales rose 6.3% to $438.0 million and same-store sales increased 8.3%. Fourth quarter sales were up 4.6% to $128.3 million although the previous year had an extra week in the quarter. Same-store sales increased 11.9%. Hancock will release its fourth quarter and fiscal year earnings report Feb. 25. Jo-Ann's net sales increased 1.1% to $112.9 million and same-store sales rose 2.7%. For the quarter to date, net sales are up 5.5% and same-store sales have increased 6.9%. Michaels reported January sales rose 5% to $195.2 million, but same-store sales dropped 3%. For the quarter, sales rose 7% and same-store sales were flat. For the year, sales rose 13% to a record $2.856 billion and same-store sales increased 4%. Officials blamed the disappointing January results to "unseasonably cold weather that struck many portions of the U.S., as well as a less effective mid-month promotion." (Comment: A number of vendors believe another cause of the sales drop is the stores' empty peg hooks, due to the company's ordering freeze that began in early November and has only recently been lifted.) Other news during a conference call with Michaels officials and stock analysts: Custom framing, kids crafts, spring seasonal goods, and ribbon were strong sellers in January ... Clearance sales of seasonal goods went according to plan ... Earnings/share will increase about 20% this year and same-store sales will increase "in the mid single digits" ... Michaels will open 57 stores, relocate about 20, and close 3-4, and will open 12 Aaron Bros. stores ... "We will not deviate from our long-term plan," said CEO Michael Rouleau. The heart of the plan is inventory management -- the company's perpetual inventory and automatic replenishment programs ... There was no mention or question about the lawsuit. Michaels will report its fiscal-year earnings on March 12, and officials now estimate the earnings/share will be $2.05-$2.10, widening the range below the company's previous forecast. Analysts had estimated earnings would be $2.11, according to Thomson First Call and reported by CBS MarketWatch. Still, the $2.05-$2.10 would be an increase of 26-30% over the previous year and the 6th consecutive year of earnings growth. Duckwall-ALCO's same-store sales rose +3.5%, but there were two ad circulars in January -- only one last year. Execs estimated the added circular boosted same-store sales for the ALCO division by 6.3%. Management cited "fabrics/crafts" as a strong category. A sampling of other retailers: Wal-Mart, +2.3% ... Costco, +5.0% ... Target, -0.4% ... Family Dollar Stores, +4.7% ... Dollar General, +3.8% ... J.C. Penney, -3.8% ... Sears, -8.0%.
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TREND REPORT: HOW TRENDS ARE SPREADIn his book, The Tipping Point, and in his keynote address at the HIA show last month, Malcolm Gladwell compared the spread of a trend to an epidemic. Yes, trends spread like the flu. Only a few people are needed to spread them, like a ten-year-old spreading germs to his classmates.Gladwell's fascinating presentation appeared to be applicable to us. For those vendors and buyers who want to see their new products have a chance at becoming a trend, consider: The keys to a product becoming a trend are two types of people, Connectors and Mavens. A Connector knows a wider variety of people than most of us. If Connectors start talking about a product.... Industry examples include sales reps who visit a variety of stores and distributors and book publishers. Trade and consumer magazine/newsletter editors, too. If a potential customer starts hearing and reading about product X, he'll be more inclined to try it. Mavens are considered experts in their fields, so if they recommend a product.... Gladwell used the example of shopping for a computer. Haven't we all taken the advice of a friend who seems to know much more about these infernal machines than we do? The same process is true in our industry. Key retailers are Mavens. Mike Dupey, founder of Michaels and later MJDesigns, was one. The quickest way to get a craft retailer to consider a product was to say Dupey had ordered it. Bob Ferguson, who operates a Ben Franklin store in Redmond, WA is one. Book publishers are another group -- they wouldn't still be in business if they weren't good trend spotters. There are Mavens within each product category. If Priscilla Hauser or Sue Scheewe discovered a new paint brush and started talking about it, or Dee Gruenig raved about a new product, decorative painters and stampers are much more likely to consider it. For example, DecoArt was able to carve out a very large niche in the acrylic painting field by giving away hundreds (thousands?) of bottles of paint to the Mavens of decorative painting -- the teachers. That's why independent retailers, not chains, spread trends. They know who are the Connectors and Mavens among their customers. For more on Gladwell's theories, visit www.gladwell.com and read the book! Audiotapes of Gladwell, former Wal-Mart COO Don Soderquest, and those of other key speakers are for sale. Call Laura Perez Herrera at 201-794-1133 or email lherrera@hobby.org.
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HIA WRAPUPBuyer attendance was up 19% to 9,960; the 1,524 international buyers comprised 15% of all buyers. There were 1,160 exhibitors in 3,017 booths, exceeding last year's figures by 6% and 5%, respectively. There were 276 new exhibitors, a record. The workshop program sold out 72% of 129 classes. Overall attendance was almost 19,000 from 63 countries.
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HIA PRODUCTS, PT. II(Note: We reported on many of the scrapbook products in our previous issue. Click on the CLN Archives button to access it. You'll find more product information, photos, and links for even more information by clicking on the New Products button.)In our last issue, we concentrated on reporting on scrapbook products. Here are more, plus non-scrapbook products we learned about from materials in the press room. Provo Craft and Greensward unveiled Makin's Clay which dries with normal exposure to air and sets hard in 24 hours or slightly longer, depending on the thickness ... Tsukineko's VersaFine stamp pads with oil-based pigment ink which dries in seconds ... Dritz (Omnigrid)'s new cutting program complements its rulers and cutting mats ... Hot Off The Press has books on all sorts of paper crafting in its Artsy College program, plus basic scrapbooking, papers, beading, and basic crafts -- and a CD of video scrapbooking classes ... New books on jewelry, clay, beads, etc., including more on altered books from Design Orignals ... Krylon's Preserve It! more than doubles the life of digital photos ... Clays, surfaces and tools from Art Clay World. Magnifique spray finishes from Plasti-kote ... New totes from ArtBin ... Turning real flowers into keepsake paintings from Living Colors... Fleece, fusible fleece, quilted muslin and more from The Warm Co. ... Lighting products from Verilux ... Wood and tin miniatures from Judy's Stone House Designs. Paint-by-number wall murals from Wallnutz ... Soapmaking supplies for kids from Mouldings; candle-, cake and plaster and paint kits, too ... Painting books from Search Press ... A new art instructor program from Walter Foster ... Beaded bracelet kits and tin ornaments for stitching from Creative Vision ... N0-sew window toppers from K.I.S.S ... Beaded banner and beadcraft kits, Bucket-o-Beads, mosaic kits, card kits, and novelty shape compartment boxes from The Beadery. A Brush-On Chalkboard Paint from Rust-Oleum ... Super strong Hold Everything magnets from The Magnet Source ... Spray-on Tulip fabric paints, tie-dye kits, Aleene's Reposition-It glue, Chunky Layers foam stamps, Clear By Design transparent rubber stamps, and glitter rub-on transfers from Duncan. Eleven new colors in three styles of WoolFelt from National Nonwovens ... Glass candle containers and a wide variety of glass produts from Syndicate Sales ... A multitude of laser-cut stencils from Dressler Stencil ... The BeJeweler rhinestore setter from Creative Crystal. Tie-dye kit from Rit ... New materials, sizes, and colors of bead stringing wire from Beadalon ... Lamps off all sizes from Ott-Lite ... Beadle beads and charms and My-Ties (beaded ribbon) from Craft Pedlars (The Craft-TPedlars) ... Cookiecrafting kit from Acorn Meadow Designs ... A Clear Medium as part of the Kato Polyclay line of modeling clay from Van Aken ... Embossing and aging products for memory and craft projects from Craft Diva ... White Rose and Cream Rose cotten needled batting from Mountain Mist/Stearns ... Simply Spray's permanent aerosol fabric spray ... Soapmaking supplies for kids and adults from Life of the Party ... The Donna Dewberry Kitchen & Bath Collection from Brewster Wallcovering ... Crochet patterns and kits from Nancy Queen Designs ... Oils for candy, soap, and candle making from LorAnn Oils ... Paper-thin wood veneer products from Lenderink. Sewing patterns for teens and preteens by ExpressSew ... Crystal Accents, from JRM Chemical, mixed with water become colorful crystals and TreeMoist prolongs the life of a Christmas tree. ... Craft and workplace organizers from Twinray ... New Sesame Street latch-hook kits and Easy Stich kits -- a new needlework craft using a basic needlepoint sitch but on a much larger weave canvas -- from Caron ... Pre-packed hot-fix (pre-glued) Swarovski crystals, pearls, nailheads, rhinestuds and a new applicator tool for hot-fixing from Kandi Corp ... Gemstone beads, a variety of bead programs, and Scrapables, a compliation of trims and appliques for scrapbooking, from Expo International. Wilton added Sprongebob Squarepants, Dora the Explorer, Suzy's Zoo, and Disney Princesses to its licensing collection and a line of candymaking kits ... The Applique Station with pre-threaded, disosable cartirdges from Brother ... Marshall's Arts & Crafts unveiled a more affordable line of photo tinting oils used to handtint black and white photos, and new colored pencils. A new line of Scratchboard kits and booklets from Ampersand Art Supply ... Bernat offered Hot Sox, a 60% acrylic, 40% yarn, plus new latch hook and afghan kits and new shades in various Bernat yarns ... Papermaking kits and supplies from Arnold Grummer ... Books with quilting, fabric folding, and wool felt projects will be available this spring from C&T Publishing.
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INDUSTRY CHARITY EFFORTS ABOUND1. Hancock's second annual Quilt of Dreams promotion to benefit St. Jude Children's Research Hospital will run May 15-July 31. It works like this: Inspired by artwork created by kids at the hospital, Hancock has designed 20 new one-of-a-kind fabric patterns and will make a donation to the hospital from the sale of each yard of fabric.Upon purchasing the fabric, customers will be encouraged to create a lap quilt and will receive a packet of information about the Quilt of Dreams program. The packet includes a list of dreams written by St. Jude kids. When the promotion ends, the quilts will be judged at local Hancock stores, and the regional winners displayed at a quilt show in Tupelo, MS. Quilts will also be accepted by the stores for donation only. Ultimately all quilts will be given to St. Jude patients, or used for hospital fundraising efforts. Hancock customers can also pay $1 to have their name displayed on a pin-up in their local store, or buy a $5, limited-edition quilter's pin, with 90% of the price going to the hospital. Last year, 750+ quilts and $502,000+ were donated. Hancock itself has donated $1+ million to St. Jude since 1996. For more info on St. Jude, visit www.stjude.org. 2. Susan Treglown of Susan Treglown Designs is leading an effort to collect "self-contained" projects and kits for U.S. armed forces in the Middle East. "Unable to leave the bases in these hostile areas," Susan says, "thousands of our young people desperately need something to do to fill their spare time, lift their spirits, and let them know we care." Susan is looking for needlecraft kits of all kinds; each kit should include everything needed for the project because there is no place to buy missing components. She's also happy to accept puzzles, paperback books, and games. Mail donations to 60 W. Taxco Ct., Simi Valley, CA 93065. Any questions, call 805-527-0616 or email gtreglown@earthlink.net. The projects will be forwarded to a central location where they will be distributed by the recreation and morale officers for the troops. (Comment: This is not the first time needlework has comforted soldiers. In World War I, soldiers were sent needles and yarn to relieve stress in the trenches.) 3. Heavenly Scrapbooks, a retail store in Ft. Worth, is sponsoring Scrap for the Kids on Feb. 22, with all proceeds going to the local Ronald McDonald House. 4. Visit the Children's Art Project at www.childrensartproject.org to see a multitude of products produced by kids who are cancer patients at the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center at the University of Texas. In the last 29 years the Project has raised $29+ million for cancer programs. Products include greeting cards, apparel, jewelry, scarves/ties, stationery, note pads/magnets, books, and ornaments -- many of which are available for retailers to carry. (Note: Know of other industry-related charity efforts? Call Mike Hartnett at 309-925-5593 or email the info to mike@clnonline.com.)
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CLN'S ONLINE PRODUCT PREVIEWTo see photos and product info of HIA products other than scrapbooking, click HERE. You'll see product lines from Janlynn, Mageyes, McCall Pattern, DMC, Walnut Hollow, Adhesive Tech, Dimensions, Mountain Mist, Design Master Color Tool, Plaid, Milestones, Wrights, Bond America, ColArt Americas, Blumenthal Lansing, and Candlewic -- plus products from Joy SA, GridArt, and Wild Pony Baskets.
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RANDOM NOTES, RANDOM THOUGHTSWell, crafts really are everywhere. Gail Czech of The Creative Network saw a report on the Portland tv station about a bar called Nocturnal that caters to a 20's-30's, punk-rock crowd. Every Wednesday night is, yes, "craft night.""People bring their own supplies," Gail says, "and the place also has large bins of craft supplies people can use. Lots of people bring their own sewing machines in, and their own craft projects. People knit there, too. Punkers bring in old sweatshirts and make new art out of them, etc. It's very popular and gets very crowded." To see for yourself, visit www.nocturnalpdx.com/events.html. I've encouraged Gail to dye her hair purple and pierce her nose so she can go in the bar as my undercover reporter, but so far she's resisting.
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MISCELLANEOUS NEWSHOBBY LOBBY. A reliable source told CLN that the retailer's 2002 same-store sales were up 8%. Hobby Lobby is privately held and therefore does not have to reveal its sales and earnings. If the 8% figure is accurate, it would be better than any other industry-related chain.HIA. The board announced that Andrew Carter (AMACO) will chair this year's nominating committee, which will meet in September to select five candidates to serve three-year Board terms. The board also elected Richard Brown (Spinrite) and Jane Marski (Hannah's Home Accents) to serve on the committee. HIA members had elected Karen Ancona (CNA), Bill Gardner (Craftrends), and Robert Workman (Provo Craft) to serve on the committee. NEEDLEWORK. The International Needleart Retailers Guild is moving next year's show to Louisville. The 2003 show remains in Charlotte July 11-13 ... An INRG committee is meeting with a group of members of The National Needlework Assn. to discuss a joint show. (Comment: I never have understood why we needed two groups for needlework.) JOB OPENINGS. FloraCraft, a major supplier to the craft and floral industries, has several key openings as a result of business expansion. Looking for experienced management staff in key account sales and marketing services. The positions are based in FloraCraft's headquarters in Michigan. Email resumes to President Jim Scatena at jscatena@floracraft.com. LEASES. Jo-Ann's acquired three store leases in the Dallas/Fort Worth area from MJDesigns as part of MJD's bankruptcy liquidation. Jo-Ann's will take possession in late April or early May and convert them to its Jo-Ann etc format. The company also plans to open another two etc stores in the Dallas area, and 18 others nationwide, in the next year. Many MJD employees will be retained to work in the Dallas stores. WAL-MART. Opened a special office designed to make it easier to get U.S.-manufactured products into its stores overseas, the Associated Press reported. The GP USA Export office is a branch of Wal-Mart Global Procurement, formed last year. MEMORY TV. Cutters Productions has released a new Memories and Scrapbooking For Your Home pledge special for PBS. It will be making its premiere this March in selected markets and then nationwide in June. It's scheduled for North Carolina, UNC-TV statewide, March 1, 11:30-1:30pm ... Atlanta, WPBA, March 2, 12:00-1:30pm ... Dallas, KERA, 11:30-1:00pm ... Iowa, IPTV, statewide, Sat., March 15, 12:30-2:30pm. Cutters also has a new pledge special for Donna Dewberry and one for Kid Concoctions. CHANGES. The HIA board eliminated the position of Exec. Director of the Foundation, so Susan Brandt will leave Mar. 31. The Foundation, HIA's charitable arm, runs the annual golf tournament before the HIA show. Current staff members will assume Brandt's duties. GOLF. This year's tournament raised $15,000 to benefit Kids in Need Resource Centers, which is operated by the School, Home, and Office Products Assn. The program provides free school supplies to impoverished students and under-funded teachers. Winners of the various golf contests were Mark Holland, Dan Olmstead, Chris Cripps, Sid Siez, George Entwisle, Al Burin, Steve O'Conner, Brad Hill, Rick Caron, Matt & Alba Rauschenbach, Tom Yaley, Jr., Chuck Drexler, Gary Lange, Mike Mankowsky, Mike Carabine, and Barbara Berwick ... Following the show, exhibitors contributed product valued in excess of $140,000 to the Kids in Need program. CORRECTION: A typo in our last issue: when reporting on latch hook products we should have said MCG Textiles -- www.mcgtextiles.com. ACCI. Companies interested in a $2,000 "Building Sponsorship" of The House That Crafts Built to be unveiled at the ACCI show should call Tracia Williams at 407-677-6929 or email traciaw@earthlink.net. As previously reported, the House will consist of four rooms, each representing a different theme and decorated entirely with craft projects. The House will be redecorated each year and sponsors will receive a host of publicity opportunities. The show is July 18-20 and held in conjunction with the Art Glass Show and the Miniature Marketfest. Call 888-360-2224 or visit www.accicrafts.org. STORES. How does your store rate on customer service? In the 5th seminar of ACCI's online series, retail expert George Whalin provides tips, guidelines, and a checklist for boosting profits with excellent customer service. Visit www.accicrafts.org/mini-seminar5.htm. PROFITS. Hallmark reported 2002 revenues rose 5.7% to $4.2 billion, in part due to revenue increases at its subsidiary, Binney & Smith. B&S's Crayola line is celebrating its 100-year anniversary. The first box sold for a nickel and contained eight colors. REPS. Yaley Ent. added a sales rep group, Weisel Associates, (215-369-1525) who will operate in PA, NY, NJ, MA, and VA. Yaley produces products for candlemaking, bath and soap crafting, and the Deep Flex line of molds, compounds, and finishes. PEOPLE. Deb Hanahan is National Account Manager/Craft Division and Tom Wierzbicki (formerly of Meredith) is Dir. of Sales for Martingale. Shelley Santa continues as Sales Manager and adds trade sale responsibilities while continuing to help manage Martingale's quilt and craft business ... Deborah Murphy is the Marketing Director for Daisy Kingdom. EUROPE. Bob Ross has licensed the European manufacturing/distribution rights for Ross products to Dr. Fr. Schoenfeld of Dusseldorf, Germany. This agreement does not affect the long-standing relationship between Bob Ross and Martin/F. Weber in the U.S.
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BUSINESS PROFILES: IMAGESImages is a consulting and marketing firm dedicated to nurturing the success of companies within the craft and creative products industries. Its founder, Dixie McDonald, is a 20-year veteran of these industries, with experience in manufacturing, publishing, and most recently, show organizations.McDonald describes her company's mission and specialty as "creating new impressions for clients through advertising, promotions, and marketing concepts." This mission is fulfilled by developing and implementing a specifically tailored plan for each client. "Although they're all in crafts or related industries, each client's needs, goals, and challenges can differ," she explains. "My initial focus is to find out what is already unique about their company, products and/or services, and exactly what it is they want to achieve." Once an objective is clear, McDonald and her team construct a plan to make it happen. Often this plan is a bit unconventional, extending beyond the typical ad or public relations campaign. "We develop unusual strategies that not only make a statement, but begin to build a company's reputation and set it apart from its competitors," she says. "In addition to the more immediate results we achieve for our clients, we give them a sort of foothold on the future." The Images team is made up of seasoned freelance people who understand this industry. Together, they provide: Complete "ad agency" services, including concept creation, copy writing, photography, graphic design, and ad placement in trade and consumer markets. Public relations work in the form of press releases, photography, article writing, and media placement. Company and product image building including branding, logo creation, packaging design, project development, and instruction writing. Communications in the form of sales literature, mass mailings, and email blasts. In business for 5 years, Images has earned a track record for developing and executing highly successful advertising, marketing, and PR campaigns. So that each client can receive individual attention, the Images staff works with a limited number of customers. Currently, the company is conducting complimentary consultation interviews with businesses interested in procuring its services. A client list is available upon request. ROLODEX. Dixie McDonald, Images, 6744 Holiday Point, Buford, GA 30518. Call 770-831-1028; cell 678-516-6600; fax 770-831-1029; email dixie@mindspring.com. Note: CLN will include one "Business Profile" in each issue. The company can be a manufacturer, retailer, service company, trade association, etc. All profiles are archived online for one year. To read profiles published in previous issues, click on the "Business Profile Archives" button. To learn how your company can be profiled, call Mike Hartnett at 309-925-5593 or email mike@clnonline.com.
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THE CREATIVE NETWORK: JOB OPENINGSTo see a sampling of the current job openings and to contact The Creative Network, click on the "Jobs" button in the left hand column.
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THE CLN RETAIL INDEX(Note: The lawsuit against Michaels and its January sales performance seemed to drag down A.C. Moore and Jo-Ann's, too.)A. C. Moore (ACMR). Last*: 11.40 ... Change**: -2.89 Hancock Fabrics (HKF). Last*: 17.16 ... Change**: +0.36 Jo-Ann Stores (JAS.A) [a]. Last*: 22.78 ... Change**: -3.40 Michaels (MIK). Last*: 23.28 ... Change**: -10.47 Rag Shops (RAGS). Last*: 3.03 ... Change**: -0.07 Wal-Mart (WMT). Last*: 49.15 ... Change**: +1.35 CLN Retail Index. Last*: 126.44 ... Change**: -10.7% Dow Jones Index. Last*: 7,908.80 ... Change**: -1.8% *Feb. 14 ** from Jan. 31 [a] voting share Prices are exclusive of dividends
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THE WORLD'S BIGGEST BEAD CONSUMEROn February 9 CBS Sunday Morning profiled artist Liza Lou who does all her artwork in beads. And we're not talking a pretty wall mounted piece or a fancy necklace here. We're talking a kitchen. Yes, a 168 sq. ft. kitchen "with every pie, every muffin, every bit of cereal were covered with beads. It took an estimated 30 million beads to complete her work."Then Lou created an entire back yard -- "528 square feet of trees, leaves, flowers, a picnic table, a lawnmower, and dozens of other details." She used a million beads just for the grass. To finish the project in her lifetime, Lou held beading parties at the Museum of Art near her home in Santa Monica, CA. Helping her with the project was actor/art collector Leonard Nimoy. "It was great fun," said Nimoy. "Scores of people sitting at long tables." Lou was a scholarship student at the San Francisco Art Institute when she first fell in love with beads; her instructors assumed she was making jewelry and denigrated her efforts. "I had become a sort of craft person, and that's not a good thing apparently," Lou told CBS. "If you're doing something with beads, then you're a craft person. If you're making paintings, you're an artist.... There were very distinct categories." Lou dropped out of school and continued beading. For her efforts, Lou recently received a "Genius Grant" from the MacArthur Foundation, and her works are being shown in modern art museums around the country. To read more, go to Google and type in Liza Lou. (No, we never were able to learn where she buys her beads!)
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