After being in existence and family-owned for well over 200 years, Crane has been going through more changes than the company had ever seen in only the last ten years. The Berkshire-based company’s last family member left, it broke off into two separate companies and the employees bought one of them. Now, just in the last nine months after facing financial instability, they were recently acquired by Mohawk Fine Papers who will put in massive resources to help the old-fashioned company that’s been stuck in their ways to breathe new life. While Crane has spent many years as the choice in stationery for presidents and world leaders, celebrities, and luxury brands, it has been having serious trouble attracting a younger demographic for years.

In an area where weddings used to be a large part of its custom stationery business, this is a concern for the future of the company. Bart Robinson, chief revenue officer at Crane expressed frustration about Crane’s current standing, “We really think there’s a great opportunity to expand. We have a rich history, but we’ve been doing the same thing for a long, long time, and we’ve been put in a box.” Chief product officer, Paul Thorogood echoed a similar statement, “In 1801, it was a disrupter … why can’t we go back to that? Why can’t we shake off the chains that we’ve put around ourselves?” Although Crane has an incredibly strong product, its disruption should come in the form of a strong luxury marketing strategy in a place where it can no longer rest on its laurels.

Contents:

1. Crane’s Early All-American History
   1. Early Innovation
   2. Entrance into Fine Stationery
   3. Currency Grows as Stationery Declines
   4. The Last Ten Years: Separations, Acquitions and Buyouts
2. Brand Strategy
   1. Product Assortment
   2. Print and Production Procceses
   3. Pricing, Boxed and Custom Orders
   4. Communications & Advertising
3. Competitive Environment
   1. Perception
4. My Recommendations
   1. Selling Timelessness
   2. Heritage and Sustainability
   3. Digital Marketing Strategy
   4. Strategic Sales and Social Groups
   5. Predictions