Fan the Flame: Keap’s Sustainable Saddle Stitch Booklets
These days, amidst a constant barrage of noise and chaos, how do you reconnect with yourself and the natural world around you? For the creators of Keap, the answer was simple: candles. But not just any candles – premium candles that are better for the environment. See how they light a fire under their sales with Saddle Stitch Booklets and pour sustainability into each jar.
Votive Motive
Born out of the idea that if people just lit a candle at the end of each day, the unwinding and reconnecting would happen organically, Keap prides itself on creating a product with a purpose.
Keap is a Certified B Corporation, which means it meets the highest standards of social and environmental impact. Based in Kingston, NY, Keap’s candles “are made with regenerative materials and a vision of zero-waste, all while prioritizing connection to our customers and the planet,” said co-owner Stephen Tracy.
As an eco-friendly online printing shop ourselves, we know the value of doing business in the socially responsible way Tracy describes. For Keap, that means using 100% plastic-free packaging, innovative non-adhesive labels so candle jars are easily reusable, a direct-to-consumer subscription service and much more.
For Tracy, it’s a business model that burns bright. “I love that we get to produce something as emotionally resonant as scented candles, which has led to amazing, long-term relationships with our customers (Keapers!)” he said. “In turn, we’re able to have conversations about complex topics with deep meaning, like how companies can create net benefit for the planet and how a small candle company can absolutely do this, too.”
Hint: Tracy sheds more light on Keap’s print plan in a Q&A below!
“We wanted to create something that would last beyond an initial moment of interaction.”
SADDLE STITCH BOOKLETS: Uncoated 100% Recycled Text Throughout, 4.75 x 4.75″
Green Zine
For a company that prides itself on a sustainable approach to just about everything, it may seem off-brand that Keap prints a custom magazine that accompanies their monthly subscription box. But not when they print it with the green printing prowess of Smartpress.
Featuring limited edition seasonal art and stories, these zines are like marketing booklets and product inserts rolled into one.
“We want to create something of real value that will meaningfully improve the candle experience for our customers,” said Tracy. “And ultimately to create a deeper connection between them, us and the natural world.”
Designed with our premium Saddle Stitch Booklets, Tracy’s print strategy includes custom options like recycled paper stocks for the covers and interior pages, plus the online printing service called Versions.
Versions is so convenient for marketing collateral like Keap’s zines because it allows Tracy to change the content and designs for each month, while retaining the same size, stock and finish. It creates consistency for customers and saves time for creators.
Perfect for all kinds of manuals, annual reports, product catalogs, event programs and lookbooks, our saddle stitch printing is a versatile option that benefits any business. They’re sure to make a slow burn of sales catch fire.
Hint: Ready to do your own custom book printing? Explore your stock options: How to Choose the Right Paper Stock for Your Booklet.
Q&A
Before you start designing and printing your own booklets, hear how Tracy chose the saddle stitch binding and why the right print partner makes all the difference.
What’s your purpose for creating custom booklets? Why did you choose our saddle stitch format for online printing?
Stephen Tracy: “When we think about digital forms of communication, it can feel like everything is here today, gone tomorrow. We wanted to create something that would last beyond an initial moment of interaction.
“A saddle stitched booklet felt appropriate as we could imagine it belonging on the coffee table or entrance table for our customers. It just made sense for the fact we wanted to create a zine-like experience with many pages of content. We could picture these booklets having a lasting impact in their lives across many days or weeks.”
You provide a shoutout to Smartpress in your booklets – thank you! Why did you decide to include this information in your content?
“We really believe it’s critical to understand the stories behind the products you buy if we’re to move to more thoughtful modes of production and consumption. By sharing more about the producers we work with, we hope to spark deeper conversations about what we can and should expect from all the companies we buy from.”
How have your saddle stitched books helped you achieve your strategic goals?
“Our community has loved them. As one of our customers said, ‘It’s a nice, bite-size break. It’s analog and beautiful.’”
“Print, when done well, has the ability to create a deeper connection than almost anything that can be delivered through a screen.”
What impressed you most about the final product?
“The quality of the print and finish just makes the booklet seem like a product in and of itself. They have a really great look and feel that we loved.”
Why is it important for you to partner with a socially responsible online printer like Smartpress?
“Given our stance on waste, we knew our community would be curious about our choice to print extra pages of paper, even if they enjoyed the result. As such, finding a carbon-neutral printer who could also offer recycled paper stocks and deeper values-alignment was a primary goal in this project.”
Pro Tip: Smartpress has been carbon neutral (for Scopes 1 and 2) since 2020.
How has print marketing proven to be integral to your business? Why is print still a viable medium in today’s digital age?
“With more and more of our lives being mediated through screens, our belief is that people will put higher values on the remaining, thoughtful experiences delivered to them in print. Print, when done well, has the ability to create a deeper connection than almost anything that can be delivered through a screen.”
