I journal every morning – been doing it since the 1990s, before “journaling” was a thing. And for the past several years, I have been using the same journal: a simple 80-page open-flat notebook with a black cover I pick up at Muji.

My friends who are in their 30s, however, have much more interesting tastes when it comes to their notebooks. They use notebooks with vibrant colors, fun printed scenes, and covers that have textures or fun things attached to them. The look and feel of their journal is just as important as the notes that are written inside them. 

So I wasn’t too surprised when I learned from my conversation with Circana’s Ben Arnold at ECRM’s School & Office Session that tactile journals and other office supplies are trending among younger generations as they seek to unplug and embrace more mindful experiences like arts and crafts – and journaling. 

It was at that Session that I met Theresa Meyers, Director of Business Development & Marketing for Pearhead, which makes some amazing tactile journals, some with design elements you can add to the covers like jibbets on Crocs, and others that have rubber letters you can use to spell words on the covers. 

What’s more, she had them artfully displayed in her Innovation Pipeline meeting space at the ECRM Session, a space that had no table and no chairs, and was designed to keep buyers fully engaged with her team and the products during their meetings (we’ll get into that more later).

So I sat with Meyers to learn more about the brand, its products, and their retail buyer meeting practices – and how they are embracing this “tactile” trend with their products. You can watch the full video interview below.

The Evolution of Pearhead: From Baby Keepsakes to Classroom Essentials

Pearhead Inc. has been an established presence in the market for quite some time, originally launching as a baby and infant products company. The brand's foundational essence was built around creating and capturing special moments, such as pressing a baby’s hand into rolled-out clay to create a lasting keepsake. However, as children grow up, their needs – and the needs of their parents – evolve.

So after succeeding in the baby category, Pearhead naturally expanded into back-to-school and pet categories. The overarching goal remained the same: making life easier for parents while continuing to celebrate and capture important life moments. To further this mission, Pearhead also established the Ubbi brand under its umbrella, which focuses heavily on functional items that streamline daily parenting tasks.

The Rise of Tactile Journals: A Focus on the Senses

A major talking point at the ECRM session – echoed by both presenters and national retail buyers – was the massive popularity of tactile and sensory products. These products provide a physical, fidget-like experience that helps users stay focused, one buyer at a national retail chain mentioned to me at the Session. Pearhead is at the forefront of this movement with its highly anticipated 2027 back-to-school collection, which features a variety of textured, customizable journals.

Currently selling well in Target stores, Pearhead’s letterboard journals (like the one in the photo above) are a perfect example of this tactile trend. These journals come in fun colors, and include 70 letters that allow users to personalize their notebook covers daily.

"It is something that a child and a student and a teenager can play with and build out their message and personalize,” says Meyers. “But it also provides a kind of moment of like, okay, I can touch this and this feels good and I'm still listening to the teacher.”

Pearhead’s focus on customization and sensory engagement doesn't stop at letterboards. The upcoming collection includes several other innovative formats:

• The Charm Journal: Releasing next year, this journal includes five different charms that users can add into the top and play around with. The front of the journal is highly customizable, allowing for a personalized sensory experience that is reminiscent of adding decorative charms to popular footwear.

• The Denim Pin Journal: This journal utilizes denim to provide a nice physical texture. Students can personalize it by poking pins into the fabric and taking them out, creating a fun, interactive experience while they take notes.

Expanding the Audience: College Students and Beyond

While these tactile journals are big hits for primary and high school students, the appeal stretches much further. As I mentioned in the intro, journaling is experiencing a cultural resurgence among older demographics, including people in their 30s who actively seek out personalized, customizable stationery.

To cater to a broad base of consumers, Pearhead’s design team, based in Brooklyn, N.Y., stays ahead of fashion and design trends, particularly for college students. To meet this varied demand, Pearhead offers diverse aesthetics, including, floral designs, rodeo-themed styles, and a fun aesthetic the team refers to as "grandma chic," which tends to lean toward an older audience.

In addition to sophisticated designs, Pearhead is unafraid to lean into quirky, internet-fueled trends, such as its Butter notebook collection. The butter notepads and composition journals have proven to be incredible sellers and are currently available in Walmart stores.

Ubbi: Functional Solutions for Parents and Pets

While Pearhead focuses on trends and stationery, its sister brand, Ubbi, is dedicated to pure functionality. A standout product is the Ubbi Plate Mate. This food-grade safe, silicone plate comes in a two-pack and is available in three cool colors. It lays flat, making it incredibly easy to stash inside a child’s lunchbox or backpack, and is completely dishwasher safe, easing the daily burden of cleanup for busy parents.

The Ubi brand and Pearhead’s wider mission also extend into the pet category, seamlessly mirroring the human lifecycle progression from baby, to school years, to pet ownership. Just as parents want to capture a baby's handprint, pet owners want to cherish their new puppy or kitten. Pearhead offers paw print ink pads and frames to capture these growing moments. On the functional side, Ubbi provides utilitarian pet toys that do not break, as well as durable pet bowls.

The Power of the Standing-Room-Only Meeting

To successfully pitch this wide array of products, Pearhead utilizes a unique strategy at ECRM Sessions. It designed its 10-by-10 foot Innovation Pipeline meeting space with pegboards to prop up products, and intentionally omitted tables and chairs.

This "standing room only" setup is strategically designed for buyer engagement. By keeping the environment casual and fast-paced, buyers are forced to put down their bags, stay completely present, and immerse themselves entirely in the Pearhead and Ubbi experience.

“It's 10 minute meetings, so it's a very quick conversation,” says Meyers. “Why sit for that? We have you walk in, you're immersed in our Pearhead and Ubbi brands when you walk into our booth, and you just kind of get to look at everything as we're talking. Instead of just sitting down and having more formal conversation, it's casual.”

Plus, with nothing to look at but the products and people, the meeting space design is conducive to 100 percent in-person engagement, which is why Meyers keeps returning to ECRM Sessions. 

"Making those connections with buyers face-to-face is so critical,” says Meyers. “Everyone can cold email. Everyone can cold call. But ECRM allows vendors to come in and make those connections that wouldn't have happened elsewhere. This is my 11th session. We go to the ECRM Baby & Infant and ECRM Pet Sessions as well. We just have a really great time meeting with people, networking, getting our products out there, seeing what fits on the market and who's interested.”

As Pearhead continues to innovate with tactile journals, quirky trends, and functional lifestyle products, the company remains dedicated to its core mission: helping people of all ages capture, customize, and celebrate life's most special moments.