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The Future of Greeting Cards

myarn | Jun 05, 2011 | 0 comments

Americans purchase approximately 7 billion greeting cards each year, according to the Greeting Card Association. Even though this number seems high, sales have slumped in recent years because of the competitiveness of e-cards and online greetings. When faced with a do or die situation, the card companies had a choice of either changing with the times or folding. While specialty gifts and e-cards will continue to chew away at the greeting card market, the industry has a few tricks up its sleeve from Europe to America. Whether these tactics catch on and enjoy enduring success or wither away like a passing fad is yet to be seen, but these creative ideas are likely to continue catching the attention of savvy shoppers!

Audio greeting card choices have been around for decades, but they’re starting to catch on even more now. “We sold more cards with higher content-related costs, such as music, lights, and embellishments this year,” said American Greetings Chief Executive Zev Weiss. This past April, Hallmark released a line of audio greeting cards that combined the traditional greeting card with an embedded computer chip good for a 10-second message that can be listened to 220 times and can also be re-recorded. The cards also play a 15-second music clip following the message. “It’s an emotional value,” said Sarah Gronberg, Hallmark publicity manager. “We found the strongest reaction from parents. When they see this sort of thing exists, it (resonates) because if you can capture your kid’s voice when they’re little or when they’re not around you, that’s when you see the largest emotional connection.”

Of course gadgets and gizmos aren’t for everyone. Some consumers reject e-cards in favor of the stylishness that paper greeting cards have. “Because e-cards are informal, quick and fun, they’re often chosen for spur-of-the moment gestures and messages to casual friends and acquaintances,” explains the Greeting Card Association. “By comparison, traditional cards have a keepsake quality. They’re typically more personal, express a greater depth of sentiment, and are preferred for celebrating an important occasion or marking a milestone event in someone’s life.” For this crowd, the cards they prefer incorporate masterful artistry, upscale design, varying textures, embossing and a superior quality of paper. Sophistication is still a healthy niche market, card makers say. For the environmentalism crowd interested in making eco-friendly choices, Cards Direct offers cards and envelopes made from 100% recycled paper for just $1.

Do you have boxes and boxes of old greeting cards sitting around that you just can’t bear to throw out? There are many things you can do with the cards, according to www.make-stuff.com. For instance, scrap booking is a great way to remember those who have remembered you in the past. Some artists like to cover the walls of their studios with their cards for inspiration and a warm atmosphere, albeit a cluttered one. For the thrifty, a greeting card can be cut in half and turned into a postcard or used as a gift tag, particularly for Christmas presents!. For the super creative, characters and images can be carefully cut out and decoupage onto small boxes, picture frames, counters or coffee tables. You can use a heavy clear shellac to keep the montage plastered down when you’re done arranging and tacking, or you can cover with glass for an even cooler look! If you’re not feeling very inspired, then perhaps it’s just time you recycled them.