Greeting cards enter the YouTube age

Drug Store News, June 23, 2008

The greeting card industry always reflects trends in pop culture and new technology, and that's the case this year as more cards utilize user-generated content to attract younger consumers to the $7.5 billion business. Such industry leaders as Hallmark and American Greetings are using the Internet to create new card lines with consumer input and adding chip technology to cards so that buyers can add their own messages.

Card makers are jumping into the YouTube age by using their Web sites to attract new ideas from customers. American Greetings' new campaign is called "Think You're Funny? Prove It!" The contest, which closed in May, encouraged consumers to visit the American Greetings Web site, view three blank cards with funny photos and write a funny caption for one.

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The company said the campaign allows people to get a better idea of the work that goes into making a greeting card, and gives them a chance to participate and see their own creations in print. American Greetings noted that simply choosing the right photo for a card is difficult, and only 1 percent of the photos considered for a card actually make it into print.

"The image is what often attracts a consumer, but the inside of the greeting card has to offer that exclamation point," said American Greetings assistant product manager Mindy Johnson. "Our editorial team creates copy that is short, sharp and at the same time, reflects the occasion that is being celebrated."

American Greetings is going to announce the winner in June, and the winning cards will arrive in stores this summer. Hallmark also is recruiting customers to help them create cards. It debuted a new line with user-generated content called the Your Pets collection on June 16.

Hallmark asked fans to submit pictures of their pets with a rifle and funny caption and received more than 7,000 entries. From those, it selected the 67 it felt were the best. Your Pets was the second contest in an ongoing competition Hallmark launched last fall.

"For years, Hallmark consumers have approached us with incredible ideas for greeting cards," said Ingerlene Embry, editorial director at Hallmark. "We want to encourage that passion."

With Your Pets wrapped up, the company has launched a new program called Your Funnyness that asks consumers to contribute humorous cards in its quest to find "the funniest card creator in the country." The winners will be featured in a card line due to arrive in stores this fall.

Hallmark is giving sound cards a new twist with its Recordable Cards with Music. The first-of-its-kind card allows the sender to record a 10 second personal message on a sound chip. That message is followed by a prechosen song clip, and both the message and music play whenever the card is opened.

The cards were introduced on Mother's Day, and a second round was released this month for Father's Day. Hallmark said it plans to release recordable cards for each holiday this year, given the success of its first wave.

"We knew we had a great product, but we were really amazed by the [sales] numbers we saw from the Mother's Day line," said Hallmark spokeswoman Sarah Gronberg-Kolell. "So we plan on having new recordable card lines for key holidays going forward."