Greeting Cards Online Dating Secret Friends Guide
Greeting Cards Are A Stylish Gift
By Julia Barnes
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 Cards Are Increasing In Popularity
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.
Making An Emotional Connection
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."
Paper Greeting Cards Are More Permanent
Of course gadgets and gizmos aren’t for everyone.
Some consumers review and 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.
Card And Envelopes From 100% Recycled 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.
Decorate Your Walls With Greeting Cards
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.
About the Author:
Julia Barnes is an author of articles on gift ideas, dating, romance and travel including
Sexy Lingerie,
Online Dating Risks,
Online Singles Websites,
Matchmaking,
Romantic Inns,
Romantic Cruises,
Romantic Getaways,
Honeymoon Trips.
Keep a lookout for more articles coming soon.
Did You Know?
Is there an important birthday coming up that you want
to find a truly unique gift for? Gift certificates are
nice but they really do lack a personal feel. The recipient
feels that you may not have put much effort into their
gift and just took the easy way out.
This year why not try sending gift baskets for all
the birthdays or presents that you need to shop for?
You can personalize the gift basket and include anything
that the other person may possibly enjoy. Go ahead and
give it a try.
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