This is the time of the year that I receive a lot of greeting cards- fathers day, birthday, get well ...They are all beautiful with wonderful quotations in graceful printforms and of course a delight to read. But all of them seem to be missing something- emotion, passion, personal connection- something.
Retail greeting cards ha become a $7.5 billion business and there are more than 3,000 greeting-card publishers in the U.S., with the two largest companies — Hallmark and American Greetings — holding 82 percent of the market share. Christmas leads the list in terms of card popularity with nearly 1.5 billion expected to be sold industrywide, according to Hallmark Cards. That is followed by Valentine's Day with 144 million cards, Mother's Day with 133 million and Father's Day with 94 million.
In the last few years, the greeting card industry has seen a rapid growth but is now facing challenges from even newer forms of technology - the e- cards! Experts attribute the recent decline in card sales to increasing competition from e-cards and custom card services, as well as more modern, and time-efficient, ways of communication. But 20 paper cards are still sent for every e card. It seems that electronic communication is better for sharing information but greeting cards are better for sharing emotion.
Papa told me you weren't feeling well, so I decided to write to you. It was very difficult because Papa won't let me play with his toys! He has a nice white one (which I'm using now), and a black shiny toy which he makes me talk to everyday. But he won't share (maybe you can have a "word" with him, whatever that is.)
But I managed to get to his white toy! I always do! It's so fun to hit these little clicky things.
Anyway, Papa said you hurt yourself and were feeling bad. I know how you feel - only today my Nana let me slip and hit my head on the table. I cried because it hurt, but Mama and Papa took so good care of me and showed me so much love I was laughing before long. I think you should do the same - Bhua and Dadi must be taking very good care of you so you should feel good soon! They all love you very much. And I do too! I can't wait till October!
Besides, you must be better when I come visit in October! Then maybe Mama and Papa will let me run around so we can play!
Okay, Papa will not be happy I used his toy so I will go now. I'm sorry I can't write more but I'm only 8 months old! If Papa had his way, I would be writing something called "War and Peace" (I don't know what that is - is that a tasty treat?).
Love,
Nik"
Retail greeting cards ha become a $7.5 billion business and there are more than 3,000 greeting-card publishers in the U.S., with the two largest companies — Hallmark and American Greetings — holding 82 percent of the market share. Christmas leads the list in terms of card popularity with nearly 1.5 billion expected to be sold industrywide, according to Hallmark Cards. That is followed by Valentine's Day with 144 million cards, Mother's Day with 133 million and Father's Day with 94 million.
In the last few years, the greeting card industry has seen a rapid growth but is now facing challenges from even newer forms of technology - the e- cards! Experts attribute the recent decline in card sales to increasing competition from e-cards and custom card services, as well as more modern, and time-efficient, ways of communication. But 20 paper cards are still sent for every e card. It seems that electronic communication is better for sharing information but greeting cards are better for sharing emotion.
I must confess that I still love the paper cards that annually descend on our household although I search the cards for the informal comments scrawled on by my correspondents rather than the elegantly words carved in by Hallmark. I still remember the days when we had no cards but sent our greetings in letters written in our own hands.
So we have moved from handwritten notes to greeting card to e-cards! Not a change I welcome but then I received a e-letter from my grandson which combined the immediacy of technology with the emotion of a handwritten note!
So we have moved from handwritten notes to greeting card to e-cards! Not a change I welcome but then I received a e-letter from my grandson which combined the immediacy of technology with the emotion of a handwritten note!
" Dear Dada;
Papa told me you weren't feeling well, so I decided to write to you. It was very difficult because Papa won't let me play with his toys! He has a nice white one (which I'm using now), and a black shiny toy which he makes me talk to everyday. But he won't share (maybe you can have a "word" with him, whatever that is.)
But I managed to get to his white toy! I always do! It's so fun to hit these little clicky things.
Anyway, Papa said you hurt yourself and were feeling bad. I know how you feel - only today my Nana let me slip and hit my head on the table. I cried because it hurt, but Mama and Papa took so good care of me and showed me so much love I was laughing before long. I think you should do the same - Bhua and Dadi must be taking very good care of you so you should feel good soon! They all love you very much. And I do too! I can't wait till October!
Besides, you must be better when I come visit in October! Then maybe Mama and Papa will let me run around so we can play!
Okay, Papa will not be happy I used his toy so I will go now. I'm sorry I can't write more but I'm only 8 months old! If Papa had his way, I would be writing something called "War and Peace" (I don't know what that is - is that a tasty treat?).
Love,
Nik"
Ah well, greeting cards are about the only product where you do not even look at the price until you hit the cash counter. Wonderful swizz! Outsourcing of emotions is about it.....or maybe it is easier than personally exposing one's soft side - that's Hallmark being soppy, not me!
ReplyDelete