Greeting Card Industry Increases Channel Options
Despite our increasing tendency to live life and connect with friends and family online, the traditional greeting card industry remains strong.
Consumers purchase over $7 billion worth of greeting cards annually. According to the Greeting Card Association, consumers who purchase greeting cards:
- Have the following median age: 47
- Make the following number of card-buying trips annually: 10
- Purchase the following number of cards annually: 30
While the industry is dominated by American Greetings and Hallmark, about 3,000 companies operate in this industry. The most recent trends include traditional cards that contain audio and visual special effects and m-cards – e-cards that can be delivered to mobile devices. The Greeting Card Association also notes that consumers tend to buy traditional cards for special occasions or events, but also like to purchase e-cards and m-cards on the spur-of-the-moment.
As the online segment of this industry grows, greeting card companies are using a variety of techniques including online design competitions to expand their audience and sales. Has your agency explored new ways to help greeting card publishers increase sales?
[Sources: Greeting Card Association, accessed May 2009; 10-K Report, American Greetings, 2008; Hallmark release]
FOLLOW US