Tuesday, March 29, 2011

Traditional Greeting Cards vs. Electronic Greetings

Checking the mail is not any fun when all you see is junk mail, credit card applications, catalogs and bills!  Every now and then you may be interested in a piece of junk mail or the occasional coupon but typically it all goes in the shredder never to be seen again.  Mail is a necessary evil.  We will never stop receiving it.  You can complete an opt out form, you can sign up for e-bills, you can call creditors and tell them to stop sending you credit card applications but it will continue to be delivered. 

Why not brighten someone’s day by sending a greeting card?  Personally I love going through the mail to look for coupons and grocery ads…but nothing makes me more happy then seeing a hand addressed envelope!   

Traditional Greeting cards are tangible.  They show the recipient that you took time to choose a card, personalize it, address it and put it in the outgoing mail box.  E-Cards come in an array of colors, themes, can be animated and play music, and are sent within minutes with little to no time spent.  E-Cards are immediate but tend to be more casual and their place in the professional world can be questionable.  You might find greeting cards proudly displayed on the mantle above the fireplace but the chances of someone printing out their E-Card to display is slim.

To me it’s personal preference.  Whether you send a traditional greeting or an E-Card it’s the thought that counts.  Being a greeting card maker of course I’ll tell you that the traditional card outweighs the electronic version.  I have to say that when I am the recipient of a tangible greeting card nothing means more.

I pledge to keep on designing, personalizing, hand addressing, and stamping traditional greeting cards to send to my family and friends.  It’s a great feeling to hear the gratitude in their voice after opening the card.  So much better than getting a reply message in my email saying thank you.