Christmas Cards

E-Cards & Paper Cards

• Industry-wide, 2.1 billion Christmas cards will be sent this year.
• Hallmark views e-cards as a complement to traditional paper card sending. People of all ages have adapted technology and embraced its ease of use for communicating with people. In many cases, email helps people expand their circle of friends.
• Annual e-card volume industry-wide is, by Hallmark's estimates, less than 300 million – a fraction of the more than 6 billion paper cards exchanged each year.
• Through ongoing research, consumers tell Hallmark that, while technology helps them manage their lives, it doesn't help them manage their relationships. People report using email primarily for business-type communication (making plans, sending a quick update, keeping in touch), rather than for more personal communication. When it comes to letting others know how much they care, people still want to share a tangible expression of emotion, and that's when they turn to greeting cards. Email and e-cards just can't replace the greeting card, which people can display, read over and over again, and save for years to come.
• Hallmark research shows more than 20 traditional cards are purchased for every e-card sent. While there has been some trade-off primarily related to last-minute forgetfulness, electronic communication also has increased the circle of people consumers keep in touch with, which expands the potential for traditional card sales.

2008 Product News

In addition to Cards With Sound that play Christmas songs and audio clips from holiday movies and TV shows, Hallmark introduces several new greeting card innovations this Christmas season:

• Recordable Cards With Music enable the sender to record a 10-second message that plays before a pre-recorded song.
• Cards With Sound Photo Holders and Recordable Cards With Sound Photo Holders provide a place to insert a 4-by-6-inch photo on the front of the card and play a song or a message and song.
• Big Time Sound cards measure 11-by-11 inches and pack powerful sound quality. Four of the cards are recordable.
• The sweetness of the season gets a new interpretation with Candy Greeting Cards that contain actual candy, such as reindeer corn or cinnamon jelly beans.
• Cards With Motion provide a unique option for Christmas. Spin-a-majigs™ cards spring into motion with the turn of a crank on the front of the card. Lenticular cards play a fully animated two-second scene when you tip the card from side to side. Some of these cards also include lights and/or sound.
• For the season of light, Hallmark offers cards that twinkle, glow and glimmer – sometimes in time to music.

Hallmark also has other significant greeting card news during the Christmas season

• 13 holiday boxed card designs are specially designed to have less impact on the environment while delivering warm holiday messages. These boxed cards are printed on recycled or alternative papers, use fewer materials in packaging, and are recyclable.
• The company has eliminated packaging components and reduced packaging size for all boxed cards resulting in a reduction in the total amount of raw materials used by about 20 to 25 percent. Boxes also can be recycled. In addition to packaging changes.
• The entire Shoebox holiday boxed card line uses recycled paper.
• Many Hallmark gift-card holder greeting cards feature designs that reflect the types of gifts, stores and services associated with the most popular gift cards – such as dining, theater, or music – as well as many hot properties like Peanuts® and Shrek.
• More than a dozen photo-holder boxed card designs in a variety of styles accommodate a range of photo sizes and enable families to share holiday photos.
• Hot licensed properties such as Thomas Kinkade, Peanuts®, Disney Princesses, Hannah Montana, Thomas the Tank Engine, Jonas Brothers, High School Musical, and Barbie™ are featured throughout the line.
• Hallmark offers a card for just about every sending need, from active military personnel to the doctor, postal carrier, school bus driver or hairdresser. Hallmark Gold Crown stores provide the largest selection of “niche-caption” cards with nearly 250 niche cards this season; 67 of the captions are new such as “daughter and son-in-law expecting,” “mom and significant other,” “Bible study friend” and “illness encouragement.”

Hallmark meets the needs of ethnic consumers:

• Mahogany offers more than 100 individual Christmas cards, plus 15 boxed cards designed for African-American consumers. The line includes traditional, religious and humorous designs, Cards With Sound, and money holders that are gift-card compatible.
• Hallmark Sinceramente offers more than 300 individual Christmas cards, plus 15 boxed cards for Hispanic consumers. The cards include Spanish editorial with English translations on back, bilingual messages, money/gift-card holders and cards that feature sound or lights.

Hallmark cards do their part during the season of giving:

• Hallmark’s partnership with UNICEF continues this year with individual and boxed card designs. Hallmark pays a portion of the net wholesale sales of the cards to the U.S. Fund for UNICEF.
• Hallmark (PRODUCT) RED™ selection includes individual and boxed card designs. Hallmark pays a portion of the net wholesale sales of the cards to the Global Fund to help fight AIDS in Africa.

Hallmark.com also offers a selection of unique Christmas greeting cards:

• The Holiday Card Center on Hallmark.com offers the opportunity to create personalized photo cards online by uploading favorite photos and creating a personal message. More than 250 designs will be available by Oct. 1.
• Consumers competing in the YourHoliday greeting card design competition have a showcase on www.Hallmark.com/you. The top 20 designs will be printed and sold online Nov. 10-Dec. 22. Consumers also may cast votes for their favorite design by visiting Hallmark.com/you Oct. 13-Dec. 22. The grand prize winner will be announced Jan. 5.

Holiday History

Englishman Henry Cole conceived the idea of Christmas cards in 1843. Too busy to write a personal holiday greeting, Cole hired well-known London artist, John Calcott Horsley, to design a card he could send to all his acquaintances.

Louis Prang, a German immigrant, is credited with bringing the idea of Christmas cards to America. In 1875 he printed a card that showed Killarney roses and the words “Merry Christmas.”

In Stores

Available at Hallmark Gold Crown® stores nationwide. Use the store locator on Hallmark.com to find the nearest Hallmark Gold Crown store.