What makes the greeting card resilient in the face of digital clutter?

“With the explosion of social media, do people even send greeting cards anymore?”

It’s a question that, over my years at Hallmark, I’ve been asked countless times.

There’s no doubt social media has had a profound impact on the way we communicate. According to Statistics Canada, 64% of Canadians have at least one active social media account and over 50% of Canadians have more than one account.  And millennials? Well, 79% of Canadians between the ages of 16-26 are on social media. 

While the numbers are staggering, they’re not exactly surprising – humans are social beings. In fact, research suggests that social connection is as basic a human need as food or water.

Yet with expanded digital connectivity, it’s assumed the greeting card is going the way of letters, faxes and other “analog” forms of communication. This is simply not true – greeting card sales have remained stable. 

So what makes the greeting card resilient in the face of digital clutter? At its core, giving a greeting card is driven by this innate human desire to connect with one another. With the shift to digital communications, giving something tangible, especially something sentimental, creates a higher impact. Plus, cards are a keepsake – my bedside table drawers are filled with beautiful paper memories. These cards have emotional lifetime value to me; they are a record of my life and the people who matter me.

In a world where we scroll mindlessly through our feeds and hit “like” without much meaningful engagement, the intentional act of buying and giving a greeting card communicates something that a Facebook post or Instagram comment simply can’t.

The popularity of social media is just another expression of that same desire for connection. In fact, I see it as a tremendous opportunity because these digital tools make it possible for people to connect more often. Where the misconception lies is in the assumption that social media and greeting cards need to be mutually exclusive. What we’re finding among our customers is that the heavy card givers (those who give 25 or more cards per year) are actually some of the most connected and active online communicators.

And rather than fighting it, Hallmark is embracing the language of social media in our cards. Our Studio Ink line, for example, features the kind of short, punchy editorial you might find on your Facebook feed. We’ve heard the call loud and clear for cards that speak the way our consumer wants to speak to the people who are important to her. Emojis and memes are part of the language that feels authentic to this consumer – and I love seeing it brought to life in the form of a card.

What I find particularly interesting is that the millennial consumer, the so-called “digital native” is purchasing greeting cards as a means of differentiation. Where previous generations may have sent a birthday or holiday card because it was expected, our millennial shopper is looking for a way to break through the clutter. Maybe she’s buying a card to send back home to family and friends while she’s away at university, or using it to ask her best friend to be her bridesmaid. While the ways to connect are seemingly limitless for her, the millennial shopper is finding a growing collection of occasions where a greeting card is the most meaningful way to convey her feelings.

As technology continues to shape communication, the need for human connection will no doubt remain at the core of this evolution. Social media certainly changed the game in a big way, but as long as humans are driven by a desire to connect they’ll continue to lean on any tools they can to help them maintain and strengthen bonds with the people that matter to them – greeting cards included.