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Stiff competition to traditional paper cards is the e-card. Each year, 500 million e-cards are sent across the world. The instant gratification generated by e-cards is no doubt hailed by consumers, and their low cost (usually completely free!) is certainly attractive.
And with e-cards' overwhelming assortment of—dare we say, irritating?—bells and whistles, can paper cards even compete?
Industry leaders believe tangible cards will never go out of style.
Their personal nature and sentimental value make them more likely to be held onto; a tactile keepsake is more valuable to most consumers than a fleeting electronic greeting. Does anyone actually print out a e-card and save it? More often than not, e-cards are viewed for an instant and then politely trashed to declutter one's inbox.
Nonetheless, some greeting card publishers are expanding their businesses to include e-cards. AG Interactive, the e-card division of American Greetings Corporation, launched a new service in August that allows consumers to send full-color, animated e-cards through their cell phones.
"Offering mobile e-cards is yet another way we are incorporating innovation and new technology into our products to ensure there's something for every way people want to communicate today," says Sally Babcock, senior vice president of AG Interactive.
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