With the popularity of email, texting, Facebook and electronic greeting cards, you would think that the greeting card industry would be suffering. And with the hectic schedules we all have, who has time to go buy a greeting card?
Well, I think the greeting card industry will continue to boom and here’s why: Deep down inside, people care about their friends, and for less than $5, you can make someone important in your life feel special and loved. And it can make you feel good, too!
I saw this happen this past weekend, as I celebrated my birthday. Actually, the “celebrating” of my birthday started the first week of the month, when I had my first “birthday diva lunch.” My two friends, Diane and Paris, also have October birthdays, so we get together for lunch each year to celebrate them together.
Then the cards started to arrive. Over the course of the month I received many cards from friends. Most were unexpected, but I suspect that each of them has gotten a birthday card (or email) from me at their birthday. And it made them feel special.
In this hectic rat race we live in, spending a few moments at the card shop, grocery store or in line at Trader Joe’s to select a greeting card for a friend can make you feel more human.
Or, if you don’t have time, and don’t want to be belated, you can send an email or an electronic greeting. (To my friends and customers who sent me texts, emails and e-cards, I loved that you took the time to do this!)
But the bottom line is, just as cooking and entertaining at home have become more popular (futurist Faith Popcorn coined the term “cocooning”), I believe that sending actual birthday cards will make a comeback.
Remember the Kevin Spacey movie, “Pay it forward”? Well, that’s my personal mission. To do good deeds that make others feel special, hoping that they continue to pay it forward.
Think about it,
Karen
