The Future of Greeting Cards
by Eugene Aronsky, Quilling Cards
The Future of Greeting Cards
Peter Drucker, a leading business management consultant once said, “The only thing that we can know about the future is that it will be different.” This statement holds especially true when looking at the greeting card industry. This industry has seen many changes in recent years including the growth of online communication and the shift in consumer behavior from shopping in brick and mortar stores to online. Along with these changes there has been a shift amongst Millennials towards preferring hand crafted, artistic greeting cards; cards that can be framed and cherished long after the event for which they were given. This is where Quilling Card flourishes.
What is Quilling?
Quilling, also called, “paper filigree” is an Ancient Egyptian art form that consists of rolling thin strips of paper into coils and shapes to make beautiful designs. Quilling gained popularity in Renaissance Europe and was a favored pastime for aristocratic women in the 18th and 19th centuries, in the movie, Mary Queen of Scots there are multiple scenes where Queen Elizabeth is quilling. Quilling was even immortalized by Jane Austin in her novel Sense and Sensibility. Although quilling is a lost art in many parts of the world it has seen a revival in recent years through companies such as Quilling Card who use this ancient artform to bring beautiful quilled cards and quilled art to the masses.
How Do Millennials Shop?
Millennials make up the largest demographic group in the United States (according to the US Census, as of 2015 millennials numbered around 83 million) and in the last few years millennials have begun to put their mark on the retail landscape. When it comes to shopping, many millennials prefer to be socially responsible and purchase from Fair-Trade Certified companies. Additionally, they tend to prefer products that are handcrafted and may shy away from mass produced goods. Greeting card companies that offer fair-trade greeting cards and embrace millennial culture and shopping habits will be able to grow and succeed in this ever-changing world.
What Does it mean to be a Certified Member of the Fair-Trade Federation?
Millennials as well as many other consumers today show a preference when it comes to buying habits, they prefer to buy products that are Fair-Trade Certified, or responsibly sourced. The Fair-Trade Federation (FTF) offers a certification to companies that meet strict requirements related to the working conditions of their artisans/workers; the artisans must be paid a fair wage and must have good working conditions. An FTF Certification is more than just paying a fee and getting a label, in order to get this certification, you must undergo a site visit and demonstrate your commitment to FTF principles. Greeting card companies that offer Fair-Trade greeting cards will be able to better appeal to the millennial consumer and thus will reap greater rewards in the ever-changing greeting card industry.