How E Cards have changed the way International Holidays are viewed and celebrated
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The electronic cards (E-cards) industry has established a well-known presence over the Internet. ... From free cards with advertisements to costly cards and gift attachments, everyone in this industry is struggling with generating revenue for their company. A stem of the e-card family is the concept of evites. ... Allowing one to have a gathering of some sort without ever having to manually address cards or mail them, thus saving time and money. On an international viewpoint, many countries are adopting this industry, and companies throughout the world are creating their own e-card websites. Other countries are beginning to adopt special traditional American holidays, such as Valentine’s Day because of their access to these special sites. The Internet has allowed them to learn about Western holidays, giving them the opportunity to celebrate them too, but in their own way. This is apparent through domestic and international online greeting card websites. The e-card industry has extended internationally since its implementation, which many websites are accommodating to by offering multi-lingual options. ... Some people believe that the e-card industry is cannibalistic towards the traditional card industry; however, others feel that it will never fully replace the physical card industry. They believe that the online card industry is too impersonal, and therefore, will never take the place of the sincerity and love of the original paper cards industry. ... The question: Is the new E-card industry cannibalizing the traditional card industries? ... First, the consumer must go to the store and read through a variety of cards to find one that fits their need. ... ELECTRONIC GREETING CARDS Online greeting cards offer a great alternative to “snail” mail and the problems that go along with them. Electronic cards (e-cards) are easy, quick, and come in a variety of creative choices. They are the fastest way to get in touch with loved ones, and their popularity is growing even faster. They currently are the second most popular form of online entertainment, after e-mail, and 55% of the internet community sends at least one online greeting card a month. ... They can go to an online site that specifies in online greeting cards such as Bluemountain. ... Or, more recently, they can choose a greeting card from their e-mail provider such as msn. ... Recently, electronic greeting cards and messages are even available for viewing through cell phones in Southeast Asia. ... E-cards are meant to be adjusted and tailored for the receiver by the sender. ... Other writers create electronic cards that are short and often paired with animation that makes them easy to be sent directly over the Internet. Hallmark When people think of cards they think of the traditional Hallmark. ... ” As Hallmark rushed to join Silicon Valley, Blue Mountain, E greetings, and many others where receiving hundreds of hits per day. ... com has a long way to go to catch them. In reaction to Blue Mountain’s dominance Hallmark decided to offer its e-cards for free. ... Being the largest traffic e-card web site, although would be nice, is not their goal. ... The Blue Mountain Model One of the leading e-retailers of greeting cards is Bluemountain. ... Blue Mountain has excelled by being very easy to use and by having a wide selection of cards. ... One of the main reasons that users have remained loyal to Blue Mountain is that there is hardly a presence of E-commerce at all. ... With these many new additions, Blue Mountain once again changed hands and is now owned by American Greetings. E-card uses in Advertising The greeting card industry has always been used as a vehicle for advertising. ... Recently, electronic greeting cards are being used as a portal for direct mail advertising. Designed to be appropriate for office and home e-mail inboxes, they are the ideal tools to reach audiences, especially around the holidays. Companies that have effectively used e-cards in marketing efforts are Todd Oldham’s new clothing line, TO2, and Coke. TO2 used online cards in conjunction with print ads, posters, bus wraps, and post cards . Coke will have holiday e-cards through their “Holiday Web site” that can only be accessed by a password obtained from 20 oz. ... An inactive economy with increased postage and other fixed costs have allowed electronic cards to gain popularity as a direct mail marketing tool. ... Online cards allow this personalization, since most fields on the card can be adjusted. ... Impact on Traditional Greeting Cards Industry Although the numbers of E-card users are high and impressive, there is no evidence that electronic greeting cards are cannibalizing the traditional card market.