Holiday Greetings - real paper or e-card?
Every year about this time conversations start in the special interest communities about sending paper holiday cards v. e-cards.
Just so you know my bias, we sell paper holiday cards to businesses.
Here's my take on the question. I think a traditional card with a hand written signature ( and perhaps a few words), is a social nicety. It creates a pause and a space in the recipient's day as they sort through their mail and pick out your card. As they open it and see who it's from and then take a look at the card itself. Then they find a place to display it.
An e-card on the other hand arrives in your inbox with little to distinguish it from all the others. Maybe they are screened and dumped into the spam or junk mail file.
If it gets opened it is looked at and then deleted. So much for any lasting impression. It's hard to set up a display of e-cards on your desk.
The e-card side responds that e-cards are less expensive and are ecologically responsible. However, a custom designed e-card can be expensive and paper cards are available in recycled paper.
For me it comes down to the social nicety, I think paper cards are a tradition worth keeping. Hope you do as well.
