Greeting Cards and Consumer Behavior

Introduction

Greeting cards refers to pieces of cardboard or paper where drawings, photos as well as a verse of greetings, cheer, condolences celebration, etc. are printed. The cards are decorated with different images and contains a message which is appealing to various sentiment, audiences as well as occasions to be remembered. There are several ways in which greeting cards can be made. They can be homemade using paper and pen, however, software which are available in the market makes the most appealing cards. Studies also reveal that cards which are virtual including verses, as well as images, are sent to an individual via the Internet and printed by the receiver (Oh, 2012). Other studies have also revealed that regardless of the electronic availability of greeting cards, the manufacturer of the cards are still selling their cards in large numbers (Wen et al., 2010). The study also suggests that more than 1,500 manufacturers of greeting cards sell approximately 7 billion cards yearly. A study by Qiao et al., (2011), reveals that market research linked to successful greeting card development is very critical. The study also reveals that other studies have prompted large greeting card organizations to develop and advance the traditional product lines and as well offer pet cards, divorce cards among other cards. However, it is notable that, some small companies only specialize in greeting card production which only appeals to a few certain markets. Studies by Oh (2012), reveal that the card industry needs a diverse talent pool for efficient commercial production and successful product. This means that the industry must employ talented employees ranging from market researchers to cartoonists to increase consumption.

History and Purpose of Greeting Cards

Blumell (2014), suggests that, the ancient Egyptians wrote their greetings on papyrus and sent them to the intended individuals. Moreover, the study also reveals that the Greeks also recorded information on scrolls. In the middle Ages, love messages and letters which included romantic verses were exchanged all over Europe. By 1846, there was the production of the first commercially-produced greeting cards by Henry Cole-British. He produced printed Christmas greeting and send them to friends. This was followed by mass-produced Christmas cards by the 1860s (West, 2010). Furthermore, Louis Prang and who was the inventor of the multi-color printing process produced colored cards by the 1870s. Other cards such as those for birthday among other cards followed. By the 20th century, the American greeting card industry was created and a number of the then created companies exist until today and have remained to be the leaders in card’s production and sales. However, studies suggest that, with the sophistication of technology and innovation, the production of greeting cards has primarily revolved around hence creating efficient printing methods (Mandelbaum et al., 2010). This also diversified the product offering and has nurtured a large creative talent pool which is a source of income for many people.

The significance of greeting cards is to express various human emotions such as humor, joy, love, thanks among other emotions. Exchange of these cards enables an individual to connect on an emotional level with friends, family customers as well as workers. Regardless of the fierce competition which results from online alternatives, currently, people love the thought of receiving physical sentiment expressed in romantic writing on a greeting card. Researchers suggest that, due to this appreciation of the traditional greeting cards, greeting cards are undergoing a modern revolution. People who are creative have knowledge of the power of greeting cards in this digital era. Such creative people have continued to apply their creativity, imagination as well as skill to develop cards that touch both soul and psyche in a way online expression cannot. Regardless of the decrease in the sales of greeting cards, increase in the stationery goods market is developing from the huge buyer’s demand for other paper and memory expression goods which also includes a party and gifting goods like ribbons, gift wrap, as well as partyware. This brings the idea of the demand for greeting cards, the motive of consumers and the influence of various factors on the consumption of greeting cards.

Consumer Behavior

Consumer behavior is an evolving field that has come up soon after the Second World War. With the disappearance of the sellers’ market, the buyers’ market has developed. The evaluation of the marketing concept has resulted in the behavior of a buyer becoming an independent discipline. A study by Solomon et al., (2012), suggests that buyers have motives for purchasing particular goods. The Motive is a strong urge, feeling, desire, instinct, and emotion which makes the consumer make decisions to buy a product. These buying motives influences impulse to buy and are generally controlled by social, economic as well as psychological influences. As per Sheth (2011), marketing science is increasingly critical to success in today’s marketplace. Human behavior understanding can be illuminating for marketers. This indicates that having knowledge of consumer behavior is very significant in developing effective communications that motivate an individual to purchase products and services. Moreover, studies suggest that creative expression develops marketing campaigns that are attractive, therefore, the scientific insights assist marketers to design campaigns that have fundamental concerns and are satisfactory to the consumer.

As suggested earlier, greeting cards are becoming less used in today’s economy with the development of many alternatives. Regardless of the decline, companies are still producing greeting cards and buyers are still purchasing the cards in large quantities. As per the Marshallian economic model, buyers spend their money on products that offer the best taste, greatest satisfaction and depending on the relative prices of goods (Eide & Toft, 2013). The theory also suggests that a man carefully calculates and weighs the expected pleasure and pains of each contemplated action. As per the theory, Marshall brought the issue of surplus which he defined as the excess of the price which a consumer will be willing to pay other than going without the product. The price which a buyer pays for goods like greeting cards is always less compared to what an individual is willing to pay to gain certain satisfaction. This theory explains why an individual has various behavior in purchasing greeting cards.

Furthermore, as earlier suggested, the greeting card industry requires a diverse talent pool for efficient commercial production and successful product. The industry has therefore employed talented employees ranging from market researchers to cartoonists to increase consumption. This creates the importance of color theory in marketing and in the effects of consumer behavior. The color theory refers to a collection of guidelines and rules regarding color use in design and art. The theory gives an insight of color schemes, gives an effective communication and create aesthetic appeal on both the psychological and visual. Studies suggest that the current color theory is dependent on Isaac Newton’s color wheel, which indicates three categories of colors- blue, red and yellow (Agoston, 2013). A combination of these colors especially in greeting cards promote marketing and allows designers to achieve harmony in their designs.

The color theory brings the idea of color harmony which is a pleasing arrangement of parts to create an anesthetic pattern. Harmony in visual experiences is something that is pleasing to the eye. Harmony engages viewers and creates a sense of order and balance in the visual experience. Studies reveal that colors which do not harmonize become boring to the viewer (Rhyne, 2016). The study also reveals that the rain of human rejects under-stimulating information. However, the color theory also indicates that, at the far end, it is the visual experience that is so overdone and boring to the viewer. At this extreme, the viewer cannot stand to look at it and this removes the anesthetic in color. Besides, as suggested earlier, greeting cards present some satisfaction to the receiver therefore, harmonizing colors affects consumer behavior as suggested by Zhang & Benyoucef (2016). However, it is notable that, the human brain has the ability to reject what it cannot understand and what it cannot organize. Therefore, as studies suggest, color harmony delivers a sense of order and visual interest which affects the behavior of the consumer.

Conclusion

Greeting cards refers to pieces of cardboard or paper where drawings, photos as well as verses of greetings, cheer, condolences celebration, etc. are printed. The cards are decorated with different images and contains a message which is appealing to various sentiment, audiences as well as an occasion to be remembered. The greeting cards started with the ancient Egyptians to the ancient Greeks and by 1846, there was the production of the first commercially-produced greeting card by Henry Cole-British. This was followed by mass-produced Christmas cards by the 1860s. The significance of greeting cards is to express various human emotions such as humor, joy, love, thanks among other emotions. However, it is notable that, the consumption of greeting card consumption is on the decline, though with the current designing and evolution of technology, greeting cards are still being used to pass information. This continuous use of greeting cards regardless of the availability of sophisticated alternatives can be explained by a color theory which is based on the blending of color to create satisfaction and the Marshallian economic model.

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References

Agoston, G.A., 2013. Color theory and its application in art and design (Vol. 19). Springer.

Blumell, L. H. (2014). The Message and the Medium: Some Observations on Epistolary Communication in Late Antiquity. Journal of Greco-Roman Christianity and Judaism, 10, 24-67.

Eide, B., & Toft, M. (2013). Consumer behavior Theories–Purchasing organic food. Bachelor Thesis.

Mandelbaum, J. A., Jain, R., Marsh, A., Bikowski, K., Tasse, C., Mayer, D., ... & Leeders, M. (2010). U.S. Patent No. 7,802,386. Washington, DC: U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.

Oh, S. J. (2012). U.S. Patent No. 8,164,585. Washington, DC: U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.

Qiao, T., Guo, J., & Sapp, D. (2011). U.S. Patent Application No. 29/365,734.

Rhyne, T. M. (2016). Applying color theory to digital media and visualization. CRC Press.

Sheth, J. N. (Ed.). (2011). Models of buyer behavior: conceptual, quantitative, and empirical. Marketing Classics Press.

Solomon, M., Russell-Bennett, R., & Previte, J. (2012). Consumer behaviour. Pearson Higher Education AU.

West, E. (2010). A taste for greeting cards: Distinction within a denigrated cultural form. Journal of consumer culture, 10(3), 362-382.

Zhang, K. Z., & Benyoucef, M. (2016). Consumer behavior in social commerce: A literature review. Decision Support Systems, 86, 95-108

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