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Henry Cole created the first greeting card in 1843

Hover over to view the Christmas Card

It is perhaps surprising that it took so long for someone to come up with the idea

In 2018, 59% of Australians will send a printed Christmas card and 79% will send greetings using electronic media

Printed Card
59%
Send a SMS
52%
Social media
47%
Email
37%
Electronic Card
25%

Over the last three years, 17% of Australians stopped sending printed Christmas cards and 41% said that they will not send any printed cards this year

%

Gave a Christmas card last three years

%

Intend to give  printed card this year

People are not sending Christmas cards because they don’t fulfil consumer needs in the 21st century

Money is tight78% agreed cost was a factorOur expectations of others are lower 68% agreed that people don’t expect it any more We want immediate gratification 68% agreed it was too much effortWe know the environment is suffering from waste66% agreed that environmental impact was a factor
Time is precious 53% agreed they don’t have enough time Our devices do our thinking for us 53% agreed they forget people’s address
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quicker by SMS or social media for instant reply
It is something that is looked at for less than a month and then thrown away causing unnecessary waste and landfill
Cards are too easy and too impersonal, I make a phone call and catch up with those important to me.

All of my aunties and uncles have passed away. Christmas cards seem to be old fashion

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…and card senders are dying…

What do you do when your most loyal audience suffer high rates of mortality

Yet, despite these changes, printed Christmas cards remain the most personal way for people to express their feelings

How personal is each type of Christmas greeting 

Printed Cards

%

Very Personal

SMS

%

Email

%

E-card

%

Social Media Message

%

Very Impersonal

So its true what they say the message is the media

Sending a printed card doesn’t show what you care about but also that you have put in effort to show you care. 

Receiving a card

Receiving a sms

So when you really want to make it count

Send a printed card that shows what you care about like this beautifully hand illustrated cards from Care Australia.  You could help a schoolchild get books, a family grow a garden, cocoa or support a farmer growing coffee. Visit Care Australia for more information.

About this study

Evolve conducted a probono study with Greenpoint Media and TEG rewards on behalf of CARE Australia. Random natrep sample of n=300 conducted online. See published article here.