Did you know that the highest percentage of greeting cards printed, distributed, and sold are specifically created for mothers? Of course it is, because most people have mothers who are active in their lives, or they are mothers who have appreciative children. Get well cards are second, and that makes perfect sense as well. We know people all the time who are sick, and the courteous thing to do for them is at the least to send a card. Then there are the sympathy cards, the Father’s Day cards, the graduation cards, and the generic Christmas cards. Cards for sisters, brothers, nieces, nephews, grandparents, grandchildren, and even “someone special.” But where are the cards you need for the people and occasions that are currently omitted by the card companies?
Imagine this:
Your cousin’s wife’s mother just got the role of Nanny McPhee in the playhouse of the same name. Do you get her a generic “Congratulations!” card with a message like, “Great job!” or “Job well done!”? She’s almost like a mother to you, but you can’t get her a card for a mother. I propose the “Just Like a Mom” card, that covers everything from the lady next door who gave you one of her chickens, to the old woman at church who smiles at you every Saturday, to your cousin’s wife’s mother, who would definitely appreciate the personal sentiment, and the idea that you consider her a mother figure. Inside the card would say, “You’re as special to me as special can be. Congratulations!”
Or this:
Your wife’s mother’s husband (not her father) just had gallbladder surgery, and it was touch-and-go for a while there. He’s not a spring chicken, and he almost died, but he survived and is pulling through. However, he has to stay at the hospital for a minimum of three weeks. You need to get him a card. Do you go with the overused “Get Well Soon” card with a message like, “Heard you were under the weather. Get better.” or “People like you always come through. Get well soon.”? You’re not necessarily close to him, but it’s important to your wife that you send something that is meaningful. For this occasion, I propose the “Tough as Nails” card, that covers incidents like falling off a ladder, throwing out your back, or a gallbladder surgery. Inside the card would say, “For someone tough as nails, recovery never fails. Get well soon!”
Or even this:
A work friend has a leap year birthday, and you know she’s very sensitive about having her actual birthday come around once every four years. The office is planning a party for her on her actual birthday (it’s a leap year) and you want to make sure she knows you appreciate her pain at having a birthday on February 29th. Do you get her the underwhelming “Happy Birthday!” card that you know everyone else is going to get, that has the saying, “Another year down, no time to frown!” or “It’s a birthday for you, hope it’s happy too!”? She gets to her office late most mornings, so you get there early just to make sure your card gets to her before anyone else’s. I propose the “Leap Higher” card, that highlights what it means to be an eight-year old working with forty-year olds (I know she’s not really eight, but every four years is every four years). Inside the card would say, “Leap higher than before, because you’re one in four! Be unique! Happy February 29th!”
We could start a website for those “forgotten” people, the ones who aren’t generic, so why would we give them generic cards? How many times can a person see the same sentiment. There, you could find cards for every occasion, and for every type of person. Humorous as well as thoughtful (and sometimes at the same time). What other types of cards do you think we could sell there? I’m excited.
Sam
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