A few years ago many online greeting companies popped up leaving the traditional greeting card retailers feeling a bit empty, those retailers tried to advertise their array of gifts and their in-your- neighborhood convenience but there was little avail. My friend Kelly manages a Hallmark store and lost many customers to the internet – even to her corporate .com. From a consumer perspective, they had the self-service benefits of sending a quick card anytime, anywhere.
This Mothers Day has brought a new round of advertising geared toward the in-store experience; Hallmark’s TV ads have been bold and engaging, the commercials invited you to visit the store to experience putting your voice on your choice of greeting card. It’s a perfect attempt by Hallmark to re-engage the customer with something physical – for both the sender and the recipient. Hallmark is capitalizing on the experience, the connection; their cards have always been a very personal way to connect with others, they have embraced this by focusing on the entire experience.
To a certain regard, Hallmark has bucked the internet to engage people in their brick and mortar, their site serves as a complimentary channel – with an explanation and video on how to select and send the perfect voice card. But the true underlying win here is that Hallmark’s use of empathy incorporates people like Kelly, allowing her the opportunity to engage patrons and offering her a real chance to cross sell.
This advertising push has everything necessary… email, web, store, consistent messaging and a tangible product – way to go Hallmark and Happy Mother’s Day!
