Sensory Greetings
By Joanne Fink

Cards with lights, sound and/or motion are catching customers’ attention and seeing increasing sales.

Inspired by technological advances, the greeting card industry has embraced cards featuring sound, lights and motion. Fueled, in part, by the success of Hallmark’s “Sound Card” line, consumer demand for technologically enhanced cards is growing, especially among teenagers and men – two demographics that traditionally have been difficult to reach. According to John Wignall, president of the U.K.- based Chatterbox Greetings Inc.: “The Hallmark cards have had a positive impact in raising consumer awareness of sound cards. In fact, we held back introducing sound cards to the American market until Hallmark released their line.”

Although sound cards have been around for decades, they sound a lot better today. Most feature a sound chip attached to a small speaker. When the card is opened, a “switch” is flipped, activating the recording. When the card is closed, the switch is turned off and the playback stops.

“Since many consumers aren’t yet used to cards with sound, song cards have the potential to genuinely surprise and delight recipients,” remarks Steve Cook, manager of marketing communications of Hallmark subsidiary Sunrise Greetings. Sunrise’s “Notable Expressions” cards each play a clip of a famous song by the original artist. “The best greeting cards result from an effective synergy of the front, the interior design and versing,” says Cook. “With song cards, the additional element of sound is added, which needs to work with the other elements and enhance or amplify the card’s overall message.”

For consumers who wish to sing their own greeting, technology has made that possible, too. Sound Expressions, LLC, has introduced a completely customizable musical greeting card. Kelli Fusaro, CEO and owner, explains that the cards feature a sound module equipped with a mini-recorder and speaker, which allows consumers to record a 20-second personal message. The outside of the cards have an empty frame on the front panel into which a photograph or artwork can be inserted.

Some sound cards feature words that are spoken rather than sung. In 2006, Chatterbox Greetings launched a U.S. version of its successful “Birthday Times” line – audio greeting cards broadcasting top news and sporting events from the year the recipient was born (from 1935-1995). States Wignall: “What’s important is the quality of sound. Most people [purchasing the card] listen for only three or four seconds, but the recipient will play it all the way through (for 10 to 12 seconds).” To maximize sound quality, Chatterbox uses a sound chip that is double the length of the message.

Some of Chatterbox Greetings’ card lines include lights as well as sound. Its line featuring popular nursery rhymes utilizes a 40-second sound chip because, says Wignall, “you can’t skimp on the nursery rhyme! Children want to hear the whole song.” When opened, the song plays and the lights flash in time to the music.

Colorful, flashing LED lights are incorporated into eye-catching designs on birthday cards from the “Little Stars” line of U.K.-based company WPL, distributed in the U.S. by Notes & Queries. Vanessa Harnik, Notes & Queries’ v.p. of sales & marketing, describes the best-selling design: “You press the button on the top right-hand corner and the lights flash all over, lighting up the candles on the birthday cake.” Based on the popularity of the line, Harnik predicts seeing “even more light cards, using different colored lights, and different ways in which the light cards turn on and off.”

Mark Goff, designer and co-owner of Goffengel Workshop – which recently introduced light-up, popup Halloween cards – agrees. “We’re seeing more interest in innovation and unique ‘keepsake’ kinds of cards. Lights are the next big jump. I think we will see quite a number of cards with lights in a couple of years.” Goff believes the type of lighting components used is critical to the success of the card. He selected white LED lamps for Goffengel Workshop’s new line “to get the ‘wow’ factor in the card. These are triggered when the card is opened, so not only is there a pop-up surprise, but the flashing lights make them spectacular! We utilize a handmade circuit board that not only allows the lights to flash like lightning, but also allows the lights to time out after 25 seconds, so the customer can display the card open without draining the batteries.”

For motion cards, the “wow” factor is achieved through sophisticated three-dimensional engineering, as exemplified by Up With Paper’s pop-up line. “All of our cards have pop-ups that provide motion as the card is opened and then provide amazing dimensionality after the card is fully opened,” says George White, president and COO. “For ‘Panoramics,’ each card then has a pull tab or other mechanism that enables the recipient to generate additional movement on the card,” he explains. “From the initial concept, our creative team integrates the pop-up and movement into the design. Most of the embellishments as well as the pop-ups are done by hand, however – the oldest technology there is!”

Innovative engineering combined with hand assembly is what makes Red Farm Studio’s new line of spinner cards stand out. Explains Steve Scott, president: “Each card features a component that rolls when the card is tilted, so part of the design actually moves from one side of the card to the other – not by sliding, but by spinning. For example, one of the cards has a beach ball that rolls across the sand. Another has a sea horse doing somersaults. We are anticipating strong interest in the line.”

Despite their higher price tags, cards featuring sound, light and/or motion have widespread appeal and are selling well. “Parents buy the cards not only for their children, but also for themselves,” reports Notes & Queries’ Harnik. Adds White of Up With Paper: “Consumers will gravitate to the type of card they want.” To help turn customers’ attention towards these cards, he recommends displaying open samples and giving each technology type (pop-up, sound, light, etc.) its own selling space.

“We predict that cards with sound, light, motion and other innovations will gain greater attention and fuel industry growth, particularly among younger consumers who are comfortable with technology,” asserts Sunrise Greetings’ Cook. “The segment as a whole is great for retailers, because all of these formats bring excitement to the greeting card experience and draw favorable attention to themselves right in the store aisles.”

Adds Chatterbox Greetings’ Wignall: “It’s just great fun to be in the sound card business – watching people’s reactions and seeing the enjoyment that people get when they open them.” Greetings