In what must rank as an unprecedented swathe of media coverage about Christmas cards, greeting card retailers, publishers and the GCA have been out in force in the last week, gaining substantial column inches and airtime to promote as well as in some cases superbly counter negative arguments against the sending of cards.
Picking up that primary school head teacher Jonathon Mason, head of Belton Lane Primary School in Grantham, Lincolnshire had banned Christmas cards on environmental grounds, in their coverage of the story, BBC East Midlands TV presenter Sarah Teale made a throw away remark about Christmas cards being “a waste of paper”.
Not willing to let this go unchallenged, The Art File team took to Twitter saying how her comments had made them “sad” and how they would “love to prove to you that sending cards is special and worthwhile.”
Even though the TV presenter responded by Twitter saying how she loves a ‘thoughtful card’ making the most of the moment Ged Mace, managing director of the Nottingham-based card publisher wrote to Sarah explaining more about the merits of greeting card sending, the lengths the industry is going to on the environmental front as well as the huge amounts charities receive as a result of charity Christmas cards, with The Art File alone having donated £162,965 to charities.
“Sending a card can help to combat loneliness, which is a heart-breaking issue rife in today’s society. Recently, news platforms and mental health charities have stated that some people go days without speaking to another human being. Sending a card means more than sending a text – it’s a tangible way to express emotions such as love, gratitude, congratulations, condolences, and more. Receiving a card gives you a fuzzy feeling knowing you’re in someone’s thoughts – and that’s what it all comes down to,” wrote Ged.
Meanwhile, up in the Highlands, retailer and PG columnist, David Robertson of JP Pozzi felt compelled to take issue with an article in the local Evening Express newspaper written by journalist Scott Begbie in which he dissed Christmas card sending. David’s heckles were raised immediately when he read the headline: ‘Season’s gratings with useless cards’. The article dismissed any value in sending Christmas cards. “In this digital age where you measure your social worth by your social media followers, is anybody still fussed about cardboard robins on a string across the living room wall?’
The journalist did not reckon on receiving such a passionate reaction from David in which he gave it to Mr Begbie with both barrels. Realising that he had been rather flippant in his column, David was invited to a ‘right to reply’, which resulted in the newspaper printing his letter, with the bold heading ‘Cards play vital role for so many’. In his letter David highlighted how sending Christmas card is a British tradition, which has great relevance today.
‘Telling friends and family that you are thinking of them with a handwritten card triggers happy feelings and memories.”
Continuing an impressive programme of interviews in the last three days alone the GCA’s ceo Amanda Fergusson has appeared on 14 different radio stations, all keen to talk about Christmas cards.
Interviewed on the BBC Five Live Drive programme, presented by Tony Livesey and Chloe Tilley, Amanda was more than ready for Tony’s suggestion that “Christmas cards are a thing of the past.” Amanda explained how there has been a shift in buying patterns with people “spending more on individual cards,” reinforcing how they are a great way of reinforcing relationship.
Having admitted that he had only actually received “four cards and one of those was from the local Indian restaurant” Amanda enquired as to how many he had sent. When Tony admitted “none” he was reminded that there is still time!
Top: The Art File team in their Christmas jumpers.
