Never judging you, keeping your secrets and being honest are the top three traits of a best friend, according to findings of a brand new research study commissioned by Hallmark Cards as part of the 30th anniversary celebrations of its Forever Friends brand.
The findings of the survey, that was conducted by OnePoll and involved 2,000 people, were revealed to coincide with Friendship Day (Sunday August 6).
While traits built on trust (such as never gossiping behind your back or going after each other’s ex partners) not surprisingly score highly as tell tale signs of a true buddy, exchanging greeting cards was also deemed one of the top 30 indicators, coming in 17th place.
A third of people keep the greeting cards given to them by a best friend, with the oldest one being an average of almost 11 years old.
“We often hold onto keepsakes of all kinds to mark memorable times in our lives. Cards carry emotion and capture a moment in time, so can almost act as a type of diary of your lives events, which is why so many of us keep hold of them, so it does makes sense that we see them as being woven into the fibres of friendship in many cases,” points out Tamsyn Johnston-Hughes, marketing business partner at Hallmark Cards.
This ‘best friend’ survey forms part of Hallmark’s wider Friendship Report, a research project which delves deep into understanding what friendships look like today.
Hallmark also released a short video which celebrates the importance and joy of having a best friend.
In addition to raising awareness of the Forever Friends through consumer press coverage of the research findings, as gesture of friendship to indies, any independent retailer who places an order on Hallmark’s webstore between the 6 – 13 August will automatically be entered into a prize draw to win a £50 restaurant voucher to treat their ‘best friend’ to a meal out on us.
According to the research, the average UK adult has 13 friends – two of which they consider to be best friends, showing that our friendships are changing from the traditional view of having only one best friend.
The average Brit met their best friend while they were at school together while work is the second most likely place to forge a bestie relationship, followed by through other friends or at college or university. More than one in five still have the same best friend they had as a young child.
Some 84% believe a best friend is someone you can go weeks or months without seeing, with one in ten admitting that a few months can pass between conversations. But when they do see or speak to each other, it’s like they’ve never been apart.
The top 30 signs that someone is a true best friend
- They never judge you
- Always keeps your secrets
- They’re always completely honest
- You don’t need to talk to each other every day to know you are there for each other
- Silences are never awkward
- You go for long periods of time without talking or seeing each other but can pick things up as though you’ve never been apart
- Never gossips about you behind your back
- You can go on holiday with each other without falling out
- You can talk about intimate things openly
- They’re on the end of a phone around the clock
- Knowing how to make each other laugh when you feel down
- They make sure you get home OK when you’ve had too much to drink
- You’re happy to share a room together without falling out
- They say yes to helping you before even knowing what you want their help for
- You just know how each other is feeling with one look at their face
- You have private jokes only the two of you find funny
- Always sends a birthday/Christmas card
- Never goes after your ex-boyfriends/girlfriends
- You can always move on from an argument as soon as it’s finished
- You’re comfortable getting changed in front of each other
- Always remembering the little things, like an appointment at the doctors or something you are nervous about
- You would happily lend money to each other and not expect to see it back
- Turning up with a bottle of wine / bunch of flowers to cheer you up
- Knows your favourite drink
- Will pick the children up from school and never ask for anything in return
- They tell you when you have food in your teeth
- They are on first name terms with your parents
- Never judges your parenting styles, but listens to/joins in on your tales of how it really is
- They cover for you when you need an alibi
- They would never put an unflattering picture of you on Facebook without your approval
As part of its year-long 30th celebrations for Forever Friends, Hallmark has released a limited edition range of 52 cards with a fresh new contemporary look and style guide.
