     
|
Great Greeting™ Trends
Read the comments shared by respondents to our Great Greeting™ Survey illustrating 10 trends that make for a Great Greeting™. 1. Make it Tactile There continues to be an attraction to texture. Impagination used dimensional coating on the 'icing' of our FALALA Scrabble cookies to highlight this area of the greeting. Our research over many years and recent attendance at the National Stationery Show reveal that commercially available greetings also reflect this feature. "3D greetings draw my attention beyond others, as well as greetings with interesting textures." Kim "The greeting that attracted my attention most this year featured a three dimensional dove with the word "Joy" beneath it. It was simple, elegant and contained a sentiment that resonated with me." Mary "A friend made a simple, hand-illustrated card with a collage-like feel to it." John 2. Use Photos Recipients love photos! Our colleagues at Matthew Plexman Photography [www.plexman.com] took it to the next level in their humorous retro-themed greeting, using photos, yearbook style doodles and personalized messages from each team member. This piece truly showcased their ability to create a full-production photo shoot and their engaging sense of humour! "My favourite was a card with a personal note in handwriting, containing an annual update letter, photos and sprinkles! Kept the letter, discarded the card, swore at the sprinkles!" Ann "It was a collection of family photos all very natural and fun, like having a visit!" Lois 3. Make it Humorous Humour is popular in greetings, but it can be so tricky to create humour with broad appeal for a corporate greeting. Our friends at Moveable Inc. struck just the right note with their folksy understated holiday greeting topped off with a clever, cheeky message – capturing the perfect tone for their brand! "...one about a fat cat who denied eating the turkey!" Heather "...I love witty and/or interactive greetings with a game, puzzle or a joke. It's a nice break from the daily work routine to come across something funny, smart and engaging." Wafa 4. Change the Size and Shape Unusual shapes and sizes grabbed your attention again this year! "I loved everything about my favourite – its unique die-cut detail, the beautiful background image, even the shape was eye catching." Jessica "This year cards were much smaller in size, with lots of glitter!" Catherine 5. Combine Tradition and New Media Our pals at Moveable have a wonderful history of combining exceptional print and online services and this is extended into their annual holiday campaign. The heart-warming story from their greeting card is amplified by including a URL revealing the whole story online. Check it out! "I like cards that engage or tell a story. Custom cards are the best." Adrian "Comical and timely email early followed by a snail-mail personal greeting." Susan 6. Make it Multi-Functional Several people noted that they enjoy greetings that can be kept and used as ornaments or holiday décor, extending a firm’s brand impact year after year. "The one that continues to attract my attention is one from previous years. It is an intricate origami-like Christmas decoration from Impagination that I place on my Christmas tree every year, as it is so cool. People always notice it and ask about it." Nancy "I enjoyed a 3D card I received that could be used as a tree ornament." Patty 7. Add Personalization One of the advantages of handmade greetings is the ability to personalize them for the recipient with a handwritten personal message or image. "My favourite wrote my name in sand on a printed picture of a beach!" Oren 8. Embellish the Packaging We loved seeing the various embellishments used to dress up envelopes and create anticipation of what’s inside – stickers, personalized stamps and wax seals were all favorites. "The Impagination greeting with matching postage stamp was fantastic!" Laura 9. Captivate with Video We had fun extending our Scrabble theme into video, complete with yummy cookies and transformers! 10. Embrace Social Media Youthful and contemporary greetings have adopted social media conventions, like candy hearts or smart phones adorned with tech-savvy Valentine sentiments such as UR SWEET, LOL, I (heart) U. Showing appreciation to clients is in style any time of the year. It allows you to extend your brand and reinforce your values with clients. Consider how to incorporate these trends into your campaigns. In our experience, a branded and customized campaign plan starts 6 months before deployment, and will garner recognition and appreciation from your clients for years to come! Let us help you plan early for a lasting impact! © 2015 Impagination Inc. |