Red Stamp

How will we correspond in the future? 

Of course, we are corresponding at lighting speed these days.  We are also communicating more now than ever than before through email, text, bbm, etc., Yet, how about for special occasions or just a shout to say feel better or bar/bat mitzvah and wedding invitations or all the greeting card events such as Valentines Day, Fathers Day and Mothers Day? 

The local card shops seem to be on the outs.  The rents are high and they just aren't doing enough volume to account for the overhead.  The business is moving online be it a card, stationary or an evite. 

The physical snail mail card business isn't going to evaporate anytime soon.  It might transform but it will continue.  Personally, I believe some notes should be written by hand.  When you receive a gift from lets say a wedding or bar mitzvahs or a new baby, I want to see a handwritten card show up in the mail.  Other events, I am happy to get a nice email.  Granted, communication is changing and everyone has their own set of do's and don'ts. 

Rules are changing everywhere and the fun part is getting involved with the change instead of sticking to the status quo.  This is a quote from one of my favorite people, Mo Koyfman, that hits the nail right on head.  "Suppliers will hold up distributors every chance they get and almost
always struggle to embrace today’s necessary digital ubiquity, fearing
erosion of their business rather than recognizing the power of massive
distribution".   What he is talking about took place in the music industry, the publishing industry and is slowly taking place in other industries too.  It is the companies that are embracing change and trying to figure out the new will be the leaders of the future.

Correspondence is social and I believe that the distribution of this particular business is changing.  To give you an idea of the size of this business, Hallmark Greeting Cards (which is only one piece of the pie) did $4.3 billion in 2008.  I have many thoughts on this topic but am thrilled to join Red Stamp as an advisor.  I actually met the owner of Red Stamp through my blog.  Love that.  Super smart group of people, great site with great ideas about how correspondence in the future is going to play itself out.  I am looking forward to being involved with Red Stamp on the correspondence road map.