File This Away for Holidays 2008
Business e-cards can showcase creative talent, provide personalization, and be fun.
It was heart-warming to receive so many responses to my last column on holiday biz e-cards. People really want to do the right thing for the environment but often don’t have the time to track down the right sources.
While the holiday season is still fresh, I thought I’d recap some of the interesting e-card alternatives readers sent along, so you can file them away for 2008. Remember, e-cards can be sent all year for other occasions.
Your Name in Lights…Clouds…and Sand
What could be more fun for your clients than to see their names in skywriting across the horizon or in the glitter on a holiday ornament? Take a look at the image personalization cards available through Enteract.
It strikes me that a client would be more likely to hang on to, print, and forward a personalized e-card, giving your e-card campaign a viral component.
Create-a-Card Sites Increase Involvement
Blue Hornet created a fun create-a-card site for La Quinta Inns & Suites that was sent to La Quinta’s database of subscribers.
Subscribers can choose a cartoon created by La Quinta’s creative agency, Mullen, then either select a prewritten caption or write their own.
Showcase Your Creative Talents
Another fun card comes from HCA Group, a creative communications firm in Ontario, Canada, and allows the company to showcase its creative skills. Its snowman designer e-card lets you design your own snowman with a selection of hats, faces, and accessories.
My son and I had fun with that one, but it would have been nice to be able to send the custom-designed snowman on to friends and family — and let them redesign it themselves.
Shake Things Up
This irreverent snow globe e-card from e-tractions has become a virtual holiday tradition over the past few years. Universal Studios used it this year and is giving a donation to Habitat for Humanity.
Send an E-Card From Your Favorite Charity
I like the idea of an e-card teamed up with a donation. Since you’re saving money on postage and printed cards, why not send the extra money to a charity of your choice? Nature Conservancy has a great selection of beautiful nature e-cards.
I’m sure as the year goes on, there will be even more great e-card choices. While I still enjoy getting and sending printed cards, it seems that with global warming, the environmental cost of manufacturing, sending, and disposing of them is getting too high.
On that cheery note, I’d like to suggest a year-end donation to my client and favorite environmental organization, Natural Resources Defense Council, so we can all continue to enjoy greener holidays in the future.
All the best to you and yours for a happy New Year!
Keep sending in your B2B e-mail case studies to Karen.
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