The Greeting Card Association’ s #Cardmitment campaign is a national campaign to encourage everyone to commit to send more greeting cards!
#Cardmitment is an umbrella term for all our activity to protect and promote the world leading UK greeting card industry.
Sending and receiving handwritten cards generates positive feelings and is good for our mental health and wellbeing. Cards create an emotional response and a powerful connection. We all love seeing a handwritten envelope on the front doormat, and opening a card chosen and written specially for us.
The importance of greeting cards
The simple act of sending a card can have a positive, impact on individuals, communities and society. #Cardmitment is reminding everyone about the joy and importance of sending cards, and posting early especially at Christmas!
Cards matter. The UK are a nation of card senders, cards are how we connect to friends and loved ones at time of sorrow and joy, and just to say ‘hi’, ‘thinking of you’ ,share a joke or fun image. Sending and exchanging cards promotes wellbeing and mental health, lighting up the life of recipients and senders alike.
- Cards decorate our rooms at Christmas – brightening winter days and reminding us of loved ones.
- Card sending nurtures local independent businesses on the high streets we all love, supports local charities and organisations in the communities we care for and helps protect the Royal Mail delivery service we all treasure.
The fact that someone has spent the time to make or choose a card, write it, and send it makes the person receiving it feel far more special and cared for than receiving instant texts, emails or other social media messages.
Receiving a card, with a loved ones hand-writing is a wonderful feeling. Finding a design and message that is just right for your friend or family member creates a lovely feeling of connection when you send the card, and for the recipient when they open it. See the blog on the Psychology of Sending Greeting Cards for more information
Cards are displayed in the home and many are kept for years, providing a reminder of the person that has sent it and of your relationship with them. Greeting cards are also great social history as designs and messaging changes with each generation.
#Cardmitment
Our #Cardmitment campaign is about reminding people about the simple pleasure of connecting with loved ones through cards, and protecting card sending.
Greeting cards are are amazing little things; for less than the price of a coffee you can send a card and connect with someone you care about. Also the price of a second class stamp is at 85p – which will take your card anywhere in the UK.
A postal service that is reliable and affordable is vital to the greeting card industry, both to businesses suppling customer orders and of course for everyone to send and receive cards from their loved ones. As part of this campaign we are working with Royal Mail, Ofcom, government and others to protect our 500 year old postal service for the future.
Click this link to find out more about the GCA’s Cardmitment campaign to protect and promote the greeting card industry
Make your #Cardmitment and join our Campaign and send a card today to someone you’re thinking of.
Retailer Toolkit
We’d love to see shops proudly displaying the #Cardmitment message to remind your customers of the power of the mighty greeting card!
The GCA have a range of free retailer toolkits that can be downloaded here
The UK Greeting Card Industry
The UK greeting card industry is a world-leading creative industry; we lead the world in innovative design and export our cards across the globe.
We spent over £1.5 billion on single greeting cards in 2023, according to the Greeting Card Association’s annual report*. [NB: This figure excludes packs and boxes of cards]. The British continue to send more cards per person than any other nation.
*GCA Annual Market Report https://www.gca.cards/product/gca-market-report-2024/
About the Greeting Card Association (GCA)
The GCA is a not for profit trade association. We have been representing the UK greeting card industry since 1919.
The greeting card industry embraces designers, publishers, retailers, agents, distributors and any suppliers of materials / services to the industry.
The GCA’s mission is to passionately support the growth and promotion of the greeting card industry. And our vision is for everyone to feel connected by the sending and receiving of greeting cards
Our Purpose is to ensure the wellbeing of the greeting card industry and to protect and promote the absolute joy of sending and receiving a well-chosen card.
Further information
To download and use our FREE #Cardmitment toolkit click here
For all the latest #Cardmitment news
What makes us British? Our Mantelpiece
The History of Greeting Cards – look back at 100 Years of Greeting Cards
Our #Cardmitment campaign is receiving media coverage across the country, including national coverage on BBC Breakfast and Radio 5 Live among others, click the link above to our blog to see all the latest coverage.
