The GCA Â #Cardmitment campaign, launched in 2023 made an impact in the media across the country from its launch through to the run up to the key Christmas period, which saw cards feature in national and local papers across the country and on TV:
National press coverage focused on both the joy of cards and their continued importance to UK consumers, and the postal service and reported delivery issues. On 22nd December The Times ran a comprehensive look at Christmas card sending in 2023, headed Glad tidings we bring: the Christmas card has not had its day. Journalist Harry Wallop spoke about positive trends being seen in the industry and said that “the string has been rehoisted” to display the “tons” of Christmas cards he has received. Harry also spoke about younger generations engagement in card sending and also the joy of receiving “handsome cards with thoughtful handwritten messages..”.
Coverage on the postal service included the Sunday Times investigation on 17th December, and Daily Mail’s ‘Royal Mail must ‘tread carefully’ on stamp price hikes, business minister warns‘, both focused on Royal Mail, with The Telegraph running a similarly focused piece on 23rd December. The Guardian spoke about stamp prices but also the joy of cards under the headline ‘A very British thing; UK gets creative to keep Christmas Card Tradition. There were several stories about the engagement of young people with card sending, such as iNews’s I’m a 27 year old sending Christmas cards for the first time, and Vice News talking about the joy of opening the front door to a pile of Christmas cards, with The Mirror talking about how special it was to receive a card through the post.
TV coverage in October kicked off the season, with BBC Breakfast visiting GBBC/Ling in Gloucestershire (see more below). Then on 15th December Caroline Gardner featured on Channel 5’s Christmas Theme’s, where both the eponymous Caroline and Andy Potton from Graphite Creative, did a fabulous job representing the industry. BBC also featured Woodmansterne in a repeat of their Inside the [Card] Factory episode.
Meanwhile the GCA’s Caring at Christmas initiative saw local press coverage across the country, promoting the joy of card sending as well GCA members’ own businesses.
See below for some media highlights, and visit our members’ library to see all the Christmas media coverage.
Media Highlights
BBC 5 Live attended the 2023 GCA annual Conference and AGM, interviewing GCA CEO Amanda Fergusson at the end of the event. They followed this up with a further interview on 2nd October with David Byk CEO of Great British Card Company and Ling, and GCA Council Member.
BBC Breakfast presenter Ben Boulos and team broadcast live from Great British Card Company’s head office on Monday 2nd October.
The team asked both Amanda and David about the impact on the card industry of the rise in 1st class stamps, giving the them the opportunity to remind consumers that second class stamps hadn’t gone up in price. Also to share some facts on card sending in the UK, that cards were a key part of being British and also to share the joy of sending and receiving cards.
It was also an opportunity to remind BBC Breakfast’s 6 million viewers to start buying Christmas cards early, writing a few a night to get them ready to post at the beginning of December.
This media coverage is a great start to our #Cardmitment campaign remaining everyone about the joy of sending and receiving cards, and the importance of sending cards this Christmas.
It was great opportunity to be able to remind consumers that 2nd class stamp prices haven’t gone up. Also it was good timing to encourage them to start buying and writing their Christmas cards.
Amanda Fergusson GCA CEO
Ben also visited GBCC’s design studio, interviewing head of creative, Lucy Ledger, and designer Sophie Thorne. Talking with the team Ben took to the opportunity to ask to help design a card for BBC’s Children in Need. Thrilled with the result he proudly took the card back to BBC Breakfast!
GCA on BBC Breakfast News:
Click below to listen to our Radio interviews:
For full details on all the latest media coverage visit the Members’ Library
Further Information
To get involved in our #Cardmitment campaign click the link to find out more background and further links through to press releases you can amend and use for your business and other ideas for getting involved.
Also see our #Cardmitment toolkit which can be downloaded for use in your community.
