What do you do when you're sitting at home and can't see your family and friends as often as you'd like? That's right! Send tickets. Since the first lockdown at the end of March, the Netherlands has been sending greeting cards en masse. No less than 250 percent more than in the previous year. Also the Christmas card turned out to be more popular than ever in recent weeks.
Theo Boeijinga of Context Cards notices that due to the coronapandemic the paper card is in the process of a comeback. "I've been in the business for forty years now and I've been seeing the trend go down for years. The way of communicating has changed enormously in recent decades. Young people communicate much more via social media and WhatsApp."
Once ー in the 80's and 90's ー had its glory days. Over 200 million Christmas cards were sent during the holidays alone. But since the beginning of the digital age, sales fell in large numbers. In 2017, the number of Christmas cards sent fell below 85 million.
Corona time is greeting card time
Since corona the figures rose again after a long time. "In the beginning during the first wave, it was really exciting. Many shops were closed and so were our customers. Fortunately, the closure was quickly lifted. We suddenly noticed enormous interest.
I have no problem saying out loud that greeting cards are being sent out again, but it is sometimes difficult to say to fellow entrepreneurs in sectors where there are hard blows that we are doing so well".
Party for the receiver
"Sending a card is a nice way to let you know you're thinking of someone, to encourage someone. Everyone ー also young people ー still love it when a physical card falls on the doormat. Someone has taken the trouble to buy a ticket. The attention value is (and remains) unabatedly high.
I can't predict where this is going, but corona has a positive impact on our industry for now. The trend was declining, but corona has reversed this trend. Will it stay that way? It can go both ways, of course. But for now it is clear that people have rediscovered the value of a map. It is and remains a party for the recipient."
Collaboration Context Cards and NPN Drukkers
Context Cards is a greeting card publisher that focuses on a modern and critical target group that is not satisfied with an everyday greeting card. The greeting cards of Context Cards are available in the higher market segment such as the Bijenkorf, Prenatal, the better bookstores, hip gift shops and home furnishing shops.
"I work with creative people, real artists from collections like: 'Frits', 'Little Love' and 'I'll wrap you up. With them I make a license agreement. That means I'm the only one who's allowed to multiply certain cards. All the greeting cards we make are then printed at NPN Drukkers in Breda."
Informal atmosphere
Last year, Context Cards suddenly had to make the switch to another printing company in connection with bankruptcy. "For me it was an obvious choice to start working with NPN Drukkers. I'm a somewhat smaller publisher and I have a great need for a flat organisation where things are more informal. Where the people are approachable and the lines are short. NPN therefore suits me well as a publisher".
