10 Thrilling Great Greeting™ Trends

Respondents to our Great Greeting™ Survey help identify and illustrate the most thrilling trends for a truly Great Greeting™.

1. Make it Tactile
Impagination’s "Simply Remarkable" greeting features letterpress print deeply embedded into a tactile uncoated paper, delivering an artisanal impression.

Special gloss coating on the 'icing' of Impagination's award-winning FALALA Scrabble cookie greeting creates a visible and tactile highlight.

"My favorite was a die-cut shiny pop-out that became a standalone piece." Oren

"3D greetings draw my attention beyond others, as well as greetings with interesting textures." Kim

2. Use Photos
Recipients love photos! See how photographer Christopher Schiller embraced the popular Star Wars theme. "A photographer friend's greeting card recreated Star Wars posters featuring his daughters and his dog as the main characters. I've been showing it to everyone." Marnie

"I enjoy receiving photographs of family or friends." Rondi

"My favorite was a family portrait – they all work together, so it made sense and was very personal." Vanessa

"It was a collection of family photos all very natural and fun, like having a visit!" Lois

3. Make it Humorous
Humor is popular in greetings, but it can be so tricky to create humor with broad appeal for a corporate greeting. Our colleagues at Matthew Plexman Photography took it to the next level in their humorous retro-themed greeting, using photos, yearbook style doodles and personalized messages from each team member!

“It was one personalized with humor and photos from the past year. I keep all mailed greetings for the year, great ones longer and email greetings deleted after viewing.” Kim

"...I love witty and/or interactive greetings with a game, puzzle or a joke. It's a nice break from the daily routine to come across something funny, smart and engaging." Wafa

4. Change the Size and Shape
Unusual shapes and sizes grab attention.

"I love everything about my favorite – its unique die-cut detail, the beautiful background image, even the shape was eye catching." Jessica

5. Combine Tradition and New Media
Our pals at Moveable combine print with their sister company Moveableonline to extend the engagement for their annual holiday message. The heart-warming story from their greeting card is amplified by including a URL revealing the whole story online. Check it out!

"I like cards that engage or tell a story. Custom cards are the best." Adrian

6. Make it Multi-Functional
Several people noted that they enjoy greetings that can be kept and used as ornaments or holiday décor year after year, or calendars that extend a firm’s brand impact all year long.

"The one that continues to attract my attention is an intricate origami-like Christmas decoration that I place on my tree every year. People always notice it and ask about it." Nancy

"I enjoy a 3D card that can be used as a tree ornament." Patty

"I received several where a donation had been made to support a charity." Heather

7. Add Personalization
One of the advantages of handmade greetings is the ability to personalize them for the recipient with a handwritten message or image.

"My favorite was a calendar personalized with my name!" Ann

"I received two greetings in the mail. Both were custom-designed and personalized with a hand-written note. I'll be holding onto both greetings." Jay

"A card in the mail is tangible, makes you feel the sender cared enough to invest thought and time to reach out and 'touch' me, an invaluable and cherished feeling." Dianne

"A handwritten, personalized message always makes me smile. I hate when the card only has a signature - I would rather they not send one in the first place." Dian

8. Embellish the Packaging
We loved seeing the various embellishments used to dress up envelopes and create anticipation of what’s inside – stickers, personalized stamps and wax seals were all favorites.

"I received a greeting in a custom envelope with a customized stamp, featuring the same graphic elements contained within the envelope." John

"The Impagination greeting with matching postage stamp was fantastic!" Laura

9. Captivate with Video
Video is engaging, delivering sentiment that can be linked to a service or brand. See one of my favorites from my colleague Lois Volk.

And who doesn’t love to see their friends and colleagues animated in a JibJab video?

"My favorite online greeting was a jibjab :)" Dian

10. Embrace Social Media
Information Packaging shared a clever, interactive New Year’s greeting featuring a pop-up snowman with die-cut accessories. The greeting included an invitation to share a photo of the finished product on twitter at #MyCoolFrosty.