Greeting Cards Top Way To Connect With A Special Message (NAPSA)—While technology provides friends and family with a variety of opportunities to more easily stay in touch, 64 percent of Americans still prefer the oldfashioned way when they want to make someonefeel truly special— handwritten and from the heart. According to a recent study on behalf of the Greeting Card Association, the majority of Americans agree traditional methods of personal communication, such as greeting cards, beat out their point-and-click counterparts in this situation. “IT just came from teaching a class on the topic of social affinity and people need to connect personally in face-to-face relationships that cards andletters facilitate,” said Dr. Joseph Palacios, Assistant Professor of Sociology at Georgetown University. “Even though email and the phoneare great tools for communication, there is a human desire and longing for the material sense of communication that a card andgift convey.” People often rely on a variety of ways to stay connected. Instant communication, including e-cards, e-mail, instant messages and text messages often makesit easier for people to maintain more relationships. In fact, e-cards provide a great way to extend a warm greeting to a loved one in a quick and easy way. When it comesto a special touch, however, items such as greeting cards are tangible and live on, long after high-tech communications fade away. This personal approach creates and preserves memories in a unique way that tells a story of a special event or occasion. “In a world where people are exposed to millions of messages a day, a greeting card dramatically stands out as an unexpected personal touch that breaks through Wa fo A majority of Americans agree that handwritten greeting cards are the best way to deliver a special message. the clutter in a very distinct way,” said Valerie Cooper, executive vice president of the Greeting Card Association. “Sending a loved one a letter or a card allows the receiver to enjoy and share the very special personal message.” Documenting holidays and special occasions with a note or a card continues to be a popular way to preserve and remember favorite moments for both young and old. Much like old photo albums and diaries, collecting memories through greeting cards preserves significant events and moments from people’slives. The survey, conducted by national research firm Penn Schoen & Berland Associates, also found 70 percent of women and 70 percent of singles give greeting cards an even higher approvalrating than other communication options. Sending a greeting card is a simple, yet powerful way to connect or reconnect with someone you care about in today’s hightech world. For more information and tips on staying connected with greeting cards visit www.greetingcard.org.
