By Gina F. Rubel
Special to the Legal
It is that time of year again when the conversation focuses on whether law firms and other businesses should send printed holiday cards, electronic holiday cards or a mix of both.
I started receiving cards at Halloween this year. Yes, it’s true. The first greeting card came on All Hallows’ Eve. I must say that while it certainly was the first, I don’t remember who sent it or what it said because it was generic at best.
I received two more cards at Thanksgiving: one was very nicely branded and four of the law firm partners wrote personal notes to me and signed the card. Another was a card with gold foil lettering, the firm’s logo inside and a very nicely written note to me signed by a law firm partner. Both of those cards are sitting on my desk and were memorable in some way.
During the last several days, I started to receive electronic holiday cards, too. One started out with an envelope that opened to an animated image of a pine branch with snow. A “Happy Holidays” message scrolled across the top and then the firm’s logo popped in. The music was same-ol’, same-ol’. I closed the card, deleted the email and moved on to my next task.
Today, when the mail arrived, I opened a card with an image of the earth that says “Peace on Earth.” It has the company’s logo printed in black on the interior of the card and that’s it. Did I mention that the sender is a vendor and didn’t even take a moment to sign the card, let alone thank us for our business?
A holiday card can do much more for a business than simply convey the best wishes of the season. Proper preparation and planning can transform a business holiday greeting card into a subtle but effective marketing tool that will reap a return on the investment all year long. But it has to be done correctly.
Here are some examples of law firm electronic holiday cards that are branded, targeted and unique:
Here are some other cards that I really liked from 2012 that were branded and clearly demonstrate the unique nature of each business:
We find that a mix of both electronic and printed holiday cards is very healthy when they are personalized, branded and unique.
Generic cards won’t leave a lasting impression. For electronic versions, the recipient will open, read and delete them. There is no reason for them to respond, say “thank you,” say “what a great card,” etc. The resulting impression is that the sender is trying to save money and time.
Electronic cards also should be accompanied by printed counterparts. No business has email addresses for 100 percent of its contacts, and everyone should send a special note or signed card to certain individuals, such as clients, referral sources and prospects.
We usually start planning for the holidays months ahead of time, brainstorming card concepts and updating contact lists. With some thought and preparation, a holiday greeting can make a statement that lasts the whole year through, reinforcing your company’s brand and mission to clients, vendors, referral sources, friends and potential clients.
Gina F. Rubel is the owner of Furia Rubel Communications Inc., an integrated marketing and public relations agency with a niche in legal marketing. She and her agency have won national awards for law firm marketing, PR, website and graphic design, social media, strategic planning, corporate philanthropy and leadership. She maintains a blog at www.ThePRLawyer.com and is a contributor toThe Legal Intelligencer Blog, AVVO Lawyernomics and The Huffington Post. Find her on LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/in/ginafuriarubel or follow her on Twitter at twitter.com/ginarubel. For more information, go to www.FuriaRubel.com.
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