Hallmark rolls out holiday business card line

KANSAS CITY, Mo. —Hallmark Business Expressions has rolled out a line of cards designed to help businesses strengthen relationships with employees and partners. The 125-card line debuted on Sept. 5 for the holiday shopping season, and nearly half of the business holiday cards are new designs.

“Holiday cards help strengthen relationships, and businesses are realizing the holidays are an opportunity to make a lasting impression with customers, prospects and employees,” said Marc Wagenheim, product marketing director for Hallmark Business Expressions.

The cards address an expanded range of subjects and include cards for Hanukkah and Kwanzaa. Other cards are more focused on image, and one collection features laser die-cut designs. And there are basic cards with messages inside, such as “With sincere appreciation for your business and best wishes for the coming year” and “Wishing you a wonderful holiday season.”

AG Interactive, the e-card division of American Greetings, also launched a line this month that targets a different space. Its new Mobile E-card service allows consumers to send specially designed e-cards to cell phone screens and deliver the full-color cards through most U.S. wireless carriers. The cards are free for subscribers to AmericanGreetings.com, though some carriers may charge a fee of up to 30 cents to recipients.

The cards can be accessed and downloaded on the American Greetings Web site, and the collection currently includes 11 birthday cards and nine anytime cards. Users also can send the cards to computers using regular e-mail.