Moonpig tracks data showing customers are embracing tech for greeting cards
AI birthday card messages have tracked a 300% Google search increase over the past 12 months – and Moonpig has also discovered that those looking for VR greetings have doubled.
The latest research from the online greetings and gift specialist suggests tech features will play a part in the future of the industry and how it might develop in line with the increasing demand for the use of artificial intelligence.
With the growth in usage of AI models such as Chat GPT and Dall-E over the last 12 months, according to Moonpig, the public are turning to AI to help them write and create cards with Google data showing that searches for “what to write on someone’s birthday card” have increased over 300% in that time.
James Huppler, vp of product and design at Moonpig, said: “Within our industry, AI should enhance the customer experience and provide something completely new, which wasn’t previously possible. We recently launched the Smart Text tool that uses generative AI to help customers with the common problem of not knowing what to write on the inside of a card.
“Resolving this issue is a great advancement for both us and our customers, so we’re excited to see how people interact with this new feature – whether it’s writing a poem to a loved one or even reading out a funny joke for your friend’s birthday – and how we can learn from their behaviours to develop this further.”
The research showed a 150% increase in Google searches for video message cards, which have a digital video available by a scannable QR code, and it’s the same for digital anniversary cards. while numbers looking for Father’s Day e-cards and virtual reality cards both doubled. Searches for digital thank you cards increased by 89%, augmented reality cards by 50%, animated cards went up by 33% and there was a 29% rise in those looking for a digital card creator.
According to Moonpig, the UK’s online greeting card industry has more than doubled in recent years, growing from £90million in 2016 to £199m in 2022, with the expanded the choice, enhanced convenience and the ability to hyper-personalise products, and now offer more digital-enabled features further improves the online offer.
“Product personalisation in the greeting card industry has quickly advanced further than just adding photos to the front of a card,” James added, “now expanding into adding video and audio messages too. As a nation of content creators with millions of reels and TikTok videos being created every day, we anticipate this trend continuing and, in some cases, becoming the norm when sending a card to friends and family.
“The increase in searches for VR greeting cards suggests an interest in VR/AR for customers in the future as VR technology continues to integrate with greeting cards. These technological advancements would mean greeting cards must start to create more personalised, immersive and experiential experiences for the customer. For example, no longer will our cards feature static images on the front, instead these images will be brought to life either through animation or even video messages from the sender to truly take personalisation to the next level.”
Moonpig’s experts predict personalisation will be at the forefront, with the Google data suggesting people want to get more creative as demand has increased for video, digital, animated and e-cards They also believe in the further adoption of AI, enabling e-commerce sites to offer more personalised card and gift suggestions.
And they expect an increased demand for instant digital cards and gifts with customers wanting instant gratification so ordering ever closer to the recipient’s occasion and wanting e-cards with a personalised audio or video message – meaning if they’ve has forgotten a birthday they can rectify it instantaneously while still making it look like a high-effort gift.
James said: “As technology evolves, the needs of our customers do too. Their behaviours and the way they interact with our cards will always continue to shape the future of the greeting cards industry.
“We know that customers want to be able to connect with loved ones on the move, from their phone, in a seamless way and this need to provide an on-demand service will continue to be a priority.
“Our research has also reinforced the need to continue to adopt these new technologies as the appetite to reinvigorate the way we send and receive cards changes, subsequently making it more important than ever to enhance the experience and allow our customers to celebrate the moments that matter in a truly unique and memorable way.”
