Royal Mail is pulling out the stops this year in its promotion of Christmas card sending. It has introduced singing postboxes, disseminated an empathetic video highlighting the importance of sending Christmas cards; instigated a festive window display competition for retailers and hit the spot with its letter to Santa service for children.
However, it was the actions by one of its delivery team that really pulled on the nation’s heartstrings and really hit home the message of the emotional importance of sending greeting cards.
Seven year old Jase Hyndman, from West Lothian in Scotland, sent a birthday card to his dad “in heaven” and received a touching letter from Royal Mail to say it had been delivered safely.
Royal Mail’s assistant delivery office manager Sean Milligan wrote in his letter to Jase: “I just wanted to take this opportunity to contact you about how we succeeded in the delivery of your letter, to your dad in heaven.
“This was a difficult challenge avoiding stars and other galactic objects on route to heaven,” the letter added.
The Facebook post with Royal Mail’s response to Jase was shared more than 200,000 times and the story was picked up by the media all over the world.
The power of how cards can connect people is the focus of Royal Mail’s Christmas card video campaign that is currently running on social media channels. Royal Mail’s short film is aimed at consumers, encouraging them to send their cards.
https://www.facebook.com/RoyalMail/videos/283737402143409/
Meanwhile, this year Royal Mail is looking to reward superbly festive independent retailers with a competition, offering first prize of £1,000 for the best Christmas window display or Christmas-related initiative and £500 for two runner ups.
The competition, which runs until December 16 across the UK, invites independent retailers to share a photo of their festive shop window display with Royal Mail or tell them about a festive initiative they are running. Photo or comments should be posted on Twitter or Instagram, including #RoyalMail and #smallbizfestivecompetition as well as their own username, tagging in @RoyalMail on Twitter or @RoyalMailOfficial on Instagram Alternatively entries can be sent via email to win@royalmail.com with the subject line Small Business Festive Competition.
A spokesperson for Royal Mail said “We support the growth of each and every small business that we have the opportunity to work with and pride ourselves on being the most reliable business partner to all. We’re delighted to be providing small businesses with the chance to win special prizes through our festive competition.”
Today is the last posting date for sending Christmas cards to Africa and the Middle East, while those with friends in France, Belgium, Luxemborg or Ireland have until Tuesday 18 December.
Here are the other overseas last posting dates:
Last Posting Date Destination
Tuesday 4 December – Africa, Middle East
Friday 7 December – Cyprus, Malta, Asia, Far East and Eastern Europe (except Poland, Czech Republic and Slovakia)
Saturday 8 December – The Caribbean, Central and South America
Monday 10 December – Greece, Turkey, Australia, New Zealand
Friday 14 December – Canada, Czech Republic, Italy, Poland, USA
Saturday 15 December – Finland, Sweden
Monday 17 December – Austria, Denmark, Germany, Iceland, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Slovakia, Spain, Switzerland
Tuesday 18 December – Belgium, France, Ireland, Luxembourg
And for the UK…
Tuesday 18 December – 2nd Class and Royal Mail Signed For 2nd Class
Thursday 20 December – 1st Class, Royal Mail Signed For® 1st Class, Royal Mail Tracked 48
Friday 21 December – Royal Mail Tracked 24
Saturday 22 December – Royal Mail Special Delivery Guaranteed
Top: Some of this year’s Christmas stamps, the designs of which all feature a postbox.
