American Greetings: A Complete Guide to the Iconic Brand

In a world that’s increasingly digital, the power of a heartfelt, tangible connection remains unmatched. For over a century, American Greetings has been at the forefront of helping people express those emotions. From classic paper cards in supermarkets to animated ecards online, this iconic brand connects with everyone. It has become part of American celebrations and condolences.

The greeting card industry faces challenges from digital alternatives. The market is expected to shrink in the coming years. Yet American Greetings continues to adapt and maintain an important role in our cultural rituals.

This complete guide will walk you through everything that makes American Greetings a enduring name in personal expression.

The History and Legacy of American Greetings

The story of American Greetings is a classic American tale of immigrant entrepreneurship and family business. It’s a legacy built on understanding the simple human need to connect.

• Humble Beginnings 📜:The company was founded in 1906 by Polish immigrant Jacob Sapirstein. He began by selling postcards from a horse-drawn wagon in Cleveland, Ohio.
  This grassroots beginning focused on affordable, accessible greetings for everyday people.
• A Family Affair 👨👩👧👦: For generations, the Sapirstein family maintained control of the company. Later known as the Stone family, they guided its growth. Their leadership helped it expand from a small operation into a major corporation that eventually rivaled Hallmark.
  
  This long-term stewardship shaped its values.
• Innovation in the Aisles 🛒:A major turning point came with the invention of the first greeting card display rack in the 1940s. This innovation let retailers sell cards efficiently in many locations, greatly expanding their reach.
  
• Creating Cultural Icons ⭐: Beyond cards, the company also created or acquired many beloved character brands. Through its subsidiaries, icons like the Care Bears and Hello Kitty became global sensations. These characters helped extend the brand’s emotional reach far beyond the card shop.

Understanding the Greeting Card Market Landscape

To appreciate American Greetings’ position, it’s essential to understand the industry it operates in. It’s a market of tradition navigating a digital transition.

• A Market in Transition 📉: The overall greeting card market is experiencing a gradual shift. Valued at $6.86 billion in 2024, it is projected to decline to about $5.77 billion by 2032. This reflects changing consumer habits, especially among younger demographics.
• The Digital Disruption 📱: The primary challenge comes from free, instant digital alternatives like social media messages, texting, and e-cards. These digital substitutes have “sapped away demand” from traditional publishers.
• A Dominant Duopoly 🏢: Despite many changes, the U.S. market is still dominated by two major companies. American Greetings and Hallmark Cards together hold about 85% of the market. They compete on brand loyalty, product innovation, and extensive retail distribution.
• The Power of Paper 🧾: Even with digital growth, physical cards maintain strong demand, particularly among older demographics and for formal, meaningful occasions where a tangible token is preferred. The feeling of holding a card remains unique.

American Greetings vs. Hallmark: The Friendly Rivalry

The competition between American Greetings and Hallmark is one of the great business rivalries, akin to Coke vs. Pepsi. Each has carved out its own distinct personality in the marketplace.

• Brand Personality & Messaging 🎭: Hallmark is often seen as the more traditional, sentimental, and “official” brand of heartfelt moments. American Greetings, historically, has positioned itself as slightly more modern, humorous, and relatable, often appealing to a broader, everyday audience.
• Retail Strategy 🏪: Hallmark is famous for its dedicated, franchised Hallmark Gold Crown stores, which offer a curated experience. American Greetings has historically excelled at mass-market retail, with its ubiquitous display racks in supermarkets, drugstores, and big-box stores making cards an impulse buy.
• Character Focus vs. Star Power ✨: American Greetings owns many character properties, including Care Bears and Strawberry Shortcake.
  Hallmark, while having some characters, often leverages licensed content and partnerships with celebrities for its popular Hallmark Channel movies and related merchandise.
• Market Share & Size 📊: Both are giants. In recent analyses, Hallmark Cards Inc. often shows a slightly higher revenue figure, while American Greetings Corp holds its own as the clear #2 in the industry, demonstrating the stability of this two-player market.

A Tour of Popular American Greetings Card Lines

Walking down a card aisle, you’re navigating a universe of emotions and occasions. American Greetings excels at offering a card for every possible moment.

• Everyday Cards 🌈: This is the core of the business. It includes non-occasion-specific cards for “Thank You,” “Thinking of You,” “Get Well,” and general encouragement. They account for over 60% of total greeting card sales.
• Seasonal & Holiday Cards 🎄: From Christmas and Valentine’s Day to Halloween and Thanksgiving, this category drives significant seasonal revenue spikes. Sales in November, for example, can see a 15-20% monthly increase as people prepare for the winter holidays.
• Humorous Cards 😄: A major strength of the brand. These cards use wit, sarcasm, and playful art to celebrate birthdays, friendships, and life’s minor irritations. They offer an alternative to overly sentimental messages.
• Studio Cards 🎨: These are the premium, often trend-forward cards. They might feature sophisticated designs, unique die-cuts, glitter, sound chips, or high-quality paper. They cater to customers looking for a more distinctive or artistic statement.
• Personalized & Photo Cards 📸: Leveraging digital technology, this line allows customers to create custom cards with their own photos and messages for holidays, births, or weddings, blending the traditional card with personal digital content.

The Digital Evolution: American Greetings Ecards

To stay relevant, American Greetings has built a substantial digital presence. Their ecards offer a convenient, often more dynamic way to connect.

• A Vast Online Library 💻: The brand’s website, americangreetings.com, offers thousands of digital greetings. This domain alone generated an estimated $104 million in online revenue in 2024.
• Interactive & Animated Designs 🎬: Many American Greetings ecards feature full animation, music, and interactive elements, unlike static emails.
  They can include games, personalized avatars, and clickable elements, creating a mini-experience for the recipient.
• Scheduling & Reminders ⏰: Users can schedule an ecard to send on a future date.
  This, combined with reminder services for important occasions, helps users never miss a birthday or anniversary.
• Integration with Gifts 🎁: The digital platform often allows users to attach virtual or physical gift cards from major retailers directly to their ecard, turning a greeting into a full gift-giving experience.
• AI-Powered Personalization 🤖: Embracing the latest tech, American Greetings now offers AI messaging tools. These can help users generate a personalized message if they’re struggling to find the right words, making the process even easier.

Special Occasions Made Memorable

Certain life events almost demand a card. American Greetings provides the vocabulary for these profound moments.

• Birthdays 🎂: The cornerstone of the card industry. The range is vast, from funny cards for a 21st birthday to tender messages for a parent’s 80th. It’s the most consistent and reliable occasion for card sales.
• Weddings & Anniversaries 💍: This category covers everything from “Save the Date” notices and wedding congratulations to milestone anniversary cards (25th, 50th). The tone is typically elegant, romantic, and formal.
• Sympathy & Support 🤍: Perhaps the most important cards a company makes. These messages offer comfort, condolence, and support during times of loss or illness. They provide words when the sender may struggle to find their own.
• Baby & New Family 👶: Welcoming a new life brings joy, celebrated with cute and heartfelt cards.
  This category also includes congratulations for adoptions and “Just Because” cards for new parents needing encouragement.
• Graduations & Achievements 🎓: Cards that celebrate milestones like high school or college graduation, a new job, or a retirement. They focus on pride, celebration, and looking toward the future.

The Business Behind the Greetings

Operating at the scale of American Greetings is a complex logistical and creative endeavor. Here’s a peek behind the curtain.

• Revenue Streams 💰: Revenue comes from the sale of single greeting cards (the largest product segment), boxed card sets, and related consumer publishing like calendars and gift wrap. Their ecommerce site also shows a high conversion rate of 5.0-5.5%.
• Production & Costs 📄: The company is sensitive to material costs. Tariffs on imported paper and rising production expenses can squeeze profit margins, forcing decisions between absorbing costs or raising prices for consumers.
• Distribution Network 🚚: Getting cards to tens of thousands of retail locations is a massive operation. The company must manage relationships with national chains, local stores, and its own online fulfillment center.
• Licensing Power ®: A hugely profitable arm of the business. Licensing out beloved characters like Care Bears for toys, apparel, movies, and more generates significant revenue separate from card sales and builds lasting brand affinity.
• Seasonal Cycles 📅: The business is highly seasonal. The fourth quarter (October-December) for winter holidays is critical, as seen in monthly revenue jumps. Planning inventory, designs, and marketing around these peaks is essential.

Creative Process: How a Greeting Card is Born

Every card starts with an idea. The journey from concept to checkout aisle is a blend of art, psychology, and market research.

• Trend Forecasting & Ideation 💡: Creative teams study social trends, pop culture, language shifts, and color palettes to predict what will resonate with consumers 12-18 months in the future.
• Writing & “Verse” ✍️: A team of writers crafts the messages inside, known as “verse.” This requires a chameleon-like ability to write in different voices—from sincere and poetic to laugh-out-loud funny—for different target demographics.
• Art & Design Direction 🎨: Artists and designers bring the words to life. This involves choosing illustration styles, photography, typography, and physical formats (like unique folds or cut-outs) that match the card’s emotional tone.
• Copywriting for the Outside 🔤: The text on the front of the card (the “caption”) is crucial. It’s the hook that makes someone pick it up. It must be intriguing, clear, and instantly communicate the card’s purpose.
• Testing & Final Selection ✅: The team tests concepts with focus groups. A committee selects final designs based on creativity, market fit, and production feasibility before printing.

Character Brands: More Than Just Cards

The characters created or managed by American Greetings are entertainment franchises that generate immense value and emotional connection.

• Care Bears 🐻: Introduced in the 1980s, these colorful bears with stomach symbols representing feelings (Cheer Bear, Grumpy Bear) became a global phenomenon of kindness and empathy, spanning toys, TV shows, and films.
• Strawberry Shortcake 🍓: With her berry-scented hat and friends like Blueberry Muffin, this character defined a generation of “girl power” focused on friendship, nature, and sweetness in the early 1980s.
• Hello Kitty 😺: While created by Japan’s Sanrio, American Greetings has held the master licensing rights for this globally iconic character in North America for decades, managing her presence on countless products.
• Leveraging Nostalgia 📺: These characters have tremendous nostalgic power. The company often revisits and reboots them for new generations, ensuring they remain relevant and continue to drive sales across multiple product categories.

Consumer Demographics: Who Buys Greeting Cards?

Understanding the customer is key. While the audience is broad, distinct patterns emerge in who buys paper versus digital and for what reasons.

• The Age Divide 👵👦: Older demographics (Baby Boomers and Gen X) are the most reliable purchasers of physical greeting cards, valuing the tradition and tangibility. Younger millennials and Gen Z are more likely to use free digital methods but may purchase cards for very special, formal occasions.
• The Gendering of Greetings 👭: Statistically, women purchase significantly more greeting cards than men. They are often the “social secretaries” for families, remembering birthdays and sending thank-you notes. Marketing and product design often reflect this primary audience.
• The Formality Factor 🎩: The need for a physical card increases with the formality and significance of the occasion. A job promotion, a wedding, or a sympathy note often demands the gravitas of paper, while a casual “hello” is perfect for a text.
• Regional & Cultural Trends 🗺️: The industry follows population distribution, with more cards sold in densely populated areas. Cultural traditions within communities also influence card-buying habits for specific holidays or life events.

Environmental and Social Considerations

Today’s consumers are increasingly conscious of a brand’s values. American Greetings navigates the inherent environmental impact of a paper-based product.

• Sustainable Sourcing 🌳: A major focus is on the sourcing of paper. Using recycled content and paper from sustainably managed forests (certified by organizations like the Forest Stewardship Council) is an important step.
• Production Efficiency ⚡: Reducing waste in the printing and manufacturing process, using soy-based inks, and optimizing logistics to lower the carbon footprint of distribution are key operational goals.
• The Digital Alternative ♻️: The company’s ecard platform is actively promoted as a paperless, waste-free alternative for sending greetings, directly appealing to environmentally conscious consumers.
• Social Messaging ✊: Card lines increasingly reflect social awareness, offering cards that celebrate diversity, support social justice causes, and use inclusive language and imagery to connect with modern values.

The Future of American Greetings

The road ahead for American Greetings involves balancing its rich heritage with the imperative to innovate in a changing world.

• Hybrid Gifting Experiences 🎁💌: The future lies in blending physical and digital. Imagine scanning a QR code in a paper card to unlock a video message, or an ecard that offers the option to mail a premium print version. This “phygital” approach will likely grow.
• Hyper-Personalization & AI 🤖: AI messaging is just the start. Future tools might generate completely unique card designs based on a photo, write a poem in a specific style, or analyze a relationship to suggest the perfect tone.
• Beyond the Card 🛍️: The brand will continue to leverage its characters and emotional expertise to expand into new product categories and experiences, from themed merchandise and entertainment to apps focused on emotional well-being and connection.
• Niche & Community Focus 👥: To combat market consolidation, there may be a push toward highly targeted, niche card lines for specific hobbies, identities, or communities, sold primarily through direct-to-consumer online channels.

Tips for Choosing the Perfect American Greetings Card

With so many options, picking a card can be overwhelming. These tips will help you find the one that truly resonates.

• Identify the Occasion & Tone First 🎯: Is it a funny birthday or a serious sympathy card? Nail down the occasion and the emotional tone (humorous, romantic, supportive) before you start browsing.
• Think About the Recipient 👤: Consider their personality. Would they prefer a long, heartfelt poem or a short, witty punchline? Do they love cats, golf, or classic art? Let their interests guide you.
• Read the Inside First! 🔍: Don’t judge a card solely by its cover. Often, the perfect message is inside. Open several cards to find the verse that best expresses what you want to say.
• Personalize It ✏️: A pre-printed message is just the start. Always add a few handwritten lines—a specific memory, an inside joke, or simply “Miss you!”—to transform a mass-produced card into a personal treasure.
• Consider the Presentation 🎀: For very special occasions, think about pairing the card with a nice pen for the inscription, a premium envelope, or even a spritz of perfume or cologne to engage another sense.

Fun Facts and Trivia About American Greetings

• Original Name 📇: The company was originally called “The American Greeting Card Company” when it incorporated in 1944.
• A Record-Breaking Card 🏆: In 1994, American Greetings created the world’s largest greeting card. It was over 40 feet tall and 70 feet wide.
• Secret Code 🔢: For decades, the tiny letters and numbers printed on the back of cards (the “datum”) were used by retailers for inventory and pricing. While less common now, they were a key part of the retail system.
• Hollywood Connection 🎬: The company’s former headquarters in Cleveland was featured in the 1996 holiday movie “Jingle All the Way” starring Arnold Schwarzenegger.
• A Museum of Feeling 🏛️: The company once operated the American Greetings Museum in Cleveland, which showcased the history of social expression through its vast archive of cards and character memorabilia.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

• Is American Greetings a publicly traded company? No. After being publicly traded for many years, American Greetings was taken private in a deal led by the founding Stone family in 2018.
• What is the difference between an American Greetings card and a Hallmark card? While both are high quality, American Greetings is often perceived as more contemporary, humorous, and mass-market focused, with strong character brands. Hallmark is associated with deep sentiment, tradition, and its dedicated Gold Crown stores.
• Can I buy American Greetings cards online? Absolutely. You can purchase physical card box sets and singles for delivery on americangreetings.com, or use their extensive service to send digital ecards.
• Does American Greetings own Carlton Cards? Yes. Carlton Cards is a subsidiary brand of American Greetings, often featuring slightly different, sometimes more premium or studio-style designs sold in similar retail locations.
• How far in advance can I schedule an American Greetings ecard? You can typically schedule an ecard to be sent up to one year in advance, making it easy to plan for all annual occasions.

Conclusion

From its horse-drawn wagon origins to its AI-powered messaging tools, American Greetings has consistently evolved to meet the fundamental human need for connection. While the greeting card industry adapts to digital age pressures, the core value of a thoughtful, intentional greeting—whether on paper or on screen—remains timeless. American Greetings endures not just as a seller of cards, but as a curator of emotions, a catalyst for celebration, and a comfort in times of need. It reminds us that in a fast-paced world, taking a moment to say “I’m thinking of you” is a tradition worth keeping alive.