Competitors to hallmark Cards have been creating customizable edible cards through configurators that take pictures anyplace them on the chocolate of the card. Mass customization can serve to define long-term value for a given product or service by customizing it to the need of the consumer (Pine, 2004). Threats

The threats to the supply chain hallmark Cards will have to work with are major. This is uncharted territory for the company and they will need to get more involved in ensuring product quality of choclate is sufficient to sell the product. The second threat of costs of manufacture will also need to be closely managed and evaluated over time as well; as this is a business the company is not as familiar with as their greeting card business. The third dominant threat is from competitors who may choose to emulate them and work to overcome their market position in the traditional greeting card business with customizable, edible cards.

Trends

The trends on the greeting card business favor a highly differentiated novel product as an edible greeting card. Figure 1 illustrates the expected compound annual growth rate of greeting card sales. Note that 2010 is -3%. The traditional market is therefore excellently positioned to have a novel, highly differentiated...

This is an excellent trend as it shows that when consumers choose to purchase a greeting card the majority of the time they also purchase merchandise as well. All of these factors will be positive to the extend Hallmark can align the messaging of the edible greeting card with the need people have to communicate how they care for their friend, family and loved ones.
References

(Garrett, 2007)

Joan Garrett. (18 December 2007). Chocolate thanks. McClatchy - Tribune Business News, 45-48

(Nigro, 2009)

Nigro, H.. (2009, January). Learning Marketing Lessons from Christmas Cards. Printing News, 162(2), 10.

(Pine, 2004)

B Joseph Pine II. (2004). Mass customization: the new imperative. Strategic Direction, 20(1), 2.

(Pine, Gilmore, 2001)

B Joseph Pine II, & James H. Gilmore. (2001,…