Brand Repositioning of Hallmark Greeting Cards Strategy
This paper examines a brand repositioning strategy for Hallmark greeting cards, proposing a shift from the declining consumer print card market toward a premium, personalized greeting card service targeting small and medium-sized businesses. Drawing on consumer behavior and branding theory, the paper identifies the research needed to understand business-market attitudes and pricing tolerance, outlines methods for increasing product adoption rates through direct marketing and trial incentives, proposes ancillary service components such as a contact-date database and flexible delivery options, and anticipates likely distribution challenges including international logistics and partner network management.
- Repositioning in the Target Market: Rationale for targeting B2B small-medium businesses
- Types of Research Needed for Successful Repositioning: Research areas: attitudes, features, pricing, distribution
- Methods for Increasing Adoption Rates: Adoption-diffusion strategy with direct marketing and trials
- Scope for New Service Component: Ancillary services: date reminders, flexible delivery options
- Likely Distribution Problems: Domestic and international logistics and partner networks
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What makes this paper effective
- Applies established branding and consumer behavior frameworks (Kardes et al., Franzen & Moriarty, Wreden) to a concrete repositioning scenario, grounding the analysis in theory.
- Moves logically from market identification through research design, adoption strategy, service extension, and distribution planning — each section builds on the previous one.
- Balances conceptual discussion with practical, actionable recommendations (e.g., a 20% first-order discount, a client contact-date database, overnight courier partnerships).
Key academic technique demonstrated
The paper demonstrates applied strategic analysis: it takes a recognized marketing concept (the product lifecycle decline stage and the need for repositioning) and systematically works through every operational implication — research, pricing, adoption, service design, and logistics — using citations to justify each analytical step. This is a strong model for how to convert theoretical frameworks into a structured business recommendation.
Structure breakdown
The paper comprises five sections. The first establishes the rationale for repositioning and identifies the B2B target segment. The second maps out the research agenda across attitudinal, product-feature, pricing, and distribution dimensions. The third applies the adoption-diffusion model to develop a direct-marketing and trial-incentive plan. The fourth proposes value-added service components to support the premium positioning. The fifth anticipates distribution challenges and outlines domestic and international logistics solutions. References follow APA style.
Repositioning in the Target Market
Hallmark greeting cards are the most ubiquitous printed greeting cards found across the United States. The company prides itself on having a card for every occasion and to express every sentiment. Hence, the volume of cards printed by the company has increased over time. The chief strengths of the brand are excellent product quality, quality of sentiment, visual appeal, and the convenience of accessing and purchasing a card. However, with the advent of free and interactive online greeting card services, the popularity of printed greeting cards has been declining over the years. According to Kardes et al. (2011), brands need to be rejuvenated when they are in the decline stage. Franzen and Moriarty (2009) state that a brand needs to be repositioned when it fails to remain relevant to the value patterns of the period. Therefore, it is important for the brand to reposition itself as one that promises a relevant and valuable offering to its target market.
According to 2007 United States Census figures, there were around 90,000 firms in the United States with 100–499 employees, making up 1.8% of all business firms in the country. Smaller firms with a workforce size ranging between 20 and 100 employees made up around 11% of firms in the United States (United States Census Bureau, 2012). These businesses depend on strengthening and maintaining relationships with business partners such as suppliers, advertisers, marketers, lawyers, and other important stakeholders in the community. These organizations can be considered the target segment for a repositioned, personalized Hallmark greeting card service.
The Hallmark greeting card brand should reposition itself as a premium brand offering personalized services to the business market segment comprising small and medium-sized business firms. Personalization in business communication is a highly valued attribute; it helps raise the profile of a business partner over others, enabling stronger relationships and increased business opportunities.
References
Franzen, G., & Moriarty, S. (2009). The science and art of branding (p. 187). M.E. Sharpe.
Kardes, F., Cronley, M., & Cline, T. W. (2011). Consumer behavior (p. 350). Cengage Learning.
United States Census Bureau. (2012). Statistics about business size (including small business) from the U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved from https://www.census.gov/
Wreden, N. (2007). Profit brand (p. 130). Kogan Page Publishers.
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