Greeting Cards Make Big Profits

Photography News that's Fit to Blog (This Week)
by Kerry Raminiak

Howdy from Texas. There’s a lot of news.

On our end.
The outpouring of thanks and accolades for the new PhotoReflect has been so incredible. It is always nice to receive compliments. It simply cheers me up so much that I have decided to compliment at least three people a day until … well… whenever? Is getting to the weekend a good goal? I must admit, I am an inherently cranky person so this might be a challenge. I’ll try to let you know how it goes.

Also on our end.
Along with all the very kind words I have been receiving, I did get one email that told me, after seeing the new square thumbnails to: “go straight to hell.” Gotta tell ya… don’t know what to do in that situation. Anyone that asked me politely what the deal was got this response:

As our way to get you to try the new and simply incredible PhotoReflect dashboard, we wanted to show you how easy it is to enable and disable features to your preferences… such as the square-thumbnail visual aspect that allows you to display more photos on the single album page view and in a contemporary way. To change settings on your storefront, simply go to your online account and click the “Storefront” tab for this and many more settings you can control.

Curious if you have any advice. Someone tells you to go to h-e-double hockey sticks for a simple setting you have introduced: Do you tell them to simply un-check a box in their settings while guaranteeing more insults; Do nothing; Tell them where to stick it? … I did what I could, as I promised to get back to anyone that emailed me on the topic. (They are satisfied; I am mortified.) Also gotta say, it took ten compliments to take the sting off of one attacking email (I may be cranky, but I am also a bit sensitive, or so I have been told). At the very least, I am relieved; there are enough compliments for a couple hundred snide evil doers. (Thanks again.)

News that is not about us.
The gang in the sales department sent this article over to me (headline: Photo of Spanish Prime Minister's daughters highlights privacy concerns for world leaders). First, my shock the sales folks sending me something for the blog (they’re, well, sales people… I kid). Secondly, it is rather interesting. Are photographs of world leader’s kids completely off limits? Is digital photography + Internet = genie in the bottle?

Sharing the excitement.
PMA Newsline was overhauled with a new look, feel and navigation. ZBE announces a new website.

People are buying greeting cards.
A lot of greeting cards. American Greetings announces a record-breaking second quarter. Not, “hey, we’re doing fine in this economy,” rather, so good they have beaten all previous Q2 sales ever! Perhaps they know that in this economy greeting cards are still the most sure-fire way to send tidings in a sincere way? Perhaps they are reading the same statistics we are that pushed up to give a free interactive greeting card tool to any PhotoReflect storefront that want it (click the link and then click “photo gifts and greeting cards are now automatic”)? Congrats American Greetings, keep up the good work.