The Australian Greeting Card Association (AGCA) wants Australia Post to cut its postal rates for greeting cards, describing the current 70c charge as “a mental barrier.”
The association made the call during its official launch of National Thinking of You Week, an industry initiative aiming at spreading “love, caring and happiness” throughout Australia from 15-21 June.
“Seventy cents to send a greeting card is a lot of money to some people and it does inhibit people from sending cards,” said Ron Thorpe, president AGCA. “We’ve asked AusPost to consider a second class postal rate like they have in the UK. The card would probably get there the day after tomorrow, rather than tomorrow, but a discount of just five or ten cents would make a big difference to people who see the seventy cents a card rate as a bit of a mental barrier.”
Thorpe said discussions with AusPost are in their early stages but he was hopeful of a positive outcome. “After all, they are facing a decline in their letter deliveries.”
National Thinking of You Week is an opportunity to remind friends and family how much you care for them, said Thorpe. “In a world where the transient text, email or Facebook message has become the default form of communication, the value of a written greeting in contributing to health, happiness and wellbeing cannot be overstated. In fact, it’s been scientifically proven that receiving a handwritten card makes people feel much more special than e-communications. UK cognitive neuroscientist Dr Lynda Shaw believes that receiving greeting cards helps stave off feelings of loneliness and isolation, increases self-esteem and even helps ward off the early stages of depression."
Australian card makers have produced tens of thousands of cards featuring about 350 new designs for the event, while others are highlighting their existing range. Point-of-sale materials are now being rolled out to participating newsagents and more than 3,000 AusPost retail outlets. Thorpe says the response to the initiative has been very positive.
“Many people keep and treasure special greeting cards not just for days or weeks, but sometimes for years…and it makes the sender feel great, too, knowing they’ve increased someone’s happiness in such a simple, but lasting, way.”