Hallmark Assignment 2 Founded in 1910 when Joyce Clyde Hall started selling two shoeboxes of postcards in Kansas City, Hallmark take creativity seriously. You might think they have to because they design about 19,000 new greeting cards every year, and each card costs about 40,000 to produce and is expected to generate some 85,000 in sales. But these days they are not just in the business of cards. They are, according to Paul Baker, senior vice president of creative development, in the business of developing 'emotional content that can be sold as greeting cards, on the web and through its own Hallmark TV channel. Hallmark's philosophy, work environment and development programmes are designed to encourage creative thinking. Their global headquarters is still in Kansas and their 800 in-house creative staff are based there. They have access to the world's biggest creative library with some 20,000 volumes and 175 current periodicals. They also have programme of visiting speakers. Recent visitors have been the acclaimed writer Maya Angelou and Dutch nature artist Marjolein Bastin. Their staff development programme is diverse including courses on working with Hallmark's colour management process on the one hand, but on the other: classes on sculpting and even doll-making. They have a 'creative renewal programme for staff who feel they are losing their edge. Kearney Farm, an old farmhouse set in a 172 acre estate, is their own creativity retreat'. It boasts its own art studio and regular creative brainstorming sessions are held there. It also organises research visits to overseas countries so that staff keep in touch with 'emotions in different countries. However there is a hard edge and slogans on some office walls remind staff how much a card that does not sell will cost the company. The company takes trend spotting seriously and employs staff to constantly scan the environment to monitor new developments. Modern innovations include e- cards that can be sent via Hallmark's own web site. You can even create your own card. The site also has a hugely popular Say-it-with-music' line where you can send a CD-quality sound card featuring more than 100 music artists as well as dialogue and themes from popular movies and TV shows. With over 250 designs', they feature the original artists and songs and link to the captions and sentiment of the card. The cards even appear on websites such as YouTube, with people lip- synching along to the cards' 45 second music clips. Launched in 2002, the Hallmark cable TV channel now has global reach, offering 'family friendly' programming. By 2006 it had become the ninth most watched cable TV channel in the USA, generating revenues of 2.1 billion. In that year, buoyed by the success of its cable TV channel, the company launched its own women's magazine. Up-to-date information on Hallmark can be found on their web site: www.hallmark.com Questions Identify and briefly explain 3 to 5 lessons about the product creativity/ innovation from this case