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Freakonomics Radio

571. Greeting Cards, Pizza Boxes, and Personal Injury Lawyers

Jan 4, 2024
49:25
Snipd AI
Millennials dominate the greeting card industry with evolving designs and diverse locations. Discover the engineering behind pizza boxes, including competition to find the fastest folder. Explore the impact of personal injury lawyer ads, compensation factors, and the influence of Supreme Court rulings. Finally, explore the creative side of greeting cards and advertisements for Menards, McDonald's, and Carvana.
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Quick takeaways

  • Millennials have shifted the design trends in greeting cards towards more self-deprecating and brutally honest designs, while larger card brands like Hallmark and American Greetings still maintain a strong presence in retail stores.
  • Personal injury law firms heavily invest in marketing and advertising to attract clients, with billions of dollars spent on bold commercials and billboards, as lawyers rely on advertising to build their reputation and bring in cases.

Deep dives

The Popularity of Greeting Cards

Greeting cards remain a $7 billion industry, with Americans buying around 6.5 billion cards each year. The market is dominated by two major companies: Hallmark Cards and American Greetings, who together control 80% of the market. Cards are divided into everyday and seasonal categories, with Christmas being the biggest holiday for card sales. The industry has seen a shift in buying patterns, with millennials now being the largest buyers of greeting cards.

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