The Premium Design Marketplace Shares New Findings from 2021 Holiday Card Orders that Speak to the Emotional State of Americans This Holiday Season

Minted, the premium design goods marketplace, today released new data that indicates Americans are eager to “finally” return to normal this holiday season. Minted’s data analytics team mined the text copy of hundreds of thousands of customer holiday cards sent from October through December 2021, and found that after nearly two years of social distancing, customers are seeking renewed connection with friends and family.

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Premium design marketplace Minted shares findings from 2021 holiday card orders that indicate customers crave a return to tradition this holiday season. (Photo: Business Wire)

“Year after year, we find that holiday cards reflect the cultural trends and emotional sentiments of the nation through greetings, design cues, and customer-generated photography,” said Mariam Naficy, Founder and co-CEO of Minted. “In 2021, we are seeing a return to tradition after collectively navigating these unprecedented times. We’re also seeing a surge in demand for luxe formats and finishes as customers splurge on high-quality, beautiful correspondence to send their loved ones.”

What are customers writing in 2021 holiday cards?

Minted data shows that Americans are thrilled to spend time with friends and family this holiday season with terms such as “reunion” increasing by +90% from the same period last year. Minted has also seen an increase in holiday card photos featuring family gatherings, reunions and celebrations with large groups.

Customers are eager to return to their pre-pandemic lives; mentions of the term "finally" increased by +73%, and the word "normal" increased +12% compared to 2020. Travel-related terms such as "flight," "plane," "hotel" and "airbnb" also increased by +41% on holiday cards this year.

Minted’s platform crowdsources designs from a global community of independent artists from all 50 states and more than 100 countries. Over 2 million votes were cast to determine this year’s holiday card collection and results leaned heavily in favor of designs with positive messages of hope, togetherness, peace and happiness despite the challenges of the past year.

What shifts in the emotional state of the country have we seen from holiday 2020 to 2021?

Last year, Minted’s top performing holiday card was a funny design about quarantine with overt references to the year “2020.” Pandemic-related keywords trended, masks were de rigueur in photos and messages alike, and the presidential election remained top of mind.

This year, pandemic-related keywords are noticeably absent in holiday card messages despite the fact that COVID-19 cases peaked in early 2021 and much of the country remained under shelter-in-place orders until the summer. Mentions of “masks” were down -83% from last year and “social distancing” mentions were down -96%. Reflective of how customers are spending their free time, “Netflix” mentions are down -85% compared to last year, and political references have decreased -72%. However, there was one pandemic-related term that was frequently mentioned in 2021 cards—the word “vaccinated” increased +983%.

Minted has also seen high demand for pet-themed holiday cards in 2021 and mentions of pets across all holiday cards increased +31% from last year. “The pandemic has fueled a huge increase in pet ownership and in turn, customers are featuring their four-legged friends on their holiday cards. Pets are a part of the family after all,” said Naficy. “In response to this trend, we increased our selection of holiday cards featuring pet-specific designs. In a fun twist, one of this year’s best-sellers is actually a card from the pet on behalf of their humans.”

Return to Tradition Evident in Design Trends

In 2021, the majority of customers are gravitating to traditional greetings and design with both the formal “Merry Christmas” greeting and the color red prominently displayed. Last year’s trends included front stoop photos taken from a distance and informal collages of families at home or on Zoom; this year, Minted has seen a return to professional photography, coordinated clothing, and formal staged poses. Elegant holiday card designs are trending with notable sale increases in premium formats such as foil-press, letterpress and Gloss-Press®.

Minted holiday cards start at $66 for 25. As with all Minted products, a portion of every purchase directly supports the careers of independent artists in the Minted community. Visit minted.com/holiday for more information.

Methodology

Source: Minted Analytics Team.

The data comprises a sample set of more than 300,000 orders placed by Minted customers from October 2021 through December 2021 versus the same time period in 2020.

About Minted

Minted is a premium goods marketplace, committed to discovering and fostering the world’s untapped creative talent and bringing it to market. The company’s art, stationery, and home furnishings products have reached more than 75 million homes worldwide. Using Minted’s crowdsourcing technology, consumers are empowered to vote for the designs they love and want to see sold, ensuring that Minted always sells continuously fresh and trend-forward products. The winning designs are manufactured by Minted, enabling artists from around the world to sell their work while letting Minted do the rest. Since launching in 2007, the company has expanded to serve consumers in new categories including wall art, textiles, digital content, and home furnishings. Minted also builds traditional retail distribution for its independent artist community, partnering with major retailers and consumer products brands. The company has raised more than $300 million from top-tier investors including Benchmark Capital, T. Rowe Price, Permira, Ridge Ventures, Technology Crossover Ventures, and Norwest Venture Partners.

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