Each year, Hallmark estimates 132 million Valentine’s Day cards are exchanged. This figure, which doesn’t include children’s cards, could be be seeing a decline due to alternate modes for sending messages: like a meaningful text or a dedicated post on social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
But there’s something special about receiving a handwritten card. To help bridge the two forms of communication, Santiago Prieto and Alexis Monson created an app called Punkpost, which makes sending handwritten cards as simple as shooting a text message.
“There’s an unspoken truth from a handwritten greeting card that people aren’t willing to part with,” Prieto toldiDigitalTimes. “‘You matter to me.’ ‘I thought of you.’ ‘I took trouble to share with you this thing I like.’ People are longing for real human connection that you can't find in a tweet or Facebook message, and that’s how Punkpost, our app for sending handwritten cards as quickly as texts, was born.”
The app changes card-giving by saving the user two precious commodities: money and time. You don’t have to wait for letterpress cards to come in the mail or spend an excessive amount of money in boutique shops.
“If you open the Punkpost app, you’ll have a multitude of designs to choose from: we update collections monthly and work with local artists to keep things fresh and with a punk attitude,” Monson said. “You’ll find some classy cards as well (and we’ll be expanding that selection), but we see that our customers really go for edgy cards.”
When you use the Punkpost app, your first card is free. After that, cards cost $6, which includes its full service and postage. There are add-ons available like confetti or a photograph ($1.50). For international deliveries, there is an additional $1 fee.
Want your message written in a different language? Punkpost has a team of writers that speak and write in different languages (e.g. Chinese, Korean, Russian, Spanish). Additionally, they can add emojis to your messages.
“Our writers are all very artistic and love drawing,” said Monson. “They simply reproduce any emojis that you use in your messages when they write your cards, as well as they can reproduce any language really. We’ve written cards in Thai, Greek, Swedish and many other languages — Punkposts have already been sent to over 50 countries around the world.”
With Valentine’s Day around the corner, the app is a great way to send heartfelt messages to your loved ones. Punkpost is ready for the holiday with a line of humorous cards with their “Grub Talk” collection.
“Valentine’s, Palentine’s, Galentine’s — there are many holidays people celebrate this time of the year, and we’ve got them all covered,” said Monson. “First of all, there are some new punny cards on the app that will add a touch of humor to any handwritten note (check out our ‘Grub Talk’ collection and easy picks like ‘You have a pizza my heart’), as well as some classy and sweet cards from June Letters Studio, and even a new and very special ‘Will You…’ card from our recent collaboration with artist Chelsey Dyer. This card can be used for a surprise proposal (although you can also write something as lighthearted as an invitation to the movies in it).
“We are also swapping the regular confetti for XOXO, so you can glitter-bomb your SO or BFF with some hugs and kisses in the envelope,” Monson continued. “Finally, just to show how much thought goes into each card: we even try to match a stamp to the message and the occasion, as well as a card from a guy or a girl will be assigned to a male or female writer respectively.”
Beginners can navigate the user-friendly app, but its services are perfect for people who are busy and have an eye for design.
“The app appeals to a younger, busier and more design-conscious population,” said Prieto. “Our target audience is made up of millennials and urban dwellers, but we’ve had everyone from busy Moms and Dads use the app to teens who love snarky cards and are obsessed with confetti-bombing to professionals (and businesses!) who find that it can save a lot of time and enhance their interaction with their customers. We’ve recently added a feature that allows sending a message to multiple recipients with the same few clicks. Since then we’ve seen brides use it for sending those multiple wedding invitations, businesses ordering cards for their employees and customers, and even celebrities saving their assistants some work by quickly sending a few personal notes.”
In the end of the day, the app’s biggest service is how it helps people connect.
“The biggest benefit is that human connection that’s lost in digital correspondence,” said Monson. “With Punkpost, you're able to show someone that you really care by using just a few minutes of your time.”
