How to: decide what to put on the back of your cards

Today's "how to" blog doesn't have any answers, folks.  Not even any tips.  Because, regarding this amazingly controversial topic, there do not seem to BE any answers.  

So, we'll just be pointing out the nature of the controversy itself, in order to a) make you aware that this big old gigantic controversy exsists (WHO KNEW?!?!?!) and b) solicit your opinions/solutions in comments below.

The controversy?  What information "should" your company (you) include on the backs of your greeting cards?  That's right.  That turns out to be quite a hot-button issue.

We'll illustrate . . . .

On the backs of the first round of Bean Up The Nose Art's cards, the only thing printed on their backs was the copyright information, and a "Blank Inside" line (so that you would know . . . well, that the card was blank inside.)

This resulted in the following feedback from brick and mortar vendors:

*  "Why is the back of your card blank?!?!"

*  "I like to buy from local artists.  Can't you say where you're from on the back of your card?"

*  "Why is the back of your card blank?!?!?!"

*  "The first thing my customers do is turn the card over, to read the story of the artist who made them.  You don't have anything on the back of your cards."  

*  "Why is the back of your card blank?!?!?"

*  "Customers connect with stories.  Can't you put something on the backs of your cards?  They want to know who you are."

*  "WHY IS THE BACK OF YOUR CARD BLANK?!?!?!?"

From this feedback, one might reasonably deduce that a description about the artist should appear on the back of the cards.

Thus, Bean began getting its cards with this printed on the back:

Problem solved, yes?  

Not really.

Yes, there were many, many people who'd read the back and say, "Wow!  Glad to know this about you and your work!"  (And by the way, THANK YOU for that. You have no idea how much it warmed my heart.)

BUT . . . according to my sales rep, there are vendors who look at the back of the card and shudder.  And even customers who chimed in to say, "I hate ANYTHING on the back of cards.  Who cares?  I only buy the cards for the art and the sayings, and I don't give a s**t about what the artist does in her process."

Which, frankly, was what we thought in the beginning, too . . . that the cards were just about the art and the sayings, and who would want to read anything about the artist, anyway?  Which was why they were blank.  But then . . . all the vendor feedback about story-telling.  What's a person to do?

So now, here is what the current round of cards have on the back:

 

Which still doesn't solve all the problem.  Because some vendors still want cards "with the story." 

Of course, what is likely most controversial is the death penalty appeals part.  Because not everyone agrees that people who have been convicted of the death penalty deserve a defense. And I comprehend their feelings.  So, the easiest thing would be just to remove that part, and say the rest.  But the problem is, it feels like a big lie to have "the rest" be "the story," when my day job for the last 15 years has been that work.  To leave it out because some people don't philosophically agree with it seems hypocritical.  And then, it also starts to feel, when you're worried about what to write on the back, that card-selling and card-buying are in some way a popularity contest based on the artist's backstory, instead of based on whether you like the card itself.  Thus, we're back to basically blank.

Would love to hear your comments below about how other people have handled, or perceive this big old controversy.  Thanks for playing!