Ever had a “Hallmark moment?” It’s a term that’s worked its way into pop-culture nomenclature to represent those times when you experience a serendipitous encounter or sappy emotional event. If so, when it happened, did you tell someone? Well, now you can thanks to an app called “Tell Them.”
Hallmark has created a Facebook campaign that enables people to share such moments with Facebook friends, and it fits perfectly within the framework of brands enabling friend-to-friend communication without artificially inserting themselves into the conversation.
How “Tell Them” Works
Once you like the page, the app allows you to “Make a vow” to tell someone something special by completing a form provided in the app. It could be a parent, child, spouse, boyfriend, whomever. Once you’re done, submit the form and give Facebook permission to add your vow to a running list of others. You can also opt to share your activity in your Timeline.
Only at the end does Hallmark insert itself into the conversation, but does so with two calls to action, including one that has social commerce application: users can download a coupon that can be used in the store and/or sign up to receive email promotions.
I like this app for several reasons. First, it promotes an f-commerce best practice, that of facilitating friend-to-friend sharing without brand intervention. Second, it’s consistent with Hallmark’s brand promise of being a conduit for building relationships and creating meaningful connections. Here’s a statement from the Tell Them info tab that defines it very clearly:
“Life is made up of moments. Both big and small, happy and sad. And Hallmark helps you share your voice, your thoughts, and your feelings, so you can let the people you care about know exactly what they mean to you. Through thick and thin, the good times and the bad, it’s important to know that life is a special occasion, and Hallmark can help drive the emotional connections that make all your relationships meaningful.”
Third, it’s simple to use and takes only a few minutes. Lastly, and most importantly, it captures the very essence of why people use Facebook, and that is to share the events of their lives, big and small, with friends and family. As such, it fits perfectly within Facebook’s confines, especially in the new Timelines iteration.
Paul,
We have advised Hallmark legal counsel in writing that utilizing “TELL THEM” is in direct violation of the trademark rights of Teazled LLC. As such, please cease and desist utilization of same immediately. This is verifiable via the US Patent and Trade Office website.
Thank you for your prompt attention in this matter.
Dina Proto
President
Teazled, LLC