LITTLE GUYS TAKE ON GREETING CARD GIANTS
By Lorrie Grant, USA TODAY

The growing ranks of small and start-up greeting-card makers still account for a little slice of the market, but they believe they are contributing a big wave of creative fresh air sorely needed by a $7.5 billion industry with flat growth.

Cardmakers' sales have been stuck at that level since 2003 — and are forecast still to be there through at least 2007, according to Stanford Group analyst Kathleen Reed.

The boutique makers' cards have offered new designs, new technology and cultural diversity.

"My generation is the first to grow up on hip-hop music, and its culture was not being represented in the greeting-card market," says Ron Williams, whose Long Island, N.Y.-based company Lyrics2go makes cards with technology that plays 10 seconds of urban music.

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