Fidipidi: Cool concept maybe launched too soon
I thought I had finally found a solution for my HBFS [holiday and birthday forgetfulness syndrome]…
Being notorious for buying greeting cards I never get around to mailing, I was excited to hear about Fidipidi™, a new online application that allows users to create personalized and printed greeting cards in Facebook. They’ll print the card out and mail it in an envelope for you for about five bucks.
That sounded good to me, so I went to take a look. All-in-all a pleasant site. The cards they offer are nice-ish but, as templated cards usually are, generic and impersonal. Not a single Hallmark moment among them. They’ll let me design my own card and pull in photos, but I was hoping for more card categories and sentiments, and less of “your customized message here.” There’s also no brand experience in either the cards or the transactional site…which might be a wasted opportunity to drive maximum customer lifetime value.
On the Facebook side, they do show that one of my friends has a birthday next week. However, she’s not getting a Fidipidi™ card, because like many of my social network contacts, I don’t know her physical address.
I will be interested to see how Fidipidi™ evolves. Until then, I’ll probably just keep having good intentions. In fact, right now in my bag, there’s a beautiful Mother’s Day card that never got to fulfill its destiny. I take comfort in the fact that it was printed on recycled paper.
2 Comments to Fidipidi: Cool concept maybe launched too soon
Gina,
Thanks for your feedback on our new site – fidipidi. As with any new venture, particularly a full e-commerce site in Facebook, it is always important to recognize potential improvements. Fidipidi’s purpose is not to serve the “Hallmark” audience, but to work with the creative genius that lies within each of us to create their own “moments.” The uniqueness of fidipidi does lie in the eye of the beholder as we have seen. Our cards have received rave reviews from our fans who have utilized the application and we have also seen a welcome response to the ease of use and the fact that you can order a customized greeting card online. I would welcome the opportunity to hear more about your experience and to see how fidipidi can improve. In the meantime, I wish you a fidabulous day and hope that you at least use your “1stCardFree” and make someone’s day a little more special.
Sincerely,
Edward Leos
Manager – Social Media Marketing/Customer Advocacy
fidipidi
Hi, Edward! Truly, I wish fidipidi every success. It’s a fun concept,
and I know there are many creative people who will enjoy the site. I know you plan to add features and choices, so…for those of us sentiment-impaired people who obsess in the Walgreen’s aisle…
In this instant-communication age, we want to send something really special…something that needs to be experienced physically…that’s worthy of gracing a desk or table for a week or two.
We also need help saying something completely unexpected and seemingly original
to make someone smile. We need help weaving together a sentiment that doesn’t
sound silly. And we need lots of options because sometimes we really don’t
know what to say that’s worth five bucks, the effort it takes to mail it, the air
pollution for USPS to deliver it, and the time it takes for the recipient to
open and read it.
So, if in the future fidipidi adds options/functionality like these…
- Many more – and more visually appealing – cards per category
- More card categories
- Mix and match graphics and messages
- Sentiment suggestions
- Cause-oriented affiliations
- Decorative embellishments that say ‘you’re special’
- Premium stock and envelopes
- Hand-address, message and signature upsell
- ‘Send a gift, too’ upsell
…I’d say you were on the right track to creating a more differentiated service – and probably be able to boost frequency. Best of luck to you all!
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May 18, 2010