In the age of social media, the snail-mail holiday photo card is taking on more significance. Permanent, physical photos stand out, and families are realizing they can be used to convey important life changes—without having to put them into words. People are using the images on cards to signal major transitions, including divorce, illness and adoption.
“The holiday card gives you a chance to put out the one version that you feel good about. It gives you editorial control,” says Allen Adamson, co-founder of Metaforce, a branding and marketing consultancy. “And it has permanence. People hold on to them. They post them on refrigerators.”...