As Caitlin Carragee discusses in the blog post “Let’s Get Personal(ized),” content that is tailored to audience preferences makes the reader feel special or, as content marketers would say, “surprised and delighted.” When content is targeted specifically to the reader’s preferences, the messages become stickier and the brand is more memorable. As a marketer myself, I can admit that these personal touches positively influence my perception of a brand. For example, on my last birthday I was ecstatic to discover a birthday-themed Google Doodle on my browser’s homepage with a hover box reading “Happy Birthday Shannon!”

Though I’m sure my birthday surprise was a carefully calibrated combination of online tracking and web coding, I appreciated the extra effort that was made to add this small personal touch. It is the thought that counts, after all.

Just like Google, American Greetings knows that people want to feel celebrated on their birthday. Their new line of video e-cards, promoted in a stunning multimedia news release titled, “Celebrate Birthdays in an Epic Way with New Michael Bolton Video Ecard from American Greetings” is a clever shift away from traditional birthday cards. Buyers can customize a music video featuring singer Michael Bolton by choosing one of 1,000 pre-recorded names and 17 lyric options. Like the e-card, the use of rich media within this customizable microsite makes this announcement by American Greetings stand out and become memorable to its readers. In fact, the release is so effective that it was hyperlinked in media coverage on People.com

The most effective components of this release include:

• An eye-catching, tweet-ready headline
• Hi-res images that maximize social sharing potential
• A click-to-tweet button embedded after the first paragraph
• A sticky navigation bar showcasing the call to action and the social share options front and center

American Greetings is far ahead of the trend of creating content that is customized specifically to the recipient. Congratulations on a fantastic—and fun–release!