I got this from the Miami Dolphins (who have possibly the worst online “pro shop” in all of sports) in my email today:
NEED A LAST MINUTE GIFT, FAST? Virtual gift cards are delivered via e-mail within 24 hours!
I understand how people don’t like gift cards because there isn’t that much “thought” put into them, but I can understand them; I wouldn’t want to shop for me, since I’m very particular with the things I use, and a gift card makes life easier for people, especially if they’re sending something in the mail (instead of cash).
But really, what kind of message does it send to say “hey, here’s an email that you’ll probably delete as spam because I forgot that tomorrow is Christmas because I live in Antarctica and South Pole people refuse to acknowledge the actions of those at the North Pole”?
These are kind of the layers of giftgiving: