Moonpig. Forgetting is forgivable. Choosing isn't.
Moonpig has 107 million reminders sitting in people's calendars, and 40% of its orders come within a week of one firing. Every one is a sale it has already scheduled.
THE GIST ON MOONPIG: "Return to Sender"
What is Moonpig's advantage?
Moonpig makes 350 million pounds a year selling cards, in this day and age. Clintons, Paperchase, Scribbler: they all need you to walk past the store. If you don't, they don't sell anything. Moonpig got millions of people to hand over the most important dates in their lives and built a system that turns each one into a future transaction.
What does a reminder change?
Before you had the reminder, not sending someone a birthday card was an oversight. Once you get a reminder, it's a choice. Forgetting is forgivable, but choosing isn't. Moonpig turned every birthday from something you might do into something you have to justify not doing.
Why can't it be disrupted?
The beauty of it is that they happen every year. Your mum's birthday, your anniversary. Three hoops: the reminder, the obligation, the sale. A revenue model that can never be disrupted, because your mum will always have a birthday.
Does it go further?
It runs through modern life. Every notification on your phone is a tiny manufactured obligation waiting to be resolved: unread badges, reminders, daily streaks. The attention economy runs on creating something you feel bad about ignoring, then selling you the fix for a modest fee. Moonpig found the one that comes back every year, can never be switched off, and gets more expensive the longer you leave it.
Do you actually like getting a reminder to send a card?
Your take. One tap, then see how everyone else voted.
Quick answers
How many reminders does Moonpig have?
107 million, and 40% of its orders come within a week of one firing.
How much does Moonpig make?
350 million pounds a year selling cards, according to Huw.
Why does a reminder help Moonpig?
It turns not sending a card from an oversight into a choice you have to justify.
See you on the next one.
What should the next one be? Suggest a topic for Huw to explain
The conversation
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