Hallmark Cards, Inc.

Why this company?

The reason why we choose Hallmark for our study is because we learned that its CSR covered dynamic aspect of social interests. The culture and the products of the company are closely related to its social values and this is what makes its CSR very convincing.

a) The main facts about the activities of the company. 


Hallmark Cards, Inc. is a company that based in Kansas City, Mo. Founded in 1910, Hallmark has a more than 100 years history. It is well known for its greeting cards, yet it has wide varieties of products which include paper party supplies, gifts, wrapping paper, ornaments and decorative items for the home, memory keeping picture frames, and more. With Hallmark employees? passion, caring, creativity and innovation, Hallmark has successfully delivered its products in helping its consumers to stay connect with their love ones. It is Hallmark?s value to keep/reach ?High standards of ethics and integrity; Caring and responsible corporate citizenship for Kansas City and for each community in which we operate.?
Hallmark is private own, family held, business, which clearly has a good sense about business and humanity values. This is why the company is not only making outstanding annual revenue of $4.1 billion in 2010, but also widespread distributions of its products. Hallmark cards are sold in 30 languages and distributed in over 100 countries around the world. Despite of its outstanding business performance Hallmark also differentiate itself from other business-oriented companies by involving in dynamic aspect of social behaviors.

b) The ethical challenges this company is addressing. 


Hallmark has divided its Corporate Social Responsibility Programmed into 6 core areas, including Responsible Employer, Sustainability, Performance, Environment, Community, and Trading with Integrity.
The first challenge is to be a Responsible Employer. Hallmark aims to create a positive and safe culture. This means each individual is respected. Hallmark values everyone?s contribution with respect and trust, and provide fairly reward.
The second challenge is to ensure sustainability. Hallmark understands the importance of minimizing the damage to the environment and make use of the resources in a sustainable and respectful way. For example Hallmark uses, Forestry Stewardship Council (FSC) and recycled products and minimize product packaging. Not only minimizing the damage to the environment Hallmarks also made some contribution to the environment by obtain woodlands and protect the plants and wildlife that reside there.
The third challenge is to ?ensure a financially stable environment for all Hallmark employees, customers and suppliers via successful and profitable trading performances.? Hallmark is constantly improving it self so that its customer can rely on Hallmark in delivering their thoughts and feelings, and to connect.
The fourth challenge is to protect environment. Because production of Hallmark products involved with natural resources, use of energy, waste and transport, it is Hallmark?s responsibility to reduce the waste/carbon that are produced. By doing so Hallmark is now using 95% of green electricity, and at least 70% of product waste is recycled. In the future Hallmark target to reduce energy use by 20% by 2011, carbon footprint by 20% and be fully carbon neutral by 2010, and more.
The fifth challenge is to initiate positive impacts on communities. Hallmark is eager to make a change on communities and charities. It has donated to two breast cancer charities in the UK and Ireland through the Mother?s day cards for a Cure TM campaign, allowed its employees to get a paid day leave per year to work as volunteers at any community event, and made donation from each card it sold (Christmas cards, Mother?s day cards etc) and more. Hallmark will continues to support and encourage its employees to lead community programs.
The sixth challenge is to ensure trading integrity. Hallmark choose suppliers carefully in hoping to develop long-term partnership. All suppliers have to comply with the Hallmark Supplier Code of Conduct or an internationally recognized ethical supply chain standard. Hallmark ensures its supplier meeting code of conduct by conducting a full audit regularly and its employees share same ethical values by share its ethical performance information.

c) What makes you believe this company is really ethical and why you trust it. 


There are three main reasons why I believe that Hallmark is a company with a great sense of ethical values. First of all, Hallmark has been caring out its social interests since a long time ago. For example, Hallmark has began recycle its wasted product in the 1940s, and started to use recycled paper in its products and packaging since the 1970s. Hallmark has long established a corporate-wide environmental conservation program in the 1990s, and continues to make progress.
Secondly, Hallmarks has a very clear understanding of the current position and specific steps in attaining its goals. Hallmark?s CSR program covered all ranges of ethical responsibility one can think of. For example Hallmark?s CSR covers responsibility for employers, employees, suppliers, customers, environment, community and more.
Last not the least, Hallmark has down-to-earth practices to serve social interest. Its social responsibility programs are very particles, it is not one of those hard to reach target. Step by step, Hallmark is trying reduced its waste, carbon footprint, and to give back to society by making donation from cards were sold, and plant trees. You will be amazed with all the social practice Hallmark has covered.

d) The possible challenges facing the company in the future and how you think this company may improve.

Although Hallmark proclaims that 100% of cards and envelopes printed are made from certified sustainable or recycled materials, the real challenge lies ahead. How should Hallmark make further improvement on the environmental responsibility and in the fields of sustainability? Trees are a re-growing resource, but what is happening now is the effect of deforestation, the climate change. Climate change is one of the main environmental issues that are happening right now. How will Hallmark take this responsibility and help improve the climate change or at least reduce the effect of climate change? Hallmark stated in its homepage that one of its future goals is to seek new and sustainable ways to minimize its business impact on the environment. By 2015 Hallmark will strive to reduce energy and water use, as well as solid and other waste, by 25 %, and wants to significantly improve the recyclability of its products. One way to improve could be to switch to renewable and regenerative energies. Another thing we would like to see is besides educating its supplier, employees, and customers on environmental awareness how Hallmark will expand its social values to society.