A love of finding the right words

KENDRA Keller is rather coy about just how many Valentine’s Cards she will be sending this year.

The American is single, and also Hallmark cards’ first ever Head of Romance.

“We do things a bit differently in America,” she says. “We tend to send cards to all our family, so I will be sending quite a few.” And she is not alone in sending more than one Valentine card. A recent Hallmark survey found around eight out of 10 of us will be sending at least one Valentine’s card this year,

So those who see the internet and texting as the death-knell for the card are mistaken, says Kendra.

“It does seem that people are sending fewer Christmas cards, but when it comes to the romantic occasions such as Valentine’s people still seem to want to send an actual physical card and I see no reason that this is going to change.”

Kendra, who moved to Bradford from Hallmark’s HQ in Kansas a year ago, heads the “romance” department.

It is her job to research social trends and work with the “creatives” at Hallmark to come up with the messages inside the thousands of cards they produce every year.

She may be from the States, but Kendra has an affinity with England. She studied an MA in Essex on The Bard himself. Shakespeare was no stranger to the words of love.

“I have a passion for words,” she says.

“Our aim is to make sure that there is a card for everyone no matter what their circumstances and, over the years, society has changed a lot and we need to provide cards that reflect that.”

The rise of civil partnerships and also second marriages has meant that the messages in the cards have had to change to reflect that.

“We often try to keep the sentiment quite open. Not everyone wants to say ‘I love you’ in a card. It is a lot more complicated than you think, but that is what makes it so interesting. No two relationships are the same.

“It is my job to consider the variety and complexities or human interactions, to think about the phases that relationships go through and to imagine what people might want to say to each other.”

It may seem strange that the person responsible for all those slushy messages in our Valentine Cards is single.

“I did say when they offered me the job that I’m single. But I suppose having had quite a few relationships over the years I am quite an expert in love – both the dos and the don’ts. I understand the power of saying just the right – or wrong – thing at that crucial moment.”

She also says that being an American can help as they, on the whole, find it easier to talk about their emotions than the British.

“People’s idea of romance has changed over the years, but not as much as you would think. This year we have noticed that people want their cards to be more real. It may be time to the hard economic times that people suddenly realise what matters.

“People seem to prefer to keep it real with a more simple and sincere approach. Rather than lavish gifts and expensive weekends away, the majority of Brits will stick to traditional gifts, personal sentiments and spending quality time with their loved ones this Valentine’s.”

TV psychologist Anjula Mutanda, says: “Getting a Valentine’s card can make the receiver feel special, and mimics the emotions of the early stages of love- excitement, intimacy, hope and bags of positive energy. All these feelings can boost mood and make us feel good about ourselves. It’s fascinating that half the nation long for an anonymous card, which suggests that people derive a real thrill and sense of excitement from it – wondering who their admirer may be!

“The workplace also appears to be a hot bed of romantic hope. Not only do people spend a lot of time together, but they also develop shared experiences-one of the key ingredients for love. With 42 per cent of Brits hoping to get a Valentine’s Day card from a colleague, this simple gesture may legitimise the flirtatious glances that may have been taking place.”