The holiday season is Hallmark’s Super Bowl.
This year alone, Hallmark has 80 hours of original holiday-themed programming, including two unscripted series, two scripted series, a holiday special and 24 movies with titles such as “The Snow Must Go On” and “Christmas at the Catnip cafe” that run from mid-October to Christmas.
The company also has branched out into the experiences business with a hallmark Christmas Cruise and the Hallmark Christmas Experience festival in Kansas City, Mo., where the company is based.
“I think that’s one of the most brilliant business decisions they’ve made, and they’re expanding there as they have to,” Anjali Bal, associate professor of marketing at Babson College, said of Hallmark’s experiences business. “It allows a connection between the consumer and the brand on a direct level in a way a movie can’t provide.”
It may seem like a far cry from Hallmark’s roots as a greeting card purveyor, but company executives say the holiday feelings evoked by its cards, ornaments and gift wrap translate into the type of content they produce.
And that plethora of content has turned Hallmark into a Christmas juggernaut, fueling competitors such as Lifetime and Netflix, which also produce holiday romantic comedies in the vein of Hallmark movies.
But Darren Abbott, Hallmark’s chief brand officer, doesn’t seem overly concerned.
“There’s a reason everyone else is trying to do this, and it’s because consumers are looking for this,” he said.
hallmark’s legacy is rooted in celebrating holidays and Christmas, he said, “and no other business or brand has that.”
## Countdown to Christmas
Founded in 1910 by an 18-year-old entrepreneur hawking postcards, Hallmark built its brand over the years through cards, holiday ornaments and retail stores.The family-owned business ventured into entertainment in 1951 with the television presentation Hallmark Hall of Fame. Today,Studio City-based Hallmark Media operates three cable networks,including the Hallmark Channel which debuted in 2001, as well as a subscription streaming service.
Though Hallmark had aired holiday movies practically since the inception of its cable channel, the company doubled down on the season in 2009, rolling out “Countdown to christmas,” a 24-hour-a-day programming block focused solely on holiday content, a tradition that has lasted for 16 years.
Hallmark produces about 100 movies a year, both holiday and non-holiday films.
As a privately-held company, Hallmark did not disclose its finances, though executives acknowledge the holiday season is a key driver of entertainment revenue.
The expansion into entertainment is a way for Hallmark to stay in the zeitgeist over multiple generations and to diversify its business beyond just cards and retail products, analysts said.
“Their television stations and experiences business allows them to stay culturally relevant while staying true to their origin,” said Bal, the marketing professor.
Holiday programming – and the breezy, romantic fare Hallmark has become known for – has become increasingly popular with audiences.
Holiday features,