Moonpig, Britain’s largest online ticket seller, has introduced a new artificial intelligence (AI) feature that aims to recreate the feel of a handwritten note – without having to pick up a pen.
Announced this month, the tool allows users to generate a unique digital font based on their own handwriting, which can then be saved to their account and reused for messages on future cards.
According to Nickyl Raithatha, CEO of Moonpig, the innovation was a year in the making and addresses the biggest shortage in digital card sending. “Handwriting has always been a big barrier for people who think e-cards aren’t personal enough,” Raithatha explains. “Our new tool bridges the gap between the convenience of online shopping and the warmth of a heartfelt, handwritten message.”
Customers can create their own “font” by writing each letter of the alphabet (both upper and lower case) in their usual handwriting style. Once completed, the technology processes these samples and produces a bespoke digital font that is stored in their Moonpig account, ready to add a personal touch to each card.
Moonpig was launched in 2000 by Nick Jenkins and went public in London in 2021. Under Raithatha’s leadership, the retailer has increased its focus on technology and data-driven features to personalize customer experiences since 2018. Earlier this year, Moonpig integrated ChatGPT, allowing users to generate written content for cards, whether it was a playful poem or a thoughtful condolence message.
Surprisingly – though perhaps not to some – Raithatha says men are “twice as likely” as women to use the AI text feature. “It is widely used for Valentine’s Day, but we are also seeing a spike in the use of AI for condolence cards as many customers find it difficult to express such sentiments.”
Moonpig has already hinted at further AI innovations, including computer-generated stickers set to hit the market before the end of the year. Yet not all her ventures run smoothly. The company reported an interim pre-tax loss of £33.3 million for the six months to October, compared with a profit of £18.9 million a year earlier. While sales grew 3.8% to £158 million (buoyed by a 10% increase in the Moonpig brand itself), an underperforming ‘experiences’ division has hampered the company’s plans to more fully offer gifting experiences. integration, delayed. That company, which was acquired two and a half years ago for £124 million, was recently written down by £56.7 million.
Despite these challenges, Raithatha is confident that AI-driven personalization remains a winning formula, promising a future where online card ordering no longer sacrifices the unique charm of handwriting. As the holidays approach, users who want to add a touch of personal flair to their digital greetings have a new, technologically advanced way to do it: no pen required.