Fun-filled gift distribution can change the way we view product delivery. If we add engaging party activities in advance of the UPS delivery we get better memories. Gift giving is too important to just leave to a delivery service. At PartyWeDo we put the Fun into gift giving through an online party system. This way when the UPS driver brings the gift it is like he is wearing a party hat!

1. Our UPS driver wears a party hat…
Putting Fun into the Product Distribution Process
The Problem of Dull Distribution
The brown van swings into the cul de sac, abruptly stops, and
the UPS driver emerges with a box in hand… The door bell
rings, the package is scanned and a signature is recorded...
Mission accomplished.
This process repeats itself hundreds of thousands of times a
day without much fanfare. Parcel delivery has become an
almost invisible utility of our daily lives.
By PartyWeDo, LLC
© 2010

2. Adding in some fun
This paper suggests that product distribution can be enhanced
with just a bit of fun. This is especially important when the
content of the package is a gift. After all, gifts are special to
both the giver and the receiver. So, mundane parcel delivery
is not quite good enough.
We are not really suggesting that UPS drivers change their
wardrobe every time they deliver a gift. Rather we are
proposing to make the giving and receiving of these gifts a
bit more memorable. We can enhance a portion of the gift
distribution process and build great memories. With some
additions to the process we can make it seem like the UPS
driver is wearing a party hat…
Gift Distribution
Gifts are delivered ether in person or by a service. Many
prefer to deliver gifts in person, where opening a gift in the
company of a loved one is an expression of mutual love and
support. Often personal gift deliveries are associated with a
social event like a party, which adds to the memories of the
gift giving process for all involved. These special events are
usually associated with birthdays, weddings, baby births,
holidays, graduations, etc.
However, our mobile society has created a great dispersal of
family and friends, making personal delivery difficult. Sadly,
the social gift distribution process has given way to the cold
utility of package delivery, due to our busy lives.
No matter how much thought and concern are given to the
gift purchasing process, we lose something when we can’t be
there for the unwrapping. UPS will never be able to deliver
our love with the box, so gift delivery loses its special
meaning.

3. Filling the gap on the web
Using technology made popular by the social networks, we
can put back some fun and personal engagement into the gift
distribution process. By employing some virtual mimics of
these traditional social activities, we can build back some of
the memories and add in fun.
By providing family and friends with the tools to virtually
distribute gifts we can provide many levels of social contact
and fill some of the gap lost by distance.
Our society has embraced platforms like Facebook, Skype,
Flickr and Youtube to span the distances that separate us.
These virtual substitutes are the pattern which we can use to
improve the gift distribution process as well.
Are Gifts Important Enough?
Before starting any effort to bring fun and engagement back
into gift delivery, we must first determine if it is worth the
effort. Are people really interested in supporting one another
with gifts?
The answer can be found in some annual retail sales figures.
It is difficult to put an exact number on the total gift sales in
the US, because it is not tracked very well. For example, you
will not find the sales total for all birthday gifts, but you can
get some details on wedding gift spending from the National
Retail Federation (NRF). We do know however, that birthday
gifts are a significant portion of all retail sales.
By compiling data from research papers, the NRF and other
agencies, there appears to be about $115 billion spent
annually on gifts in the United States. This would suggest
that a significant number of people have an interest in
supporting each other with the purchase and delivery of a real
gift.
It is interesting to note that “real gift” sales numbers dwarf
the popular “virtual” gift industry, which is currently only at
$1.6 billion per year.

4. Are Gifts being shipped?
Gift purchases continue to be a significant portion of the US
gross domestic purchases. But are there a significant number
of these gifts being shipped by the likes of UPS? Can we
justify creating online tools to support the gift distribution
process? Again, data is not readily available so we must rely
on some assumptions to answer these questions.
Research by the National Retail Federation on gift
purchasing for Mother’s Day, Father’s Day and Graduations
indicate that 20% to 25% of gift sales were completed online.
If we assume that other gift holidays and events yield the
same ratios, then we can say that about $26 billion is spent
buying gifts online (22.5% of $115 Billion).
We realize that not all online gift purchases result in a
product being shipped by UPS. Likewise, we know that many
traditional store purchases are boxed and shipped by delivery
services, adding to gift delivery numbers. It is reasonable to
assume that between 20 and 25% of all gifts are distributed
by UPS, FedEx, USPS or some other delivery company.
Who is desperate for gift memories?
Twenty-eight percent of the US population (approx. 84
million) is at the stage in life known as the “empty-nest”. The
children of the Baby Boom generation are leaving home by
the millions every year. A survey by Del Web also found that
nearly 1/3rd of these people will live at least 3 hours from
their family members.
These Boomer parents have been very engaged in the lives of
their children and have been generous with their gift giving
activity for many years.
The combination of distance, gift generosity and a desire to
keep family connections alive provides a significant
opportunity for a more memorable gift distribution process.
The opportunity is enhanced when it can be accomplished on
the internet and without the expense of travel.

5. There is an opportunity to deliver some fun
Many groups of family and friends are settling for the
impersonal gift distribution methods we have discussed.
Finding a solution to bring some fun and engagement back
into the process would be a benefit to families and is a
business opportunity.
Much of the technology to connect family and friend groups
is already created and is ready to be adapted for this
opportunity. There are millions of people who already
participate in engaging social experiences on the web, every
day. Because of these internet platforms, a trained and active
prospect base exists, prepared to distribute their gifts in a fun-
filled mimic of tradition social events.
Creating a Portal for fun-filled distribution
Establishing a central place where individuals can come to
organize and participate in the gift distribution process makes
sense. This portal for fun will house the tools required to
build a party atmosphere, using the computer screen instead
of the family room.
Like other event invitation/organization sites, the portal will
provide would-be hosts with options and simplifications to
make the entire gift giving process easier for everyone.
But this is a party organization site on steroids, and will go
much further into the gift giving experience.
• Invitations of all kinds
• Guest List Organizers
• RSVP Management
• Message Boards
• Wish Lists
• Party Games and Activities
• Shopping
• Thank you cards
• Memorials
Adding to the common planning tools are the special
activities that are central to adding the fun into gift
distribution. Adding party games provides the unifying and
engaging bridge that links gift giving to the online social
experience. Including gift shopping opportunities provide an
extra level of convenience and utility into the system.

6. An online party room
The party portal is the entrance into what is really a mimic of
a traditional social gathering. In real-life we gather in homes,
event centers or church basements for our social gift sharing
activities.
Like Facebook and MySpace, this portal links individuals
together in conversation and sharing opportunities as a group,
just like the traditional party would do in a family room.
The games we play
Every party host knows that getting guests involved in a
group activity breaks the ice and opens the conversational
flood gates. This need to be involved is we buy almost $800
million in board games in the US every year. We have used
these games so much that some of these have already been
adapted for use in the expanding social gaming industry on
the internet. Playing games online has become very common.
There is also large group of games that are common to
traditional gift-giving parties:
• Bingo
• Scavenger Hunt
• Improv
• Mystery
• Secret Santa
• White Elephant
• Yankee Swap
• Word Association
• Truth or Dare
• Spin the Bottle
• Pin the tale on the Donkey
• Piñata
Engaging in an online mimic of these traditional party
activities can make gift distribution a bit more memorable for
any group. An online party host can select the appropriate
party game for the occasion and then mix things up a bit
every year with something new.

7. Gifts join the conversation
The online party network gathers family and friends together
for the fun, the conversation and the gift sharing in one
location.
The key to a successful gift party is to focus attention on
building great conversation. Watching reactions and making
comments as the gifts are opened is a central part of most gift
sharing events.
The online party game also integrates the actual gifts into the
process and includes them into the conversation.
Building Memories
The act of giving or receiving a gift naturally builds some
memories. Adding a social gathering expands the memory to
include those within our social circle. Then, engaging in a
party game creates opportunities to introduce memorable
conversation and banter. When you place the gift into the
game it creates a strong reminder that these people care for
one another.
By building memory generating activities, we can fill some
of the voids cause by distance. If every gift was delivered
following a memorable group event, then the distance the gift
travels becomes less of an issue. If the starting point of our
distribution process is engaging, then the UPS driver triggers
a memory of great conversations and reminds us of the fun
associated with the gift delivery.
The guest list
The great thing about gift giving with a family is that
everyone can be a part of the fun. Support is a generational
activity, with grandparents, parents and siblings becoming
involved.
A simple party activity provides a common location for all
ages to share something together and to create a memory or
two.

8. Business Opportunity
There are already too many social networks that struggle with
a solid business model, so we do not suggest building
another. Instead, a distribution model can be established in
such a way as to fund and sustain the opportunity.
A thorough review of the gift distribution process reveals a
few business opportunities:
• Gift Sales – A key step in the gift distribution process
and a place where commissions can be claimed from
retailers.
• Event Hosting – Offering the portal on a “pay-to-
play” or Freemium basis to create revenue.
• Advertising – Assisting groups to find great gifts for
the event or other needs can generate revenues as
well.
• Sponsorships – Retailers and their agencies can use
the party rooms to sponsor promotional parties for
their customers and prospects.
• Virtual Offers – Online games are using virtual
currencies and offers. Each party involves a game; so
there are opportunities in this space as well.
The Wal-Mart Party Room
Retailers like Wal-Mart, Macy’s, Amazon and
Overstock.com sell many of the gifts that are distributed in
the US. Each retailer looks for that extra value that can be
offered to persuade the sale. The fun distribution system
included with an online party is an extra value for family and
friends who are shopping for a gift.
The gift sales feature of the party portal provides a free party
whenever a gift is purchased from one of the participating
retailers. Retailers pay the party network a commission for
the opportunity to sell to this engaged customer group.
Affiliate marketing systems allow the party participants to
shop within the site, and then give the party portal credit for
the sale.

9. The Tupperware Party
There are over 1 million people selling Tupperware. This is
just one of the hundreds of companies who use the home
party plan as a sales tool. Hundreds of thousands of people
attend these parties every year and purchase over $9 Billion
in products. From food containers, to candles, to barbeque
tools, these home parties are group events that are promoted
by independent dealers.
The average Tupperware party, for example, gives the dealer
about $400 dollars in sales. Many of these dealers use the
party system to build successful businesses and they are
always looking for ways to improve distribution.
An engaging online mimic of this party system would allow
them to expand distribution to friends and family members
who live far away. A premium services like this would have
a financial value for the home party professional.
Madison Avenue Gift
Advertising is an important part of gift awareness and
product promotion. An expanding and active group of
families and a network of friends should be a great audience
for many brand messages. Space could be provided at a fee.
Brought to you by Best Buy
Corporations use sponsorships for many reasons, and justify
the expenditure through increased sales or higher brand
awareness. Retailers can use party applications to promote
their products within loyal customer lists or targeted prospect
demographics.
Exclusive events sponsored by name brands can be a
powerful marketing tool, especially when there is a social
component included in the activity. Prizes, giveaways and
special discounts can add to the fun of a party sponsored by a
favorite store.
Custom storefronts and unique party games can be tied to the
brand’s online promotions. Development of these special
internet parties can be provided on a fee basis.

10. Making the offer
Zynga and many other social game companies have
discovered that internet offers and virtual items can fund their
business. Marketers have found ways to integrate sales offers
into the game play functions and receive income from the
clicks or other actions of the players.
Party games have many of the same features of a social
game, so it seems reasonable that the virtual offers and game
enhancements could be integrated into the party activities as
well.
CONCLUSION:
The Party Hat of Gift Distribution
UPS and FedEx will never be a part of any family party, but
they can be one step in a better gift distribution process.
By engaging people in a fun gift shopping experience,
including a lively game with exciting conversation, we can
add to the anticipation of the subsequent gift delivery.
Groups that choose to use the tools of an online party
network will begin to believe that their UPS driver is wearing
a party hat. After all, dull gift distribution is so old hat!
A Sample Party
An application has been created to demonstrate this fun-filled
gift distribution processes. The AlbinoPhant gift exchange is
a mimic of the traditional gift exchange party known as the
White Elephant or Yankee Swap.
This Facebook activity mashes Amazon, PayPal and UPS to
create the first of many online gift distribution parties.
By PartyWeDo, LLC
© 2010