Why is a greetings card like a facebook app?

Anyone watch this weeks "The Apprentice"? there was an interesting parable which is something I come across almost everyday.

This week's task was to come up with a new occasion for giving a greetings card. The interpretation of this task by both parties was very literal (speaks more about the general calibre of the contestants really) and one team came up with an idea of giving a card for a "singles day" the day before Valentines day and the other team created an idea of an environment week or something like that where a card would be given to highlight the plight of the environment. (Yes, the contradictions aren't lost, not even taking into account the carbon footprint of the mailing process). both of these ideas depended on the creation of an awareness of the occassion by a considerable marketing investment for these events to have any kind of appeal, and didn't really understand under what context someone would give or receive the card.

Success would surely have been finding a social or personal situation which could be marked by the giving of the card, and having a true meaning for the recipient, such as "congratulations on losing your virginity" or "hope your kids first day at school goes well", not the best examples I agree, but a gesture based in an existing behaviour, and not some crazy ill conceived behaviour.

the card is the social object, passed from person to person and this transaction reflects an existing truth in their situation. How stupid were those apprentices I can hear the seasoned marketing professionals scoff. These are probably the same marketing professionals who either ask their agencies for / recommend to their clients a social networking application to get people to engage with their brand in a web 2.0 stylee. This type of crude square peg in a round hole exercise is responsible for so many redundant social networking applications, as they try and position their brands as social objects in someones online behaviour. if this is you, if you have laughed at the hopeless apprentices and yet have been responsible for this kind of app, hang your head in shame.