Apparently us Brits don't show enough affection. Fascinating new research from Hallmark Cards has proved that we Brits really do live by our international reputation of keeping a 'stiff upper lip' and being reserved.

The research revealed that a staggering 63% of people openly say they don't think families in Britain show their affection enough, which could mean that mums all across the country are craving some loving words, time and affection this Mother's Day.

The research carried out by YouGov surveyed over 800 mums and motherly figures (such as grandmas, aunties, close family friends and anyone who takes on a maternal role) to find out how they prefer to be shown they are loved this Mother's Day. The research is part of Hallmark's 'Cards for a Cureâ„¢' campaign that will see the company contribute a total of £1/4 million to two breast cancer charities - a disease affecting thousands of women everywhere. All Hallmark Mother's Day cards will have the internationally recognisable pink ribbon on the front of every card.

Judi James, TV expert in body language and social behaviour,

commented: 'The pace and style of modern life means that we are often thinking loving thoughts but lacking the time and means to express them; in fact, quite worryingly nearly two-thirds of Brits think that we don't show enough affection with our families. Our general busy-ness means more reliance on impersonal communications like texts and e-mails so it's more important than ever before to create time and invest some effort on Mothers Day to show loving mothers that they are really special and not to be taken for granted. Touch and physical tie-signs are an especially potent form of communication which is why the hug rates so highly. Words are normally only 7% of the created impact of a message but powerful words like 'I love you', whether they're said or written in a card, will increase in impact by about ten times.'

So how can we show our affection on Mother's Day?

Contact
Give her a hug - 39 % of mums would choose contact in the form of a cuddle, hug or kiss from their family. This comes top of the British mums list as the favourite form of affection. It is felt to be especially important for mums aged 18 to 24, with 57% choosing this as their favourite form of affection.

Time
Precious seconds - Almost neck and neck with contact is time - 38% of mums would choose exclusive time with their family on Mother's Day. Further research, by online polling company, the Leadership Factor, shows that mums would prefer spending exclusive time chatting over a meal (almost half), followed by sharing a hobby or activity (one in three). Mums in North Scotland are particularly fond of spending time with their family with 44% choosing this as their favourite way to be loved.

Words
Language of love - One in five mums feel special when she is told how much she means to her family with loving words. This figure increases to almost a half of all mums in the South West listening intently for loving words this Mother's Day. A card remains a firm favourite way to express your feelings with additional research, from the Leadership Factor, revealing that 45% of mums preferring this method; almost four times more popular than modern methods such as text or email.

Gifts
Goodies - Surprisingly (although who knows if mums were just being coy with their response), gifts came bottom for making mums feel loved. Out of all the regions, mums living in the south were the most partial to a gift,or two. Further research, by the Leadership Factor showed that one on three mums prefer more traditional presents such as teddy bears, photo frames and albums.

Lisa Palillo from Hallmark Cards said: 'Mother's Day is the perfect time to show your mum affection, which from the research looks like this is something we all need to do more of. A hug, arranging some time together, a card and a gift is the perfect way to tell your mum you love her. Sometimes we find it hard to say what we really feel and a card can help us convey this, whether we chose a card with perfect words already written or we write our own loving message inside.'

Judi James concluded: 'We must remember that mums love to be loved in different ways including: contact, time, words and gifts. So it's best to not take any risks and show your affection through special time, loving words in a card, a big hug and a gift for an all round happy mum this Mother's Day!'

February 2008

Hallmark

Hallmarks donation to breast cancer charities is being made irrespective of how many cards are sold. It will be contributing a guaranteed £225,000 to Breast Cancer Campaign in the UK and £25,000 to Action Breast Cancer in Ireland.
Established in the UK in 1958, Hallmark Cards is the UK's leading greeting card publisher. As well as greeting cards, Hallmark also produces related products such as wrapping paper, gift bags, social stationery, and gift products.

Breast Cancer Campaign

Breast Cancer Campaign funds research into breast cancer at centres of excellence throughout the UK. The charity aims to find a cure for breast cancer by funding research which looks at improving diagnosis of breast cancer, better understanding how it develops and ultimately either curing the disease or preventing it. www.breastcancercampaign.org. Breast Cancer Campaign's Scientific Advisory Board of prominent experts ensures that the Charity funds only top quality original research. Breast Cancer Campaign is currently supporting 74 research projects and to date has funded projects worth over £9.5million to universities, medical schools/teaching hospitals and research institutes across the UK.

All figures, unless otherwise stated, are from YouGov Plc. Total sample size was 2,122 adults. Fieldwork was undertaken between 12th - 15th October 2007. The survey was carried out online. The figures have been weighted and are representative of all GB adults (aged 18+).

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