With coffee shops and communal spaces in vogue as our new workplaces, entrepreneurs and small business owners should consider portable branding as part of their marketing toolkit. And, what better tool than the sticker? It is a medium that can attract, acquire and engage one’s target audience with the ultimate goal of increasing profitable customer action.
Think of a sticker as a visual story that communicates what your business is in a compelling fashion. A sticker on your laptop or gear will help others get a sense of your company – and that often helps ignite a conversation which could lead to a connection.
However, simply slapping a sticker on one’s personal devices doesn’t necessarily make their business work for them. One must create a needed product or service that adds value. A professional grade sticker communicates that your business is ‘real’ and people are more interested in learning about something that is real, authentic and happening than just the ‘conceptual’ or digital information about the business. The sticker suggests you are ready for business! If created properly it projects the mission of the business in a way that is both effective and engages your target audience. And engagement is critical in this day and age.
While it isn’t a digital medium, stickers are another platform, one that is just as critical in your marketing mix. It is the platform that exists in the real world. Custom stickers are a tangible way to communicate who your company is, why it matters, what problem it is solving and in the process creates a bond with someone else you are physically near since it communicates your business without being pushy or sales-ish.
At first glance, a sticker acts like a teaser but if designed well, it can be much more- as it will express the essence of your business. It gives people a starting point of curiosity about your business. And if they perceive something interesting about the business such as the name and logo then they will want to know more. Stickers help brand your company.
Why give the branding to water bottles like Swell? Having portable stickers is an opportunity to customize the water bottle to promote your own brand which is more important. Swell is not your brand – it is a water bottle company brand – but a customized water bottle (e.g. blank or branded water bottle but with your sticker on it) is another opportunity to make an impression with an audience within your proximity. After having invested in a few stickers those impressions add up and are free where ever you go.
Portable stickers mean one can take their brand on the road and market their business anywhere and anytime- from trade shows to coffee shops.
Branding is omnipresent. By having a custom sticker on your laptop, water bottle, smartphone, car, notebooks and more, you can make your brand work for you when you are not at the office.
Think of all the places where people are seen with objects that can carry your brand. Laptops and Phones accompany you almost everywhere. Coffee shops are a great place to pull out that laptop and catch up on urgent emails. At the same time, you’re likely to meet some people and that strategically placed sticker can spark a conversation leading to the next great idea or a new customer. Airport lobbies are well known for people doing a bit of work or watching a movie to relax during a layover. What a great place to show off your brand on your phone or laptop via that killer sticker. How about those locker rooms!
People are always looking for a conversation piece and there is nothing like an awesome sticker on your water bottle or sports bag to spark a lively discussion. Beyond the casual places where conversations can start there are also conferences, meetups, networking events, opportunities are everywhere! All of these are great places to talk business and pitch your brand. A ‘statement’ sticker on your laptop is an organic icebreaker.
And I am not referring to the stickers we grew up with. It is the sticker reimagined, the sticker 2.0. It is malleable to whatever flat surface object you want to place them onto they provide a business the maximum flexibility in identifying whatever object they need to brand by simply affixing the sticker to it. Different types of stickers (white, clear vinyl, vinyl graphics etc.) provide aesthetic flexibility in how the object can be the best sticker branded.
Companies, big and small, value tangible products people use every day as an opportunity to communicate what their brand is. No wonder that the promotional products category is a $20 billion business. The next time you look at your mobile device or gear beside your front door, why not consider about portable branding solutions can grow your business?
