Throughout my 17 years in the printing and marketing field, I have built my career on creating tangible marketing products for the real world. From shirts to swag, banners to backlit signs, I’ve seen it all, printed it all, and sold it all. As I’ve grown in this industry, looking for my niche and that one special product that could create a viral trend in the real world, I began to open my eyes to the usefulness of adding huge value to the brand experience and personality by going small.
Often overlooked, swag items — specifically stickers — create a memorable experience and breadcrumbs to lead a potential customer back to the brand or organization you are trying to represent, which is the point. Small items can be so effective that a company can do most of its marketing through these tiny little memes that live in the physical world and create an entire brand personality, identity, and memorable impact in almost any market, especially when done right.
When we think about something to be defined as an add-on, the sticker experience is certainly important to any brand or organization that wants to not only craft some inexpensive and easy brand recognition but will also leave a lasting, artistic, and fun call back to the brand’s identity. Unlike virtual marketing campaigns, stickers exist in the real world, giving the brand a tangible and physical presence and drawing anyone who sees them into the sales process, even if just subconsciously. Essentially, they reinforce the experience, and all brands, regardless of product, need that exposure.
Offer stickers with every print order
At Ace High, we have always created sales packages that include stickers as an add-on option for every customer we come in contact with, regardless of what their initial purchase is going to be. Offering stickers during the initial printing process, after receiving the artwork, or even presenting the product as a soft sale can be initiated easily. We can always co-opt the branding from whatever product the customer is asking for, whether it be a sign, wrap, a set of T-shirts, and shrink it down into a 3” or 4” example of what could be shared with any customer. As an incentive, packaging stickers along with the customer’s initial project makes creating a multi-item discount really effective.
This being said, stickers can be a cost-effective, portable, and influential tool to market a brand in a guerilla-style to anyone interested in more than just your product but in your brand’s identity. The goal with any sticker, koozie, or business card is to leave the customer with artwork that makes a memorable statement and is portable, representative of the brand, and also is just plain cool. Stickers create a sense of community surrounding a brand that begs potential clients to ask, “So tell me about that sticker!” Boom, the sales process begins, and instantly, interest is created through branded identity and organic fandom of the product — or at very least the sticker’s artwork. Because let’s face it, who doesn’t love stickers?
Something so small can make a gigantic lasting impact on a brand’s exposure to their customers, potential customers, and anyone who comes in contact with them.
Stickers truly transform anyone sporting the artwork into a walking breathing testimonial that is willing to become a small yet mobile billboard for a brand. Stickers turn anything into a mobile billboard that creates mystery as well as a breadcrumb back to the brand itself. It generates a buzz, sometimes even a massive following, especially when the artwork personifies the brand in a colorful and interesting way. They draw attention organically and therefore make more of a lasting impression.
