When businesses are on a tight budget or really want to make a splash, most people turn to guerilla marketing.
It’s unconventional, highly creative and relies on low-cost tactics to promote a product, brand or service.
Maybe you’re considering something shareable like ambush marketing, ambient marketing, stealth marketing or “reverse graffiti” right now.
But I want to throw one more idea in the ring.
✨Promotional Stickers✨.
From walls and cars to bicycles and water bottles—stickers are everywhere. And honestly? I’m obsessed. As far as custom promotional items go, they’re fun to collect, less likely to get thrown out, and they count as free swag!
So, here are a few tips and tricks on utilizing this convenient, cost-effective strategy to promote your brand and a few stickers from local businesses that stuck the landing.
Stickers and Labels Can Be Used In a Lot of Different Ways
Stickers have a lot of useful applications for the end consumer, which is why they tend to make such good promotional swag items.
Some companies like Ritual Donuts use custom labels to add visual interest and brand recognition to the products and packaging already going out the door.
As a result, these easy-to-remove vinyl stickers end up on water bottles, guitar cases and desktops because collectors tend to keep them.
And there are tons of other application uses;
- Businesses that sell custom stickers can create a small source of additional revenue.
- Sticker collectors can personalize notebooks, devices and other personal items, creating an organic reason to discuss where the sticker came from.
- The sticky nature of custom labels makes them excellent stationary tools for quickly creating bujo spreads and inserting reference sheets or infographics.
- Stickers can be “thrown up” all over the city in a relatively short amount of time or handed out to passersbys.
- Stickers can be designed to serve a specific purpose like putting a funny face on a phone charging block making them unique and desirable.
However, There Are A Few No-No's If You Want to Be Successful
It goes without saying that while stickers are a lot of fun, you should never distribute them by placing them on belongings that could get ruined, like people’s cars, personal devices or bicycles, without their consent.
If you need to place your sticker on a phone pole, an egg carton or a package of chicken for your concept to work, make SURE you spring for easy peel vinyl stickers designed to be removable.
It’s also important to consider who your end consumer is going to be.
Some brands, like Prohibition Farms, have been lucky enough to already have awesome logos that would look great on a t-shirt or a notebook.
But if your logo is plain or boring, it probably won’t appeal to collectors. If that’s your situation, it would be better to hire someone to design stickers with funny slogans or custom art to distribute instead of slapping your logo into a die-cutter.
You can always add a watermark or your business name to the design while providing something people will enjoy and use.
Over The Years Several YYC Businesses Have Used Stickers As Promotional Tools
Calgary businesses have handed out, sold or pinned stickers and labels to community bulletin boards to get their names out there for a VERY long time.
However, this tends to work best in high-traffic commercial areas with many shoppers and tourism. Which is why the best time to hand-out promotional sticker’s seems to be Stampede Season.
If you’re thinking of creating some cheap promotional stickers don’t forget to post about it and encourage customer’s to tag you in photos of them using your stickers.
And, most of all. Have fun with it!
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