Stickers have been a part of our lives for a while now. Although, exact timing and inventor are debatable depending on how you define a sticker. For us, we are talking about adhesive stickers that can be secured to a variety of surfaces. You know the ones you may have played with as a child that you stuck on anything and everything, including your face, the dog, windows and on the back of your friend's t-shirts.
From bits of paper used to notate the price of a product, to the creation of bumper stickers that boast who you should vote for, to the stickers you proudly display on the face of your laptops. Stickers are everywhere.
So, what do stickers have to do with your business?
Stickers can be a cost-effective marketing tool, especially for start-ups and small businesses that have limited budgets and don’t have the capacity to roll out a robust marketing push. The production of stickers is generally low compared to other marketing options, and typically the costs tied to stickers decrease as you increase your quantity–essentially giving you a little more bang for your buck.
Similar to other marketing campaigns, a sticker campaign can be used to generate buzz, provide additional information and promote your business. In a sticker campaign, you strategically focus on using stickers as the primary material to promote your brand, your products or your services.
Like a regular marketing campaign, your sticker campaign should have goals that tie into measuring its success. Are you planning to use stickers to promote brand visibility and brand recognition, engage customers, drive specific behaviors or offer them as a freebie or giveaway? Whatever you decide, it’s important to have measurable goals, an implementation plan and a way to track your campaign's success.
But, how do you know if a sticker campaign would work for you? We’ve pulled together a few reasons why companies utilize stickers as part of their marketing plan. If any of these resonate with you, then sticker marketing might be an option you look into this year.
Brand awareness on the go
Sticker campaigns are an effective way to enhance your brand’s visibility and brand awareness with current customers and even new audiences. We see this all the time with consumers who proudly display company stickers on their water bottles, binders, laptops and even their vehicles. Each of these items becomes mobile billboards and free modes of advertising as they are taken from place to place.
From catchy slogans and quotes to business logo marks, an eye-catching and memorable sticker can leave lasting impressions on audiences, while strengthening your company’s brand.
Perfect packaging with stickers
One of the great things about stickers is the ability to completely customize their design, shape and size to match your brand which can further reinforce your identity. Within product packaging, stickers can serve multiple purposes – enhancing the visual appeal of your packages while providing some functionality. You can use them as logo labels, ingredient lists or instructions for use.
They can also be used as sealants and on package closures to indicate to a consumer their package has not been opened. You can even use stickers to elevate an unboxing experience by placing them delicately on tissue or wrapping paper that must be opened before the reveal of a new product.
Engage your customers
Let’s face it, stickers can be fun. They can also provide consumers an opportunity to interact with your brand in a tangible way. People do enjoy receiving and sharing stickers, which can help foster a sense of community among other brand-loyal customers.
Companies can also use stickers to engage customers through contests and games, especially if your sticker campaign incorporates collectible items and limited edition designs. This type of strategy can help attract new customers and create positive associations with your brand, even generating additional, and free, word-of-mouth marketing.
Market your event
Using stickers to promote an upcoming event can be a creative and impactful way to generate awareness and increase attendance. From sales and clearances to store openings, event stickers can be utilized in various ways and have the flexibility to be placed in high-traffic areas to ensure increased visibility and attention from passersby. These are the type of stickers you typically see in window panes, signs or even creatively placed on the floor to lead attendees directly to your event. Additionally, you can utilize stickers as reminders for upcoming events, like a customer’s next appointment.
What about something for the individuals who actually attended your event? Stickers can be used as a fun and cost-effective memento or giveaway and to create a memorable experience. You can also collaborate with sponsors and partners to create unique co-branded stickers which can help increase the promotional reach but also enhance the perceived value of a sticker by combining brands.
Functionality and design
Stickers also serve a functional purpose while adding in elements of design. QR codes are not new, but during the pandemic, we saw a resurgence in their use. These scannable stickers provide a quick and convenient way for customers to access information. From restaurant menus to product tags, to detailed assembly instructions, consumers readjusted their habits and essentially gave way to businesses to get creative.
Because of their interactive experience, users can use these scannable stickers to instantly retrieve the information they need. The ease and speed at which this happens further incentivizes customers to make a purchase or take advantage of any special deals or offers you may be promoting.
Strengthening marketing metrics
In addition to being functional, you can use your stickers to measure metrics. Sticker campaigns can enable you to track user engagement and gather analytics about potential and current customers. Branded hashtags and QR codes can be tracked or linked to forms, surveys and landing pages which allow you to collect additional data that can be used for customer segmentation, feedback collection or future marketing campaigns. By monitoring scan rates and user behavior, you can assess the effectiveness of your marketing campaigns and make data-driven decisions to further improve your product or service.
While sticker marketing can be highly effective, its success really depends on a variety of factors including the quality of your sticker designs, the strategic placement and use of your stickers and how well your campaign aligns with your overall marketing objectives. Before you go and order a roll or three of stickers, you should consider your target audience, campaign goals and brand image when incorporating sticker marketing into your overall strategy.
At The Hopkins Creative Group, we work with our clients to understand your vision and goals to create individualized campaigns or robust strategies. From sticker design and production to strategy and implementation, we stick with you through every step to ensure a successful campaign. Contact us today and let’s kick-start your sticker journey.
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