Lanyards - Why they Work as a Promotional Tool

Posted by Ribbon Works
1
Oct 30, 2015
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A lanyard is a simple tool that goes around the neck, clips onto a pocket, or wraps around the wrist. You can use them in a range of ways. What you might not have thought about is how these can be used as a promotional tool.

With business so competitive today, you have to take any promotional chance you can get. Let’s take a look at why lanyards are another great option to add to your arsenal.

Cost-Effective

The issue is not HOW you market your business; it is about whether the options available to you are cost-effective. When it comes to lanyards, there is no debate over whether you are going to see a return on your investment.

Lanyards are made of plastic and come with a simple band customised according to your specifications. Order them in bulk and you are not going to pay much per lanyard.

Security and Marketing

Let’s not forget that lanyards were concocted for security reasons. The original lanyards were simple pieces of ribbon with a person’s photo and identification number on them. These days you can still have that, but you can market your company at the same time.

Here are some of the things you can add to this simple lanyard:

• Custom colours. Make your lanyards instantly recognisable by decorating them in the company’s colour scheme.
• Add the company logo. Do not let anyone confuse your company with another.
• Slogans. Many businesses are adding their slogans directly to the identification card.

Give them to Customers

Do not just give them to your staff. If you are too utilitarian, then you’re diminishing the power of the lanyard. One strategy is to give them out to customers at trade shows, conventions, or even just when they visit your premises.

Immediately, you are instilling the company in the mind of the receiver. The slogan, the name, and the colours are already branded on their minds.

If you’re willing to spend some extra funds, you could even let them take the lanyards home. Add the company contact details and you have an instant business card. This could be the difference between claiming another loyal customer.


Versatility Reigns Supreme

A lanyard does not have to go around the neck. This is but one way you can use them. Instead, consider the other ways you can brand your company with them. Use them as various attachments and hooks.

1. Attach them to a memory stick. It’s both a practical and useful way of marketing.
2. Add them to badges. Give them to your staff.
3. Use them with pouches to allow people to carry their belongings around.

The reason versatility is so powerful in marketing is because you are not saying to a customer, “I am marketing this brand to you.” You’re more subtle than that. These are things staff and customers will find useful in their daily lives. The marketing is a bonus.

The Art of Numbers

Rarely do you come across a form of advertising that resonates with customers the first time every time. Companies realise this is a game of numbers.

Throughout a marketing campaign, customers may be exposed to TV advertisements, internet ads, and Twitter campaigns. The chances are the message is not going to get through to them until they have come across the campaign multiple times.

A lanyard is an aspect of any campaign. It could be the point where the message finally clicks and a customer taps into what you are trying to say to them.

Remember to Conduct Tests…

Lanyards are great, but you cannot slap absolutely anything on them and expect it to work. As with any aspect of marketing, you have to conduct testing and get feedback from a focus group.

We recommend gathering together a selection of staff members and customers. Show them a number of design variations and see what they have to say. Here are some of the questions you should ask:

• Which design grabs your attention the most?
• Which design is more likely to make you find out more about the company?
• How would you improve the design of the lanyard?

You also have to think about diminishing returns. If people keep seeing the same campaign and the same design, they are going to become saturated by the constant barrage.

This is why companies often decide to alter the design of their promotional material every 12 to 18 months. Only you know when a campaign is no longer as effective as it once was.

Conclusion

Lanyards are an enormously powerful way of sending a strong company message to customers whenever they come across a member of staff or a branded event. They are versatile, practical, and can easily slip into an existing marketing campaign.

Do remember to track your results and make any adjustments you feel are necessary. No marketing tool will do all the work by itself!

Get in touch with Ribbonworks today to find out how we can provide you with high-quality Custom lanyards and other Personalised Lanyards products to boost your advertising campaign.

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