Are people over ads? Some reports suggest that Australian consumers are experiencing “ad fatigue” from over-saturation; over half of people said they felt “apathetic” toward advertising. Given the pervasiveness of advertising in people’s lives, now might be the right time to revisit your marketing strategy a bit. You don’t have to throw out your top-performing digital strategies, but why not expand your toolkit a bit with branded merchandise, like lapel pins? In one study, consumers were 2.5 times as likely to have a positive association with a brand that gave them a promotional item versus one that showed them a digital ad. Here, we look at a few reasons why custom badges are a great addition to your marketing toolkit this year.

1. Creative, Customisable and Long-Lasting

At Badges and Promotions Australia, we often say that we’re in the business of turning your idea into reality. The basic benefit of bespoke badges (say that three times fast) is how entirely customisable they are. While your custom badges will be shaped by your intended goal (such as exposure, endorsement or added revenue), they’re really only limited by your creativity and vision. Every badge we offer can be customised for shape, size, material, design, closure type, colour, finish, even down to packaging or a matching backing card, if you would so like. 

Badges are also versatile to meet changing consumer preferences. For example, today, more than half the growth of consumer goods comes from sustainable products; conscious customers are also willing to pay more for such items. To leverage this trend and do our part for the planet, we’re excited to offer a new variety of biodegradable poly bags, to appeal to your environmentally-conscious customers. 

We also know from our extensive experience in and with corporate business that unique, captivating designs become covetable, collectable gifts that people will touch, share and wear for years to come. After all, while custom t-shirts and pens can be very effective marketing tools, there’s something refreshing and special about a brilliant bespoke badge. Could it also be your secret sauce to ward off consumer apathy?

2. Walking, Talking Advertisements

Another basic benefit of badges is that they truly are like walking billboards for your product or service. Badges will convert your customers, employees and supporters into walking, talking endorsements for your brand. Many people covet and collect all types of badges and proudly wear them on their coat, hat or backpack, promising maximum and long-term exposure for your logo or message.

Attention-grabbing badges are also a good way to reach a younger demographic. Millennials and others are more active on image-sharing sites like Instagram than their older counterparts; as such, many brands launch image-driven campaigns to target the under-35 set. Keep this in mind when designing badges and crafting contests around your merchandise. For example, what about a social media contest that involves people sharing photos of how they rock your badge; the person with the most votes could win an entire badge set collection or other products. 

3. Show Some Appreciation

Given their affordable cost and high perceived value, custom badges are the perfect way to show appreciation, be it for your prospects, VIP customers or staff. Not only is it a memorable gesture (especially in the context of a growing apathy toward advertisements) but it could cement future business or brand loyalty. One Ad Impressions study showed that 85 percent of people will remember a brand that gave them a promotional item. 

Another idea is to “gamify” your token of appreciation a bit. If you operate a café, for example, your customers might love to be entered into a monthly drawing to win this lovely set of collectable coffee-themed lapel pins.

So, while people may be growing tired of all the same old ads, they’re not necessarily growing weary of the brands they love. Which makes right now the perfect time to refresh your marketing toolkit. Creative, quality merchandise, such as bespoke lapel pins, can deliver a tactical, memorable experience that will engage your prospects and customers in a new and effective way this year. 

Please get in touch with us today to talk about your goals and ideas for badges or any other promotional, branded merchandise.