Your business is unique. At least, I very much hope it is! A business that has something truly different to offer is the one with the best chance of survival and success. However, communicating that difference and helping your company stand out in the minds of your prospects early in its organisational life cycle is not always an easy task. Today we check out some awesome and very individual ideas to replace the boring old startup business standard – the business card – ranging from promotional tattoos to pin-on badges.
Inked Up: Promotional Tattoos
These are an awesome replacement for a business card. No longer will people just put you away in their wallet and consign you to an alphabetically organised business card holder any more. If you can create a temporary promotional tattoo designs that is strongly branded, but not obviously ‘marketing material’, you’ll get a lot of exposure. If your target audience is in the age range where they can’t legally get real tattoos yet, these are an especially effective business card replacement.
Badge It
Badges are another very cool option. For ordinary corporate clients, they can travel back to the office, yet they are a definite point of difference in a minefield of boring old paper or plastic and ink. Make sure you wear your own badges as part of your uniform, just as you would do with these tattoos.
Stickers with Stickability
Like promo tattoos, stickers are another great option for companies with a younger target market. Label your promotional product as ‘lunchbox stickers’ or ‘name badge stickers’ to ensure they get visibility with other kids.
Wear Your Brand on Your Sleeve
Proper pins (the type that are made on brass, painted and lacquered) are far more expensive than business cards. However, it’s highly unlikely anyone will use them to make miniature paper aeroplanes out of, as well! If your startup is branded as a niche, boutique, high quality experience this is actually a very sensible replacement for a business card. They convey the impression of attention to detail, and of doing whatever it takes to get great quality.
Sew-on badges
Like stickers and pinned badges, sew-on badges are still fairly office friendly, but can also move around and become more visible branding on school bags, satchels, camping supplies etc.
Toys
Does your company have a mascot or an anthropomorphised (human-like!) character forming part of the logo? Several enterprising companies use toys made out of their company mascot as branding instead of business cards. You can have them labelled or etched to include your contact details, and they’ll work with the same market that promotional tattoos and stickers do.
Whether you choose promotional tattoos, stickers, toys or any other type of business card replacement for your start up, always run your idea past the view of an outsider. Does the item gel well with your company’s image? Is the branding appropriate? Are you truly being individual within your industry, or have you ended up following the crowd?
One thing is for certain, though – if you choose a promotional tattoo or trinket that allows you to express yourself, you’ll have the strongest and best integrated branding of all!