I should have known better to say what I said, seeing how the caller was from an accounting firm. I merely suggested she put the firm's logo on the back of a baseball cap. Her silence caused the sort of anticipation you experience when someone keeps blowing up a balloon until it pops. The words came slowly at first … finally she blurted, "You … you want to put my logo WHERE?!"
Trying to regain control of the conversation I asked, "Claudia, why is your firm's sign out front?"
She replied, "What? Well, because that's where everyone will see it."
"Right. And if everyone could see your sign out back, you'd put it there too, right?" I asked.
"Of course," she replied.
"Well," I said. "When your employees are sitting in the stands at the baseball game, or standing in line for a hot dog or to use the restroom - everyone behind them will be looking at the back of their head. Would you like all those people to see your logo?"
"Hmmmmmmmmmmm."
Placement of your logo on promotional marketing items, such as baseball hats, should be given as much thought as is given to selection of the item itself. For sake of this article, lets assume you've chosen an appropriate item for your event or promotion. And, your primary goal is to broaden your name I.D. Now, let's give the same serious thought to logo placement. To help you "think it through", consider the following: how will the product be used, where will it be used, venue, day or evening event, indoor or outdoor, will people be sitting or standing?
With ball caps worn to a sporting event, most want to put the logo on the front. But if you want to maximize the advertising potential of a cap, put the logo on the back as well.
Folding, portable chairs are another place people commonly misplace the logo. Why put the logo on the front of the chair, where it is covered up when the chair is in use? Better to put the logo on the backside of the chair where everyone behind the user can see your logo.
What about pencils and pens? If you think about it, you'll ensure that the imprint is as near the eraser end as possible. This way, your logo remains to be seen … even after multiple sharpenings. Same goes for pens but for a different reason. People hold a pen towards the bottom. If your logo is imprinted toward the bottom it will be covered up when the item is used properly. Fat lot of good that does you.
With mugs, ask yourself, "Who do I want to see my logo? The person drinking? The person sitting across from the person drinking? Both? Pick up a mug and drink from it paying careful attention to what you see. Imagine your logo or message on the INSIDE lip of the mug. How about the bottom inside of the mug. And remember the bottom outside of the mug too. All these areas are imprintable with your logo. You need merely decide who you want to see your logo and how much you can afford to invest in a mug.
Say you want to have your name seen at the beach. "Hey! How about beach towels?", someone yells. Beach towels are an ok idea, except that when people lay on them they'll cover up your logo. And while some people may leave your towel stretched out while they take a dip or play beach volley ball, many scrunch the towel up to keep sand off of it. So a while a beach blanket may be a great idea, remember, when in use your logo is covered up.
This is an extremely important point to keep in mind. Consider how people will use your promotional item. If you're considering a beach item ... go to the beach and observe people. Actual observations can yield valuable insights that can pay huge dividends.
A better idea for the beach may be a cooler. Here again, most people will want the logo on the lid of the cooler. That's fine and dandy … if you want your logo to be seen only by those getting in and out of the cooler. Better, is to put the logo on the front and/or back of the cooler. This way your logo can be seen by those who walk by the cooler and from a greater distance.
As far as the accounting firm? After some thought, Claudia put the logo on the front AND back of the hat and had a successful ballpark outing. She said that once at the ballpark, the back of the hat made perfect sense.
Big or small, put your sign (logo) where people will see it.
Michael Merrick Crooks, is founder of Crooks Advertising Alliance a creative strike-force specializing in creative problem-solving as it relates to advertising and promotional marketing. A Battle Creek, MI native, Crooks is a Cub Scout leader and Little League Baseball coach. For more unique marketing articles, visit www.CrooksAdvertising.com and sign up for his free newsletter, CrooksView Creative Digest. Or visit the most authoritative website in the world on the subject of waterless tattoos: www.WaterlessTattoos.com
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