With back-to-school season in full swing combined with an upcoming election and the holidays just around the corner, buttons and pins are hot right now. These items are worn for years and allow people the opportunity to express themselves in a unique, fun manner. Custom designs are trending as well as retail-inspired looks that deliver a classy, one-of-a-kind look that will be worn for years to come.
According to Tom Farrell of EMT, one of the hottest trends the company is seeing is custom card packaging for lapel pins. “Trends in retail and the fashion industry have spurred a whole new generation of lapel pin trading enthusiasts who are using lapel pins as a tool for self-expression,” he comments. “That renewed interest in pin collecting and trading has spread from pop culture to corporate branding campaigns. Collectible pins and pin sets on custom cards give those efforts a finished, retail look, and help convey a more complete branding message.”
LarLu’s Joe Durand reports that buttons are always popular as they are a low cost, customer-facing billboard that works well in retail or when face to face with customers. “Now is peak period with back to school, election year is coming up, and winter flu season is upon us, ‘got hands, wash them’ and ‘get your flu shot here’ are great headlines for healthcare,” he comments.
Brian Bergler at Express-A-Button notes that a lot of retail chains are starting to order their promotional buttons for the holidays. “Demand has been fairly steady all year but is already starting to pick up for the presidential election next year,” he says.
Demand for custom pins has exploded, Farrell of EMT adds. “Every group, product launch, and event seems to include a lapel pin as part of their promotional product mix,” he emphasizes. “And if they don’t, they certainly should. Lapel pins are generally low-cost, high perceived value pieces that will be appreciated and worn for years. Few products carry the kind of longevity and pound-for-pound promotional punch of lapel pins.”
Suppliers are relying on a combination of new and best-selling pins and buttons to keep the interest strong in these items. The Keepsake button, new from LarLu, features a write-on surface on cloth for writing milestones, such as details on the birth of a child, Durand says. It can be colored and can also be used for writing a name to make a name badge.
The best seller at Express-A-Button is putting a button on a backer card, allowing its customers that much more room to advertise for their cause, Bergler maintains. Over at EMT, the classic custom enamel pin remains the best seller. “Die struck enamel pins are low cost, colorful and completely custom, which provides individuals and brands the opportunity to create totally unique branding items,” Farrell comments.
Suppliers agree that buttons and pins play an important role in promotional campaigns. LarLu’s Durand says that they are effective for communicating easy messages. “Try to incorporate ‘Ask Me’, ‘New,’ or ‘Sale’ in your ad copy,” he advises.
Bergler at Express-A-Button recommends distributors consider buttons as an add-on item. “They can promote your event weeks ahead of time, they can be a name tag for a trade show, or a thank-you type item for a donation,” he says.
Harvey Mackler at GEMPIRE explains that designing pins for customers must be a collaborative effort that requires input from both the distributor and end buyer. “The most important input deals with the buyer’s expectations,” he explains. “We can look at their logo and their art. We can advise on a number of concepts only after receiving input. What are their expectations? Have they purchased this product in the past? Are there very specific brand style guidelines that must be followed? Can they be modified in any way? Does their art fit into a pin size they want or would wear? Do they have an example of an item that they like? What is their budget? How about their event date? Have they considered how they will distribute the item?
“Without this critical information, all of us run the risk of spinning wheels, wasting valuable time, and eventually losing opportunities, orders, and ultimately revenue,” Mackler continues. “All too often we are told, ‘It is the wrong size’ or ‘We wanted a different type of pin’ or ‘The colors are not our colors.’”
EMT’s Farrell advises distributors take to social media for button/pin selling inspiration. “If you’re not already selling lapel pins, check out Pinterest, Instagram, and other social media to see the creative ways others are using lapel pins to market their message or brand,” he details. “And always up-sell a custom card. They are a great, low-cost add-on that will improve the perceived value of your lapel pin project and pad your margin. Whether it’s collector’s pin or a recognition pin, a custom card helps tell the full story and provide that emotional brand experience we’re always seeking through promo products. No one has ever had an emotional connection to a polybag.”
Case Study
Harvey Mackler, GEMPIRE
A large grocery store chain uses the key pin series to reward their employees for extra service given to their customers. A customer may have commented to the manager about the good service of a particular employee or they may have filled out a customer comment card. Also, the store manager may have noticed the extra service to a customer himself. The first lapel pin with a blue key is presented to the employee with a printed card. The employee then proudly wears the lapel pin which often promotes conversation between customers and the employee and further encourages the employee to continue to provide an extra level of service. After the employee has received all five keys on the silver level, then he or she will receive the gold level lapel pin with one key and so on. As long as that employee continues to provide an extra measure of service he or she can proceed through the various levels.