No doubt about it – magnets are appreciated, and stickers are fun. And both tend to get messages across with potent brevity.
There are wide uses of each. A popular use of stickers is for bands, who use them for their logos and stick them on poles and lampposts. Manufacturers can take this same idea for launching new brands at tradeshows; hand out stickers to customers. Those who place orders may be given a certain number, say 25, to take back and use to help promote the new brand.
Magnets are particularly effective for trades people who are working at private residences, observes Joe Durand of Larlu. Electricians, HVAC, appliance repair, and flooring installers (among others) “should always provide the homeowner with a magnetic calling card for future business or referrals. Make sure the imprint includes 24-hr. hotlines and websites.
There are also magnets that are shaped in iconic designs. Courtney Butler of Gill Line says that her company’s Emoji Magnet #4697 “is a fun take on of the popularity of emojis used on smart phones and in social apps.” Emojis are everywhere – including on pillows, and have a high recognition factor across generations. These are suitable for any computer repair business, for example.
“Next year has potential for incredible growth in magnets through fun sizes, unique themes, and interesting shapes,” says Laura High of BIC Graphic. She predicts four areas of growth for promotional magnets. Customization with shapes tailored to specific industries are becoming increasingly popular, such as a house shape for Realtors, cars/trucks/Jeeps for the auto industry (dealerships, body shops, mechanics, etc.), and colored ribbons for monthly awareness campaigns. Similarly, she notes, calendar theme magnets will grow; popular themes are animals and wildlife, home and garden, technology, sports, and media/entertainment.
“Magnets will be cool and colorful with multi-function capabilities like sticky notes, dry erase and clips,” High says. “Using distinctive cut-out magnet mailers in place of standard paper mailers makes a big impression and can increase response rate.”
Magnets have progressed to become more versatile. One trend, Durand observes, is to offer removable decals as a business card because they can attach to any surface – not just those that are metal.
And, gone are the days when older magnets would show their age by separating, allowing the top layer to begin to curl off. Gill Line’s digital full-color magnets have “great clarity and durability,” and don't require laminated layers or paper cores, so there's no curling or warping, according to Butler.
Multi-functional features such as clips, adhesive notepads, and scratch pads will continue to grow within the magnets category, according to High. The BIC Graphic Magnet Clip with Paper Flags and Magnet Clip Dry Erase are examples of the multi-functional magnet clip trend.
Josette Bosse of Bay State agrees, emphasizing, “I love a multi-use magnet. My new favorite is our Multi-Use Magnetic Clip Bottle Opener (#K289); this has a great imprint area to advertise Bay State the client’s message. I have these all over my fridge. It holds several papers (coupons/grocery list/party invites) without sliding down the side of the fridge. It has a clip to hold a pen and can also open a bottle!”
These mini billboards are largely inexpensive and can perfectly augment any campaign, from short- to long-term. And this is when it’s a perfect time to get stuck!
CASE STUDIES
Joe Durand of Larlu: “One of my favorite orders was for a magnet attached to a card that contained FAQ’s (frequently asked questions). In this case the power company was the advertiser and the information printed on the 5” x 8” card was for the homeowner. The magnet was custom shape and attached to the card.”
Courtney Butler of Gill Line: “We did a message magnet for Progressive insurance featuring the hilarious spokeswoman ‘Flo.’ The company used her likeness above the logo and a custom word layout with verbiage that she would normally use.”