Your brand's message should be sticky.
— why are small businesses sticking with stickers? —
Go to any conference, buy something from an Etsy seller, visit a local coffee shop, or buy the latest tech gadget and there's little doubt you will also receive a sticker. Designers, makers, small shops, and big companies all agree that stickers are one of the go-to tools for promoting their brand. Though we do sell "slap packs" , a variety pack of stickers or "slaps", we often give them out to partners, friends, and fans.
We invited Joe Arenella, co-owner of SignTracker and huge sticker fan to talk with us about why he collects stickers and why he believes stickers are a necessary tool for promoting his company.
Why do you like stickers?
Joe - I like them because, plain and simple, they're fun. Some of them are really cool looking. People tend to put stickers up that reflect what they value socially and personally or maybe something about their history. On my truck I have a sticker for my running group and a Marine Corps sticker, those are some things that I’m proud of. I find it interesting to see what stickers people choose to put on their cars, laptops, and water bottles. You only have so much real estate, right, so people tend to choose companies that they connect with emotionally.
Dzo - Totally agree. It’s a moderate commitment to slap a sticker on something you are going to go around in public with. Like a military uniform or a leather jacket, stickers are like patches or insignias that tell people the organizations we belong to or people and businesses we align with.
Why do you think stickers work for marketing your business?
Joe - I don’t know if anyone is going to go around with a SignTracker sticker on their water bottle but I think that some people might put a SignTracker sticker around their shop because they identify with our product because it improves their work and efficiency. A simple sticker can tell your customers, “Hey, we’re SignTracker and we are part of you”. Like what you all have done with “Do Good Work”, it’s fun to align your brand with messaging that people connect and identify with. It doesn’t necessarily have to have your company logo on it, but they think of you when they see that message. I just started a new campaign “Work Happy” and we just got some custom die cut stickers from Sticker Mule that we are sending out with our handwritten thank you cards that we send to everyone who signs up and subscribes to SignTracker. Ultimately, I want that message to be identified with our company and for people to have an emotional response to it I’m hoping to use stickers to promote a positive message that work can and should be happy and that SignTracker can help
Dzo - Yeah, stickers are low hanging fruit but when someone really connects with your brand they want to tell others about it. Stickers make that easy to do. It’s sometimes strange when you find out we have huge fans and they just want to brag about us to anyone and everyone.
“Here’s my take on stickers,
They’re everywhere and people like them.”
How much did SignTracker spend on stickers in 2021?
Joe - I would say around $400. Every time I send a thank you card to a client I add a couple of SignTracker stickers and a couple of Work Happy stickers. We have over 350 subscribers and two to three new sign shops subscribe every week so we’re constantly sending them out. People email all the time thanking us for the welcome letter and the swag. Sure, I don’t know what they do with it, but I know they are getting them. Maybe I should start something where we ask people to take a picture of a SignTracker sticker at their shop and post it. Hey that’s a good idea. I should do that.
Do you think that you will continue to make stickers part of your marketing?
Joe - In short, Yes! Can we determine the ROI on them? Probably not. But like you said, they are too low hanging fruit and too fun to not throw in a thank you card. Here’s my take on stickers. They're everywhere and people like them.
I have one customer in Canada that loves swag. He asked me for a bunch of stickers to put on all of his employees' computers and the office. He just sent me a message saying, “There’s no way we could have achieved all that we did this year without your help”. So we do have some super fans that really love us and are excited to slap our stickers on everything.
Dzo - Exactly! It’s your biggest fans that we should be nurturing. There are folks that will probably never hire Studio Dzo to design their brand or their space but love everything we do. They might buy a shirt or a slap pack just to have something that we made. For them we are always and forever thankful. Recently, Cute Nail Studio gave us an amazing unsolicited recommendation in one of their instagram posts and we got a ton of new followers.
One of those was Ryan Dillon with Open Book Branding. They not only loved our work but they also really connected with our values and purpose. Ryan reached out to compliment our work and asked if we were open to do smaller projects. We were happy to do some good work with them and designed a number of stickers to help promote Open Book’s brand and give their clients something tangible to connect with.
Studio Dzo’s “Do Good Work” motto might make for a great sticker but it’s what is behind the message that really sticks. We are incredibly appreciative of all the good work we got to deliver in 2021. We are committed to giving a damn about our partners, our team, and our community. We are thankful that folks continue to trust their spaces, places, and brands to small businesses. It’s because of your support that small businesses like SignTracker, Open Book Branding, Cute Nail Studio, and Studio Dzo continue to grow and thrive. So don’t hold back. Slap that sticker on your laptop, water bottle, and bumper and promote your favorite small business with big dreams.
Wanting to get some stickers for your brand? We love Sticker Mule. Their service is excellent and their die cut stickers let you design your message without having to conform to a prescribed shape. Check them out!
-Do Good Work!
