In a world where we’re constantly inundated with digital media, smart brands are connecting with customers through innovative, memorable physical touchpoints.
From the feel-good factor of receiving a gift to creating ‘wow moments’ at trade shows and events, physical touchpoints support brand consistency and give clients a new way to experience your business.
While some old-school marketing mediums are definitely on the way out, flyers remain as useful as ever.
Influence decision-making moments
Placing flyers in a retail location helps you influence customers’ choices by giving them all the info they need, right at the point of sale. They don’t need to look online or wait for a staff member to be free; it’s all right there on the flyer! If your product is stocked next to a competitor, including a flyer stand in your display can be a quick way to boost conversion.
Leave-behind collateral
You can give the best presentation in the world, but it’s a big ask for customers to remember all the details - especially when they might not need to purchase until weeks or months later. Leaving customers a flyer or brochure puts the essential information at their fingertips, making it easy for them to refer back to when they need it. (Yes, they could always Google - but why add that extra step to their decision-making process?)
Take back the letterbox
Remember when your mailbox used to be stuffed with brochures, catalogues, and an endless stream of community newspapers? The playing field has changed; now it’s email inboxes that are reeling from spam, and the letterbox has value again. A well-designed flyer is now more likely to catch someone’s eye than go straight in the bin, nestled gently between a Briscoes catalogue and The Christchurch Mail.
Your physical space, whether it’s at an office or a trade show, can be so much more than just a place for customers to find you. With the right environmental branding, your space becomes an experience for customers to delight in, remember, and talk about.
Innovative, interactive trade show stands let customers get your full brand experience, even in a temporary setting. You can use environmental branding to create ‘Wow’ moments throughout your physical space, transform your brand into an artwork or a design feature, and give customers a new way to interact with your business.
Signage is also an important element of environmental branding. Innovative materials, lighting, design, and the incorporation of natural elements can result in signage that does more than tell people your name: it immediately tells your story.
As well as making your brand memorable, environmental design can provide a fresh stream of user-generated content - especially if you’ve thought ahead and designed a spot that will look great on the ‘gram.
When was the last time you attended a seminar or visited a client, and felt a little bit warm and fuzzy when you left with a notebook or pen? Everyone loves a freebie, and the power of quality branded merchandise goes beyond generating positive feelings about your business.
Good merchandise has a long lifespan, and something small and relatively inexpensive to produce can do a lot for your brand recognition. Magnets stay on the fridge for years and are seen every day; reusable bags make an appearance at every weekly supermarket shop; and office supplies keep your brand on your clients’ desk, week after week. Keyrings, notebooks, drink bottles… there are options to suit any business.
It’s more than worth the time and investment to give your customers something physical to take home from an event, or send gifts to clients and suppliers. We’re still hanging onto our last BNZ pens, and it’s been literally years!
Packaging can be overlooked as a marketing tool, but it’s part of your customer experience - and an important one. We’ve all ordered something beautiful online then been underwhelmed when it arrived in a cardboard box full of packing peanuts, so make sure your packaging is up to the same standard as the rest of your brand. There’s also the all-important shelf appeal, making sure your products stand out in a retail location and appeal to your target market.
The rise of ‘unboxing videos’ - where people unwrap their purchases for the world to see - reflects an increase in customer appetites for special moments at every stage of the shopping experience. Thoughtful packaging makes the unwrapping process an experience in itself, rather than a step customers have to go through before getting to their new item.
Your packaging should tie in with your overall brand strategy, continuing the visual elements and tone of voice that appear in your other mediums. Even your choice of packaging materials can play a part, with recyclable and sustainable packaging telling your value story.
