sticky business blog

I was reminded at the PPAI Show in Las Vegas that “stickers” really are a different animal from other promotional products.  Most promotional products are used to make an impression on one recipient. Pens, mugs, gift baskets of food, luggage, etc. are items meant to make an impression and be held onto by the individual user. Stickers and labels on the other hand are used as signs and labeling, to “brand” unbranded items and to be stuck in places that make impressions and encourage word-of-mouth to thousands of viewers/users.

Most changes and improvements in sticker business involve digital printing. The quality and vividness of outdoor, digitally printed sticker and decals has made huge strides in the last few years. This progress affects the quality and options in regard to short runs, variable data work, and full color (4CP) printing on outdoor quality stickers and decals.

Every year there are many more options for custom stickers – more printing methods and more sticker businesses hanging out their “custom sticker” shingle. So, it is more important than ever for buyers to communicate with suppliers what their stickers are being used for and how long they need to last. While outdoor digital printing has come a long way it still doesn’t compare with the quality and long-term durability of screen printing. “Digital printing” is also a fairly ambiguous term covering everything from label sheets run through your desktop printer to the latest industrial, top of the line presses being used by a select few sticker factories. Getting sticker samples, comparing prices, factoring in future needs and being well informed is more important than ever.

At Websticker, our custom sticker business has been refocusing our efforts on customer service and quality. With all the options available to businesses and consumers looking for “custom stickers” I believe it is more important than ever to communicate more information and personally consult with our clients to assure the best sticker/decal/label product for their needs at the best possible price. We may no longer be at the top of the search engines for top custom sticker keywords but we do still have an exceptional customer service team, vast knowledge base of designing, producing and marketing with stickers, and the very best production resources available in the U.S.

I’ve taken a close look at the “latest and greatest” printing methods, and though they may be the best options on some sticker projects, often the high quality of older tried and true print methods are still superior. The same can be said, I think, of websites and an online custom sticker businesses – just because there are more options to automate connections and the buying process with clients does not mean this is an improvement on getting customers exactly what they need at the best price. Old school customer service from real sticker people can go a long way. And that, in fact, is how Websticker continues to grow despite a poor economy and increased competition.

Promotional stickers themselves are a marketing medium that is “old school” but still tried and true. There may be nifty new technologies to stay in front of, connect and communicate with prospects but basic custom bumper stickers were social media before there was “social media”. Promotional stickers are “posted” by fans, build identity, and start conversations – sound familiar?

I’ll be discussing maximizing the promotional power of your custom stickers, new digital printing options, and thoughts on stickers as “social media” in other blog posts, but till then… “When you want your name to stick”,  I hope our custom sticker business can be of help.