I’ve mentioned before that promotional stickers are unlike other “promotional products” in that they are not perceived as advertising. The beauty of a well done sticker campaign is that people that display the stickers are not advertising for you – they are endorsing you. Paid advertising is seldom a trigger or example of word of mouth marketing.
Word of mouth marketing stems from evangelists, happy customers and fans. those fans are proud to display their support and connection with your cause, your business or your product. They are also more than happy to talk about that connection. That talk, that buzz, that excitement is the core of what word of mouth marketing is. A good promotional sticker is not an ad – it’s a badge. People will take note and often ask people about their “badges.”
In this way I would point to custom stickers as a marketing tool example of word of mouth marketing more than promotional product marketing, or billboards, or traditional advertising. People increasingly are refusing to be sold to and are filtering out the constant bombardment of advertising messages. This is why Word Of Mouth Marketing is beyond a doubt the strongest and most important type of marketing for any business these day. Giving people not only a reason to talk about you but a reason to make you part of their culture changes everything.
I just read a good book by Lynn Thorne called Word-of-Mouth Advertising. I recommend you check it out for a lot of great information on boosting buzz and more example of word of mouth marketing. Here’s a quote…
“Customers can build buzz faster than Superman on speed. They are your ultimate sales force. Nothing can help a business grow quicker than a customer in love with the product.” Â – Lynn Thorne
My only disappointment with the book (like most marketing books I read) is there is no mention of promotional stickers. If you have advocates and a free sales force at your disposal why wouldn’t you give them inexpensive tools to help broadcast and amplify their love and support? There are many tools to spread the buzz on-line but it’s important not to forget off-line “social media”.
Conversations still happen all the time out there in the real world. Which do you think is a stronger endorsement of a business (group, cause or product), a “like” on Facebook or a sticker on the back of a car? Obvious, isn’t it? Which is a better example of word of mouth marketing and getting people talking?
Marketing To Millennials – Promotional Stickers Are The Secret Weapon
Jeff Nicholson is the founder and Creative Director at 
One Response
Jeff, thanks for the nod and glad you liked the book. I agree stickers are a good, inexpensive way to get on people’s radar. When it’s time for a revised version, I’ll work on including them!
Cheers,
Lynn Thorne