The Great Outdoors

If you love someone, set them free.”

This, the worst relationship cliché of all time, is routinely followed up by the brilliant logic, “If they don’t come back, they were never yours; but if they do, you own them for life,” blah, blah. Terrible. However, despite its existence on many a tween’s Facebook page, when taken out of the context of a tumultuous love affair, it’s strangely relevant in the realm of promotional products.

If you love your clients, set their logos free. Why keep them locked up tight, indoors, when there are so many fish in the sea? Winter’s over, don’t commit!
Of course, in keeping with the aforementioned banality, there is a bit of fine print involved. It’s highly unlikely the logo will return. The laws of cost-per-impression pretty much mean it’s out there to stay. But we bet it’s a risk your clients are willing to take.

For Work

The first step of letting a logo flourish in the wild is allowing it to be itself—a workaholic. Outdoor marketing collateral is a heavy hitter in a variety of areas. “Banners, flags and pennants have been used in just about every type of retail business or special event,” said Brandon Westmoreland, inside sales for Dallas-based National Banner. A few particulars he noted include sporting events, outdoor festivals and concerts, though he added, “It would be really hard to narrow down the popularity to just one or two markets.”

Whether for generating attention, support or foot traffic, “These products serve as an extension of corporate identification to link brand recognition with the function of an item,” noted Cindy Scardino, marketing coordinator for Gill Studios, Shawnee Mission, Kan.

Gill Studios’ decals have been used for everything from simple signs to parking permits, plus, the sheer logic and practicality of bumper stickers has not been lost on Scardino. “According to a CNN article last July, 89 percent of Americans drive to work,” she said. “Whether the commute is one mile or 10 miles, the quantity of signage available to view to a captive audience is vast and varied.” A few seconds of recognition is all it takes to turn passers-by
into buyers.