The Promo Opportunity Under Your Feet

In the internet age, everything happens quickly and customers never seem to have enough attention to spare. Stories go viral in minutes, videos receive millions of views within hours, and social media distributes more posts than you can possibly read in a day. So how can you help your clients stand out from the competition? By catching them at a time when they’re temporarily disconnected.

Floor mats are the new branding frontier in a digital world. Here are some encouraging statistics: According to research conducted by the Point of Purchase Advertising Institute, 64% of shoppers took notice of graphics they saw on the floor. Research also found that retail products promoted with floor mats experienced an average sales increase of 13%.

What’s the secret to the floor mat’s success? It’s simple. In a public space, floor mats catch customers’ eyes because they’re not at eye level. They’re not on the same shelf as a bazillion other brands. They’re also not on Facebook or Instagram, or traditional broadcasters, where so many companies also are vying for customers’ attention. Floor mats are right under the public’s feet, which is exactly where the competition isn’t. When Jane Doe looks down while shopping, your client’s logo or brand will stand out. If safety and cleanliness is a top concern, mats have you covered.

Floor mats aren’t just clever holding places for your next brilliant campaign idea. They also increase safety by helping to prevent slips and falls. To put the numbers in perspective, the National Safety Council says the majority of all incidents are from slip-and-fall accidents. The council also reports that compensation and medical costs associated with slips and falls total more than $70 billion annually. There’s no denying it: Floor mats help keep injuries and company costs down.

In addition to safety, custom floor mats are great for companies that want to invest in maintaining a clean and professional appearance. When a customer enters a building, an entrance mat is the first and last thing they notice—it’s a nice touch to have branding to reinforce an image.

Going beyond the entrance, custom floor mats placed within a business such as a retail store can provide comfort to shoppers and employees in the form of antifatigue matting. Floor mats aren’t just a place to wipe your feet. Think about it: Every customer with a door needs a floor mat. And with the right supplier to guide you, they will.

Case Study: American Express

When American Express launched a campaign called Small Business Saturday, it was no small task. The campaign used the tagline “Shop Small,” and the point was to promote small businesses nationwide on Nov. 30. “Shop Small” encouraged customers to visit local small businesses the Saturday after Thanksgiving. If Black Friday could take off at national retailers, why couldn’t a similar day take off at small businesses?

The main challenge was to grab shoppers’ attention and highlight businesses that were participating. With recognizable blue mats at participating stores, that ended up not being a problem. Shoppers could easily spot the mats and also get a sense of hospitality when they entered the store.

The campaign worked. Consumer awareness of Small Business Saturday spiked from 34% to 67% in just two weeks. Of those who knew about the campaign, almost half of them went out to shop on Small Business Saturday. Consumers who were aware of the campaign shelled out $5.5 billion for goods and services from independent merchants.

For more creative solutions for your next custom mats projects, check out Floor Mats 101 by PromoMatting!