Promotional Pins and Buttons

Stock and personalized pins and buttons can build employee morale, brand recognition

Promotional pins and buttons are excellent sales and marketing tools. Logo pins identify company employees and show pride in being recognized for a job well done, while larger promotional buttons call attention to a company's products, services and personnel at trade shows and expositions.

While producing promotional buttons in-house is still an option for small businesses on a tight budget, the Web offers many button designs not available with do-it-yourself button makers. Producing the smaller personalized pins, however, is a job best suited to an outside vendor,

Differences to note between pins and buttons:

1. While both promotional pins and promotional buttons are available in a variety of shapes, sizes and colors, buttons are usually available in a wider variety of sizes and colors, while pins are usually available in a wider variety of shapes.
2. Logo pins tend to identify companies, causes, or levels of accomplishment and make quieter personal statements. Promotional buttons are geared to grab attention for specific company or cause campaigns.
3. Pins can be worn as the wearer wishes and can be noticed or ignored as desired, while buttons are worn to grab attention at specific times for specific reasons.

 

For promotional pins, deal with an expert

Because promotional pins must be made by an outside vendor, look for vendors who offer a variety of designs and the ability to turn your design into a customized business pin.
Try: PinMart offers a wide selection of both stock and customized business pins. It manufactures pins for several major clients and can work with any customized design, whether submitted on computer or drawn by hand. The company can also reproduce an existing pin.

Deal with button manufacturers who offer a variety of styles

Advances in technology make possible a large variety of button styles, shapes and printings suited for any promotional campaign.
Try: Absorbent, Ink., offers offset or digitally printed buttons in a variety of shapes (round, diamond, triangular, square, octagonal and elliptical) and styles (blinking, magnetic, spinners). Choose the type best suited for your promotional campaign.

Create your own custom buttons through an online service

The Internet's ability to transfer text and images electronically makes it possible to design promotional and personalized buttons in-house, while an outside vendor does the actual printing exactly the way you specify.
Try: Zazzle features a drag-and-drop design tool that lets you upload your own images and text to create round or square buttons in a variety of sizes. You also can choose from a number of previously created designs, and you can even sell your own designs on its Web site!

For limited runs or budgets, create buttons in-house

Not every business or business campaign is best suited to working with an outside promotional button vendor. Businesses with fewer than 20 employees or running small promotional campaigns can often be handled efficiently in-house; other companies simply may prefer "doing it themselves."
Try: Good quality button makers are available through such e-tailers as Button Biz.com, which offers a variety of both round and rectangular button makers, as well as online tutorials. You can create logos online through Logoworks.com or LogoYes. If you like, you can use logo design software such as Logo Design Studio.

 

• Look for a vendor with an outstanding customer service reputation, a choice of printing methods and fast turnaround time--and ask for samples. Also, look at the minimum order required and shipping and handling charges.
• Choose an appropriate look for your promotional pins and buttons that matches your marketing strategy. Blinking and spinner buttons catch the eye, but they may not suit the tone of your marketing campaign or the setting of the trade show at which you are displaying.
• Keep your designs as simple as possible, particularly for tiny logo pins and personalized pins, to keep them easy to read.

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