Stickers – The Unsung Heroes of Out of Home Media and Brand Building

In today’s fast-paced and digitally-driven world stickers are a creative and inexpensive way to express a message or establish a brand. Affordable, durable, and eye-catching, stickers are an essential addition to product packaging and to launch an offline brand awareness campaign.

Stickers serve as a versatile and powerful form of out of home media, playing a pivotal role in establishing a new brand. 

Historically, some anthropologists have dated the humble sticker back to price displays in Egyptian markets, but it’s safe to say in 1839 the modern sticker was pretty much invented when Sir Rowland Hill created an adhesive paper that eventually evolved into the first postage stamps. Some experts suggest that R. Stanton Avery, the founder of Avery labels has a claim for the first modern sticker with the launch of his adhesive label in 1935. So along with posters, flyers, and pamphlets, we’re looking for a tried and tested form of advertising that dates back well over a hundred and fifty years.

Why is the sticker so effective?

And is the sticker making a comeback amid the world of online advertising?

1. Cost-Effective Advertising. Stickers are cheap to produce and buy, especially nowadays with online automated production and delivery. This low cost allows both small start-ups and large corporations to leverage stickers to promote their brand without breaking the bank.  
2. High Visibility and Reach. Stickers can be placed on a number of different surfaces from car bumpers, to laptops, to designated public spaces to reach a large and diverse audience and maximizing brand exposure.
3. Flexibility in design and customization means businesses can create stickers to align with their brand identity, logo, and message, making them the perfect tool to introduce and reinforce brand recognition.
4. Virality and Engagement. Beyond mere advertisements stickers can be collectable symbols of brand loyalty. When an audience appreciates a brand and its values, they become attached to the tangible media produced by the company.
5. Eco-Friendly Marketing. In an era where sustainability and environmental concerns are paramount the humble biodegradable paper sticker is a greener alternative to other traditional print marketing.
6. Long-lasting Impact. Unlike digital advertising stickers have a unique ability to endure over time and can continue to promote a brand for years. This sustained presence in an audience’s daily life helps build a strong and lasting brand identity.
7. Targeted Marketing. Stickers allow for a highly targeted marketing strategy. Stickers can be placed in the precise locations where a brand’s niche audience is known to frequent. This targeted approach increases the chances of attracting customers who are genuinely interested in the brand.

Today, there are hundreds of types of stickers made from a range of materials from paper, vinyl, latex, foils, and plastics. Adhesives can be permanent, repositionable, or removable. Strategically placed most stickers will survive for years in both outdoor and indoor environments. Stickers are a versatile, cost-effective, visible, and creative means of creating brand awareness and building customer loyalty. Any business enterprise looking at building awareness in the short to long term should consider sticker marketing as one of the very first approaches in creating a buzz around their product or service in today’s multi-media marketing world.   

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