Using Stickers for Business Branding and Marketing Purposes: Some Ideas

kissmetrics stickers
Image: John Fischer / Flickr

Ah – stickers… those little sticky papers are everlasting way to get your message across. Stick ’em on bumpers, bus stops, and any other public places, then you will get free publicity for your business brands – something that can even boost your sales. Stickers have also overgrown – they can fill your entire store window – even entire building – with smart brand identity and ad messages.

But for now, let’s focus on the rather smallish, non die-cut ones – stickers in square, round and other typical classic shapes. You can make effective sticker design that can serve its purpose well. Well-designed stickers are great, but the ones that are unique, smart and creative will directly boost your brands and sales figure.

Partnering with the right stickers printing and designing companies, you can create a set of stickers that can carry your message around – and “stick” forever in your customers or prospects’ mind.

If you are looking for the right one for your small business, here are 5 sticker design ideas I found while searching the web, looking at hundreds of sticker design. I consider these 5 to be more effective than the rest I have seen; they might not be as good-looking as the rest, but they are definitely great for your marketing and branding campaigns – here they are:

1. Pro Skates Skateboard Shop

Pro Skates Skateboard Shop stickers come with a simple shape of oval. However, with little creativity, you can get superb branding and marketing opportunity. Check this out – sticking the vinyl stickers – along with a simple skateboard design – on crosswalk signs will give your ‘walking man’ crosswalk icon into a skateboarder.

Very smart, I must say!

pro skates stickers
Image from WebDesignerDepot.com

2. HomePlus-branded subway

How about applying large stickers to subway station pillars and turn the subway station into a virtual supermarket? That’s right, HomePlus launched an interesting outdoor advertising campaign: Applying stickers to turn boring subway station pillars into life-size HomePlus supermarket stands – people getting off the subways will feel like entering the supermarket!

It was reported that this unique advertising campaign boost HomePlus sales by 550% – more than 5 times the expected opening day sales.

homeplus sticker design idea
Image by WebDesignerDepot.com

3. Linvincible stickers

Want your business to get indirect endorsement by a famous public figure? Learn from Filter017 CREALIVE Shop. “Linvincible” stickers are part of a “tribute” set to Jeremy Lin, an NBA basketball player who has phenomenal performance that has brought him from the deep-bench to starting job for the New York Knicks. The set was designed by Filter017, a Taiwanese company (Jeremy is a Taiwanese descent), and it has gain quite a buzz among basketball fans worldwide. Riding on Jeremy’s popularity (Jeremy’s jersey number is 17 – ‘catch the drift?), Filter017 also gains recognition as the designer of the simple and sporty stickers.

linvincible stickers
Design by Filter017 CREALIVE Shop

4. Chiquita banana stickers

Back in Summer 2010, Chicquita launch a sticker design contest. Consumer voted on the 50 finalists to decide the best 18. Each winning design is printed and placed on Chiquita bananas. The contest alone gets nationwide attention, and the winners’ designs also make Chiquita bananas pretty – and well-branded.

chiquita banana stickers
Image from Popsop

5. KISSmetrics stickers

KISSmetrics stickers are simple, yet effective branding effort. The stickers are actually embossed KISSmetrics Web Analytics’ logo. Simple and well-made – ’nuff said.

kissmetrics logo stickers
Design by StickerGiant.com

So – what do you think? What’s your favourite? Do you have any sticker design ideas for small business? If so, please share with us!

Ivan Widjaya
Small business sticker design ideas