Personal Branding vs. Corporate Branding

First things first, what is BRANDING?

Definition: BRAND – a particular product or a characteristic that serves to identify a specific product, a trade name or trademark, or a particular kind or variety.

Let’s break it down a bit farther to make it a little easier. The act of branding is the process involved in creating a unique name or image for a product, person or idea. This is done mostly through advertising and other similar means. It is also the action of building a convincing individual or unique presence in a consumer market that attracts and retains loyal customers.

Now that we’ve established what branding is let’s discuss the different aspects of what it is.

Personal branding is the process of an individual marketing, or advertising, themselves or their career as a unique image, or brand. It is in effect the ongoing practice of building up an image or uniqueness about themselves to others around them. A personal brand often involves the use of someone’s name on various marketing products.

Examples of personal branding:
Rachel Ray, Michael Jordan, Oprah, Scott Ginsberg, Tony Robbins

In the name tag world, a personal brand comes when you wear a name tag with your name (first and last) to identify yourself as an individual and to stand out in a crowd. By wearing personal identification products, e.g., name tag, name badge, etc., one makes themselves more visible to others and opens the door to better experiences at large events. Most often one can see this type of brand at large corporate meetings or conventions where the individual needs to be distinguished from others.

Corporate branding is the process of promoting the logo and brand name of a company or corporation for marketing and advertising purposes. Typically the range of a corporate brand is extensive and is often used as a way to express the company’s ideals and goals.

Examples of corporate branding:
Apple; The Hershey Company; NIKE, Inc.;
Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc.; M&M (Mars, Incorporated)

Corporate branding utilizes the same items as personal branding, such as lanyards and name tags, but they are used differently. Many companies choose to add their logo, or brand, to the name tags so that their employees are easily identifiable to the consumer. These items are then turned into a way of advertising their company rather than the individual. Many times this type of branding is seen at conferences where many companies that manufacture or sell the same ideas or items might mingle. Lanyards, name tags and often signs are used to distinguish each business attending the conference.

Whether personal or corporate, a brand is essential to anyone who is seeking to be differentiated from those around them. Corporations typically have a logo designed while individuals must promote their names as a logo.

Name Tags and Spooky Holidays

Many people these days tend to get the order of the holidays all mixed up. We start seeing Christmas decorations too early and forget some of the holidays that should count a little bit more. While Halloween is a holiday most people remember, sometimes it does get a little overlooked.

So, what do name tags have to do with the most popular dress-up holiday ever?

Try adding some flair to an office party with custom shaped name tags for that special day. Choose from one of our pre-designed styles or custom design one all your own. While we do not encourage complicated designs, we do encourage uniqueness and originality. Choose a black cat or a wooden color cross. Or, create a bat or pumpkin. Too complicated? Custom design a name tag or name badge and add a spooky logo.

Make a name tag part of a Halloween costume.

Do you know where this one would belong?

(Doctor Who and The Weeping Angels)

Another great idea is to create your own custom signs. Choose a fun font with your own spooky message and logo. Or, make signs that go with office decor or party ideas. Use this orange sign to hang on your door when you run out of treats on Halloween night, or simply get tired of answering the door bell and missing all your party guests.

Need more ideas? Use adhesive name badges for Halloween games and activities. From a quick game of “Who Am I?” to a fun way to introduce everyone at an office or home party, these quick and cheap name badges are great for any amount of fun!

Dress up your Halloween party with Halloween designs on personalized name tags, name badges and signs and have a Happy Halloween! But don’t forget to get your order in now so that it will arrive in time for the holiday!

Attending a Networking Event with Name Tags

Badge holder with a printed insert and matching lanyard and imprinted badge ribbon to help make connections at a networking event.

Lanyards, name tags, reusable badges and even signs are useful tools for any conference or convention. And the corporate event name badge is one detail that has been overlooked too much. For years people have been dealing with this awkward situation over and over again at event after event. As such, setting the stage is just as important as attending a conference or networking event. However, there are many roadblocks along the way.

Here’s the scenario:

“You’ve just arrived at your weekly, cookie-cutter networking event, and after walking up to the registration table, you proceed to search across a sea of identical plastic name badges with tiny print for the one with your name and company printed on it. You’ll affix this name tag to your shirt at the least awkward angle you can finagle, and proceed into a crowded room of people all arching their necks to scope out the people worth chatting to while trying not to stare at someone’s chest for too long. (And most likely many have chosen to position the name) tags to be hidden in the folds of jackets or flipped around entirely making them impossible to read. Good luck with that one.”

Let us help you with finding the perfect solution to this problem. We offer products that facilitate networking and promote making those important connections. Our name tags and reusable badges are perfect for use with our lanyards and other fasteners.

For many people, the idea of wearing a name tag evokes the stale idea of the epic “Hello, my name is…” variety you might find at an awkward mixer or high school reunion. But a name tag is a valuable tool and, when used in fresh and creative ways, it can be an effective tool in helping people at a networking event and when interacting with each other.

Still not convinced on wearing name tags at a networking event?

Here are some creative ways to use any name tag or reusable badge to help eliminate any awkwardness while at a networking event.

Try omitting titles and company names. Use this as an effort to associate people more with what they love to do, or excel at, than what they do for a living. Focus on the individual.

Move beyond the work domain. Try using reusable badges with a catch phrase or other conversation starter to get people to mingle.

Incorporate a theme. It doesn’t matter what the theme is, just as long as it’s geared toward getting people flowing through the masses. After all, it’s about making those important connections.

Fun Ways to Say Thank You with Name Tags

Use a customized name tag, name plate or sign to express appreciation for those around you.

Saying “Thank you” to someone could be considered the most powerful two words in any language. Why not use it more frequently? There isn’t a single person in the world who doesn’t appreciate hearing these two little words as an expression of appreciation, respect and courtesy. In fact, if people were to say it more often to each other, we would all have a better sense of well being.

With that being said, how do you remember to say thank you? And why is it so important? There are many things to be thankful for. Good service that you received while at a restaurant, a thoughtful gift from a friend at a time that you were feeling a bit down, having someone respect a simple request such as not spoiling the end of a movie.

While it is easy to remember to say thank you for many things, especially if it is in the moment that it occurs, sometimes it gets a bit hard to remember to say thank you for the little things. Try ordering a customized sign that will remind you on a daily basis to say thank you for those little things. Order a bunch of simple name tags with a simple engraved thank you expressing your appreciation and give them out to friends, family or co-workers.

Need something a little more accessible? Try a name plate with a customized message that you can place on your desk to remind the people around you at work, or at your home office, that they really are appreciated in your life. All of our products are customizable to fit any need or situation. From a sign you can hang on your office door to the suggested name tags to hand out as a written thank you, all people appreciate the courtesy of a simple thank you.

Pay attention to the number of times you say thank you in a day and keep trying to up that number. By the end of just one week you will be well on your way toward developing a great habit that will fill your life with many great and wonderful things. So, whether you are at work, at home or out and about, develop a habit to say thank you more often.

Mother’s Day Signs!

Mother’s day is quickly approaching, and we have a great idea on what you should get your mom this year! Our fantastic graphic designer whipped up a word art sign! This is a custom laser engraved product.

name tags-nameplates-nametags-ribbons-lanyards-shipping

We combined a whole bunch of nice messages for her mom, and put them all together on the sign. To make it looked more finished we put in in a picture frame.

Does this sound like something you want for your mom?