Tutorials and Product Advice - Influencing Identity

How To Upgrade Your Identification

A company’s brand is what they are, what they want to be and what they aim to become. So make sure you add your logo to everything, starting with your name tags. Then, upgrade your identification by pairing products like name tags and name plates with matching logos. Move on with visitor badges, branded lanyards and even office signs! No matter your choice of identification, we have ways to make it even better.

Custom signs, name tags, name plates, lanyards, badge ribbons and badge holders with matching colors and logos that show how to upgrade your identification.

Over the past 25+ years, you have learned to rely on our high-quality name tags. However, did you know that we offer things that will compliment your name tag purchase? But, no matter which product you start your order with, we guarantee to have something that will go great with any new identification.

We have put together a short list of products that go great together. From name tags to lanyards and even ribbons, let’s get your brand shinning everywhere!

Upgrade Name Tags with Name Plates

Matching name tags and name plates for your office to upgrade your identification.

Your logo already looks excellent on name tags, so put it on a name plate that matches. It’s simple to upgrade your identification with multiple material colors and printing of your logo. You can literally choose the same material for both name tags and plates so that your office matches your employees. You can also play with complimentary colors to help your logo stand out even more. But, no matter how you decide to upgrade your identification, we have what you need.

PRO TIP: Not only can you brand your name tags, but adding signs helps with branding your office.

Upgrade Photo IDs with Lanyards

Upgrade your photo ID with matching, branded lanyards.

These two products go together so well that it just makes sense to get lanyards with photo ID badges. The ability to print any insert for a badge holder is great, and pairing them with lanyards is even greater. No matter your profession, matching lanyards and photo ID badges are the perfect way to keep everyone identified. Not only does the photo identification help increase your security measures, but upgrading with a lanyard ensures instant access to those badges.

Upgrade Badge Ribbons with Badge Holders

Badge ribbons help you upgrade your identification when attached to badge holders and matching lanyards.

Even if you’re not planning an event, pairing badge holders with ribbons is a great way to upgrade your identification. Sometimes all you need to add to your brand is a brightly colored ribbon attached to your name tag.

Even though they are commonly used for title designations at conventions and conferences, badge ribbons are more versatile than you know. They are the perfect tool for advertising sales, promoting events and letting your clientele know about your business.
Add nearly any text and logos to Custom Imprinted Badge Ribbons that help you achieve your business goals. With these custom additions, you can meet all of your company branding and marketing resolutions. Your text can be slogans, logos and so much more!

Using Custom Ribbons to Upgrade Your Identification

Now that you have made your logo stand out on name tags, imagine what other custom ribbons can do for your brand. Use these branded ribbons for product packaging and even employee appreciation gifts. No matter you need, we have a ribbon to help.

Brand vs. Logo (and why magnets are cool)

Brand = a product or service that has a unique and immediately recognizable identity that distinguishes itself from others in its industry.

A company’s brand is what they are, what they want to be, and what they aim to become. It can be a promise of quality, trust or service. A brand is what makes a company or organization truly unique.

Logo = a symbol or other design adopted by an organization to identify its products, uniform, vehicles, etc.

Your logo represents you, your company, your brand and your overall commitment to your clients and customers. And creating consistency by adding your logo to everything you personalize (from name tags to corporate gifts) lets people know you’re proud of what you stand for.

Adding a logo to any name tag is an excellent way to maximize branding for your company. Choose from either metal or plastic and customize it to match your work environment and brand. Logos are engraved or printed depending on the style and material you choose. P.S. Don’t forget the magnets!

For many professions, appearance is a crucial factor in this quality. Maintaining your commitment to quality is easy with a uniform and the proper name tag. So whether you choose a daily business attire like a suit and tie or a matching polo shirt for each of your employees, don’t forget that name tag.

From branding to color matching, name tags, like uniforms, help to symbolize your quality. Creating a positive influence with your brand means guaranteeing that all of your business’s services and products are consistent. Employees and customers know when that consistency is not present. Choose name tags that reflect your brand’s commitment to quality. Once accomplishing this, showing that you commit to quality is easy.

5 Design Principles for Logo Usage

Logo Size – A logo’s final size makes a difference. The more detail a logo has, the more difficult it becomes to see at smaller sizes, so a logo that looks great on a name plate may not work as well on a name tag.

Color – Carefully think about the color of your logo and the color of the name tag. If your logo has bright colors, it will not make as much of a statement on an engraved two color tag, but it will look stunning as a UV color printed on plastic or metal or even as a full color plastic tag.

Contrast – No matter where you have your logo, you want to make sure it is highly visible. So, consider the contrast between colors as you choose materials and printing/engraving style. For example, as shown below, pastels on silver can wash out, and on the name plate and tag above, the blues in the logo blend with the chosen material.

Logo Orientation – The shape and orientation of your logo make a difference in where to place it on your product. The horizontal logo on this example works well when placed at the top of the name tag. However, when placed on the right side, it shrinks to a size that isn’t visible. A good rule is that a horizontal logo is best on the top or bottom of your tag design, while a vertical logo is best on the right or left.

Product – Artwork requirements for logos vary by product. For example, a single color vector file is required for some products, while a high quality bitmap or multicolor vector file is required for full color products. Individual order pages will let you know which requirements are required for each product.

Which Name Tag Fastener is Right for You?

You’ve chosen which name tag you want, designed your logo to advertise your brand and made a list of the names you need printed on them. There is still one crucial part of the name tag equation left: choosing a fastener. It isn’t a decision to take lightly, as different occasions and environments call for specific fasteners. Work attire, uniforms and environment need to be taken into consideration. The fastener you choose will directly impact the appearance and wearability of the name tag, so choose carefully!

Fasteners

A full color name tag with someone's first and last name as well as a deluxe magnetic fastener.

Even the fastener on a name tag helps reflect your company’s standards. Each fastener choice we carry only aids in the presentation of your chosen name tags by keeping them fixed firmly to uniforms and other employee attire. Our Deluxe Magnetic Fasteners hold through thick material and multiple layers of clothing, making them our most popular choice. Everything we offer not only is permanently attached to each name tag, but it will help your high quality image stand out from your competition.

Why are magnets trendy?

Deluxe magnets shown on the back of a personalized name tag.

Our most popular fastener choice is the deluxe magnetic fastener.

This fastener consists of two parts: a metal plate with indentations, which holds the magnet in place and adheres to the back of most name tags, and a plastic bar that has two strong magnets, which holds in place through multiple layers of clothing.

There are many types of fasteners to go with your name tag. These include deluxe magnets, pins, swivel bulldog clips, pocket clips and more. Deluxe magnets have become more popular for name tags because they do not puncture clothing with pins. Name tags can also be worn around the neck using a lanyard.

Providing high quality name tags at networking events is a minor detail that makes a big difference. They are worth the extra money. When we host networking events for hospitality industry professionals, we invest in high quality name tags that stick to clothing using a magnet instead of those with a pin. We’ve learned that people don’t always want to put a pin through their clothes and that using high quality magnetic name tags elevates the perceived quality of the event.

The final thing to cover is the fastener choice. Most name tags come with multiple options, but be careful with these. Don’t order a lanyard to go with an adhesive name badge! It just wouldn’t work. Be smart about the choice. While magnetic fasteners are popular, pins or clips might be more appropriate for your situation. Always think of how and where you are wearing the name tag before making the final selection on a fastener.

Brand Refresh (Tips and Tricks)

One of the easiest ways to feel better about yourself is a new haircut. Or buying a new outfit, shoes included. You start to feel differently about things by giving yourself a new look. You may recognize that this quick makeover has increased your positive outlook on life. And now that you have that mindset, you can accomplish extraordinary things.

Your business is no different. Sometimes marketing ideas fade, and sales dry out. Maybe it is as simple as your company logo being out of date. Enter the brand refresh. From redesigning a logo to giving your leadership a new structure, a refresh will often help get a business out of a rut. In order to have a successful brand refresh, your business must rethink its approach to product, story, culture and customer.

A successful brand revival does not happen in a single moment. There are no shortcuts. There is only a continuum of strategic, creative, and operational decisions that, if executed consistently, put a brand on the path to cultural relevance, consumer love, and business success.

4 Elements of a Successful Brand Refresh by Ana Andjelic, published on Harvard Business review on December 23, 2021.

Refreshing Your Business with New Identification

Adding a logo onto any name tag or name plate is an excellent way to maximize branding for your company. And, finding the perfect identification just got easier! Choose from either metal or plastic and customize it to match your work environment and brand. Logos can be engraved or printed depending on the style you choose.

A refresh can keep or update recognized visual elements. Or a new look, tone and presentation of the overall style will bring fresh recognition. A brand refresh maintains a visual connection to how the brand identity was seen before. But the “new suit” makeover is up-to-date, vibrant and designed for today’s audiences.

Brand Refresh with Name Tags

Show your professionalism and start fresh with a new name tag that suits you and your business.

We know that wearing name tags helps build a corporate identity. These professional tools also help customers interact better with their employees. Imagine what would happen if not only your employees wore name tags, but so did your customers! There would never be any question about who people were or what they needed.

Professional tools, such as name tags are essential in marketing and communication. They provide not only personal identity but corporate branding as well. Employees who wear name tags offer a sense of customer service and responsibility for that business. Name tags are often the hardest working element to a person’s uniform in meetings, conventions or any event.

Brand Refresh with Name Plates

Spruce up your office with new name plates for all of your employees!

While a name plate is common to see in a workplace, they are often needed for various reasons. Name plates serve multiple functions in different places, from employee identification to the labeling of doors and stairways. For example, a name plate typically displays someone’s name and title when found in an office building. And these plates either sit on a desk or hang on a wall just outside an office.

Adding a logo to a nameplate is an inexpensive way to maximize branding for both employee and company benefits. And they are such a great way to create consistent branding throughout any office or building.

Is your business due for a brand refresh?

Things are constantly moving and if your business doesn’t move forward with them, you will fall behind. Branding from only a few years ago is already becoming outdated. If your company fails to adjust and refresh its branding, you can undermine customer trust and credibility in the marketplace. Customers expect your brand to keep pace with the changing times, so a brand refresh makes any business look sharp, in charge of their image and more professional. In short, it makes sure that your customers will take you seriously.

It’s important to help customers feel like reflection in your brand, and if your brand feels like isn’t forward moving, that bond may weaken. Just as customers grow and improve, so should your company. So, make sure your brand refresh and messaging reflect this. Your company will see financial benefits by updated branding that helps retain existing customers and attract new ones.

Although change for change’s sake is seldom a good reason for a brand refresh, it could be just what your business needs. Just make sure that the underlying reasons justify the refresh. Keep in mind your reasoning and strategies while working toward your new brand identity.

Employee Safety and Quality Name Tags

As an employer, it is in your best interest to think about employee safety and resolve your employees’ concerns about wearing name tags. When employees feel safe at work, they are happier, more loyal and more productive. They experience lower stress levels and take risks to come up with creative solutions. If you want your employees to do their best, then you need to help them feel safe wearing name tags.

What makes high-quality name tags a must for your business? A name tag helps to create a connection between you and your customer by providing identification of employees and other staff. This name tag also lets your customers know you are here to help and that your objective is to service their needs. There are several basic features to high-quality name tags that provide value to both your name tag and your brand’s identity. (Read More!)

Identification goes hand-in-hand with credibility. If you know someone’s name and the company they are representing, you are more likely to strike up a conversation. In turn, they are also more likely to respond positively to your inquisitions. Having employees quickly identifiable is key in all business interactions, and your company will be able to retain more and more customers.

Remember…

A person is more interested in their name than in all the other names on earth put together. Remember that name and call it easily, and you have paid a subtle and very effective compliment. But forget it or misspell it – and you have placed yourself at a sharp disadvantage…one of the simplest, most obvious and most important ways of gaining goodwill was by remembering names and making people feel important – yet how many of us do it?
How to Win Friends and Influence People – Dale Carnegie

How to Use Different Name Tags while Considering Employee Safety

The important thing when considering name tags is to make sure that your employees feel safe wearing them. Talk to everyone about workplace security and how name tags create a safe work environment. And remember, a name tag helps to create a connection between you and your customer by providing identification of employees and other staff.

A Quick Guide to Name Usage for Employee Safety

First Name Only

Retail
Food Services
Nonprofit/Association
Hospitality/Tourism

First and Last Names

Educational
Sales
Professional Services
Personal/Family

Adding a Logo and Title

Administrative
Business/Technology
Finance/Insurance
Healthcare

Adding All the Bling

Real Estate/Housing
Events/Event Planning
Advertising/Marketing
Clubs/Fraternities

A plastic name tag with someone's first name only helps everyone with employee safety.

Featuring someone's full name on a name tag can help them feel recognized and included.

Why Employees May Worry About Name Tags

Some employees do not like to wear name tags because they think it puts them at risk of identity theft. In this digital age, it is easy to find someone’s social media accounts and other information just from knowing their name and where they work. Scammers can also contact human resources and ask for an employee’s information. No matter how people may try to steal your employee’s identity, the consequences can be devastating. If someone steals your employee’s identity, they can end up in a serious financial crisis. Such damage can take months, if not years, to recover from.

Another reason employees may not want to wear name tags is because they are afraid of being harassed. Name tags allow customers, co-workers and vendors to ask for them by name. Some of your employees may have experienced workplace harassment in the form of customers coming to the store and asking for them specifically. If this is the case, your employees are more likely to object to wearing a name tag.

Contains excerpts from How to Help Employees Feel Safe Wearing Name Tags.

7 Features of High-Quality Name Tags

Your name tag reflects your brand’s value. The higher the quality, the more customers will trust you to meet their needs. Here is a quick reference to help you throughout the ordering process.

Business Essentials: Name Tags and Identification

Taking care of the customer is the number one priority of every retail establishment. Without good customers, a business will not thrive. So, make sure your customers are happy with every aspect of your store or restaurant. Start with the business essentials: name tags!

Customer happiness can stem from knowing a company’s staff. Enter the name tag. There are many benefits to providing name tags for your employees. Some of these include the use in marketing, providing store security, identifying staff and many other things. Overall, having staff wear name tags helps to build a company’s brand and they give the opportunity for employees and customers to interact.

Approchability with Name Tags
For the majority of retailers, name tags are a business necessity. And, because name tags are permission slips inviting conversation, they encourage engagement. This is due to their primary function being to personalize and humanize each person. Especially for a business whose focus is customer service and face-to-face interaction.

Business Essentials: Name Tags, Office Signs and Event Badge Ribbons

Why Name Tags are Business Essentials for Retail and Restaurants

From security to branding, retail stores and restaurants have almost become synonymous with name tag use. As part of your business essentials, name tags are a must for identification. But, don’t underestimate the power of other forms of identification. These can include stock signage and even badge ribbons. Here are some ways for you to utilize these items.

Reusable Name Badges

Speedy Badge for a coffee shop is an easy to change reusable name tag.

When you need to have more than one use out of a name tag, these are the badges for you. While most reusable badges are used by temporary retail workers or similar professions, they can also be a versatile option for a company that is looking to save on identification cost.

With printable inserts, these Reusable Name Badges are simple to use and quick to change. Speedy Badges are a great option for a reusable tag. The printed paper slides out from behind a plastic cover and is quickly replaced. Now all of your employees, volunteers and other staff are ready with new name tags.

Stock Signs

Stock office signs like a conference room sign with a frame will help both employees and customers.

From conference rooms to custodial closets, having signs around your store or restaurant is always helpful. Every sign you use helps communicate with your employees and patrons where things are located. And, they come in all sorts of colors so they will match your established spaces.

The best part about these signs? If you don’t see one you need, you can always order a custom sign instead! So, making engraved signs part of your business essentials just got easier. Choose a color and add them to your doors, desks and more.

Event Badge Ribbons

As a business owner, you often times can find yourself needing to attend an event. So, when attending these events, upgrade your name tag with a title featured on a badge ribbon. It doesn’t matter what the title (stock or custom), just make sure it is highly readable at a distance.

You can also use title ribbons at your business. Identify servers, customer service and other staff around your store or restaurant easily with pretty strips of ribbon. Or, think outside the box with these versatile business essentials.

Other Business Essentials

The primary reason that name tags help businesses thrive and flourish is that they can add a personal and professional connection to employees to make them stand out. When people have a personal connection they’re sure to remember and return again and again. So, how much do you make name tags and other identification a part of your life? If you’re not already, start using them today: www.nametag.com.