Slate and Artsmith – In marketing, you have to try and line up purpose with message to maximize your effect. If you advertising a new kind of software, the internet is the perfect venue, since you know viewers of your ads will already have some computer proficiency. If you are advertising shoes however, it might be better to market somewhere a little more active, such as at a marathon, or in a gym.
Drink coasters are a niche marketing tool which can provide you with two narrow, yet intense audiences for your message. On the one hand, coasters can be targeted directly to people who care about their beverages. This can include connoisseurs of both alcoholic and non-alcoholic fare. On the other hand, you also have the potential to reach a group of people who are actually unique in their use and display of coasters. These are people who are a little more meticulous, and take a little bit more care in the preservation and condition of their possessions.
However in general, you can’t just distribute free promotional coasters to the general public and expect them to be used. Most people don’t use coasters and if they do, they are too meticulous to allow advertising on them. That is why you have to find clever ways to put your coaster message in front of an engaged and willing audience, to see a good return on your investment.
Beer Coasters and Bars
Using coasters to target people who enjoy an occasional spirit is a tried and true tactic. If you step into any average bar in America chances are you will see a variety of cheap rubber discs scattered about, brightly imprinted with the logo of this beer company or that. Distilleries give the coasters to bar owners free of charge because they know that this is a great way to place ads directly in front of their target market, in a setting where the audience has access to the product.
In recent years this has been used to the opposite effect, with city and state governments around the world using drink coasters to make the negative effects of alcoholic consumption clear. Of these the most extreme and arguably clever campaign was performed by the government in Mumbai India. There a series of coasters were distributed to local bars which bore the pictures of young, local citizens. However when the condensation from a drink was placed on these holders, the picture would change to reveal the stark bloody face of a victim of drinking and driving.
Since this is such a prevalent form of marketing being effective means setting yourself apart. First of all, bar owners are getting free offers for promotional drink coasters all of the time. Often beer and liquor companies will even pay a venue to use their particular materials. If you want your coasters to be used, you have to give them added functionality.
This can be done by upping the ante, and spending a little more money on some higher quality materials. Marble, gemstone, and hardwood coasters are all much more substantial than their rubber or paper counterparts, and the sandblasted dimensional logo which you can instill in their surface is more meaningful than simple print. Alternatively you can try to be clever, adding interesting facts and novelty games on your promotional pieces. If all else fails, study the venue, and try to work with the owners to create something which promotes both of your businesses.
Wine Coasters
Marketing to wine drinkers is rather different than using coasters to market to people in bars and clubs. Wine has a more sophisticated persona than most other intoxicants. It is drunk in lounges, on wine tasting tours, and in wine contests. It is considered the beverage of the affluent, the sophisticated, and the wealthy.
Another important difference between bar coasters and wine coasters are their very function. In general wine glasses don’t have a problem with condensation, however wine bottles often do. That is why wine coasters tend to be crafted for the bottle rather than the glass. These coasters are usually made from more solid materials, and are larger, with raised edges which cup the bottle, preventing moisture from spilling off of the neck.
The mixture of elevated perception, and the fact that the coasters are so much more substantial, means that wine coaster marketing generally tends to be for more upscale products. While wine and vineyards are the most common subjects to promote, you can also be a little more creative, marketing regions of the country, a certain type of lifestyle, or related luxury services.
The most important thing to remember about wine coaster marketing is that it is much more subtle than working in a bar. You want to create impressions, and work at the subconscious mind of the person viewing the piece. Whereas in a bar, you should expect to catch people unaware, perhaps even a little tipsy, and so the message has to be much louder.
Non Alcoholic Beverage Coasters
People tend to get most enthusiastic about liquor beverages; however there are many who are also devoted to a variety of sodas, juices, and other basic drinks. These are people who would be willing to incorporate a marketing message in their homes. The secret is bundling your coasters with products or events that will allow you to easily distribute them to those specific people.
One way to market with drink coasters without making the foray directly into alcohol, is to work with restaurants and cafes to develop pieces which merge tastefully with the dcor of the space. Most restaurants will not want to place a piece of direct marketing on their customers tables, because it could offend them. However if you have pieces which are attractive, interesting, or engaging, with a subdued marketing message, you may find restaurateurs who are willing to work with you.
Upscale Drink Coasters
Coasters are not always associated with drinks; sometimes they are associated with perfection. Those who care about their possessions, who believe in preserving the quality and pristine beauty of their homes, are often devotees of the coaster.
However, these same people are very reluctant to allow a piece of dcor into their home which is nothing more than a big marketing message. That is why it is important, as with restaurant coasters, to create promotional pieces which are tasteful, refined, and subtle.
Material is the most important part of this equation. Cheap coasters are going to be perceived as unimportant, and will be discarded. However coasters made from materials such as marble, sandstone, hardwood, agate, stainless steal, and even hand knitted coasters are going to be seen as having a certain quality and therefore a value. This will make it harder for people to part with them.
On the other hand, quality means higher cost, and so the risk that comes with the distribution of each coaster becomes higher. The other way to handle this problem is to use style and color to increase the retention rate of your promotional pieces.
By using a variety of patterns, bright colors, clever catch phrases, and interesting images, you can create a coaster which is desirable to potential customers, without having to invest in high cost materials or procedures.
Conclusion
Coaster marketing is a highly niche form of advertising. While this may mean that it does not have a broad appeal, it also means that when effectively applied, the results are even more intense. The secret is to finding ways to distribute your coasters in a cost effective manner, to people who will actually use them.
PebbleZ.com offers a wide range of beautiful marble and sandstone coasters which can be used for printing or promotional purposes. The actual text of this article was written by Jim Slate.