Name Badges: Innovation And Diversification
By Kris Wieber
They're an introduction to a stranger. Walking through a department store or a mall of small shops, they give identity to people previously unknown. In only a moment, a name badge reveals to anyone who reads it a very important piece of knowledge about that person. It tells you their name, a word for which they are the meaning.
They are direct, small and simple, so that the true power of what they convey is often missed. For those who know—perhaps those who create them—their presence and meaning is felt everywhere. And that's where they're seen: everywhere. When you rent a movie, get a burger and fries or fill up your car—when you shop for almost anything—name badges are there, an introduction to a merchant of commerce.
A Reasonable Explanation
A good question to ask of yourself whenever anyone discusses a product or process that you don't offer is, "Why should I?" So, why should you offer name badges? The reasons are numerous.
"Basically, name badges complement the line awards businesses already offer. A lot of the equipment you can use for name badges is the same equipment used to make trophies, plaques and other awards items," says Scott Clark of Digital Color Supplies in Toledo, Ohio. Also, he adds, they can fill in for lulls in other aspects of the awards industry.
D'Antonio agrees, saying that awards retailers should offer name badges because, "They're already set up to do it. They've got the engravers, whether they're laser or rotary. They've got sublimation. They work with plastic. There aren't additional processes or materials for them to learn to work with."
According to Neil Bell of Bell Co in Trussville, Alabama, repeatability is one of the most important reasons to add name badges, "I say people come and people go. At institutions such as insurance companies, universities, hospitals, banks and grocery stores, there is always at least some turnover."
Bob Connors of Identification Plates in Mesquite, Texas, says that the most important reason for awards businesses to offer name badges is that it's an opportunity for new business outside the standard work they're doing. Name badges aren't trophies. They're not plaques. They're not awards of any kind, and if a retail establishment got involved with name badges, says Connors, they'd be opening their door to corporate business, promotional item work, etc.
Tom Johnson of Johnson Plastics in Minneapolis, Minnesota, agrees, saying that, "It's a universally accepted product with a lot of appeal and a broad base. It's a huge market and a broad market, and by offering badges, you're drawing in customers that you can then sell other things."
Looking at the bottom line, Gary Nelson of A to Z Engraving in Wauconda, Illinois, says that whether you personalize them, or whether you outsource them, name badges are profitable products, "With a lot of the stuff we sell through ASI, my distributors are making 50-percent profit on badges. We're not talking about other engravers here either. We're supplying them with a completely finished product that they're reselling."
So, there you have quite a few good reasons. But considering this is an article for the recognition industry, let's go ahead and add another.
According to Frank Ricci of Fred Ricci Tool Company in Cranston, Rhode Island, name badges are a natural fit for this industry because they're all about, "Recognition, it's all about recognizing who you are and what you've done in your life, and it's nice to be recognized for your accomplishments. Everyone likes to have a pat on the back for doing something well. Part of that is the title that you've earned at the company you work for. It's nice to let people know of the level you've achieved in your work."
Changes
"I think some of the oldest name badges started with engraving names on metal plates for the military. Later on, plastic came and they could engrave a white background on different solid-colored name badges. Then they put logos on. Now they can actually put photographs on there. It's come a long way," says Bell.
Johnson agrees, saying that first of all, in terms of color selection, there's just been a great expansion in the range of products available. Both Rowmark and IPI have greatly expanded the colors and patterns. Second, laser engraving has become much more popular, so a lot of people are using lasers to put logos on badges. Third, sublimation has shown itself to be a great new process for making name badges in full color.
Those are two important words to pay attention to, because while badges have changed in many different ways over the years, one change has had far more impact than the others: graphics. Once upon a time, badges were limited to two colors and engraved or printed text. That was it. Today, the range of graphics and colors are truly limitless. Unfortunately, that doesn't immediately bring in limitless sales.
"For years, one of the things my customers have told me is, 'All they want is a name and a title,' you know, a white badge, black letters for the name and title. Well, that's because until recently, that's all there was. Those end users have been trained to expect that. They were also trained that if they went with a graphic or more color, they would pay a lot more for it. Now, you can scan artwork and print it out. The process has been streamlined to create better badges—in full color with graphics—with greater efficiency," says Clark. He adds that where the problem for some customers used to be whether or not to get color at all, it's now that they want their colors to match up exactly.
"Full-color printing has had a dramatic effect on the industry," agrees Connors. He adds that another new innovation for the industry has been the advent of the window badge, which has a clear slot in which a slip of paper with a person's name on it can be slid in and easily seen, saving money for the end user.
Color looks great. No one argues that, but what is the true value of color? What makes full color valuable enough to add to your business?
"Color sells. The best way to demonstrate the vitality of that is to make up a sample using the customer's logo, an image you want to present and then someone's name. With a handwritten badge or an engraved badge, you can read a name and department. With a full-color badge, you can read a name and see a department.
"With color, an image can give someone instant recognition of what the individual does, and, since it is able to emulate elegant hallmarks such as marble or hardwood grain, it can also communicate the atmosphere and quality of a business," says Jim Woodhouse of Unisub Color Product Solutions in Louisville, Kentucky.
Of course, advancements in graphics have come in areas other than color as well.
"With computers, engravers are now capable of much more complex logos and designs than in the past, advancing to the point where lasers can actually engrave photos. Sometimes that's what people prefer," says Don D'Antonio of Innovative Plastics in Algonquin, Illinois.
As someone who manufactures the plastic which name badges are made of, D'Antonio says that materials have changed in their makeup, appearance and the applications for which they're used. "The variety of finishes has increased greatly over the years. The materials have also changed in their substance, making them easy to be personalized with new processes such as laser engraving and sublimation."
Your Customer Service Customers
We started this article by providing reasons to add names badges to your business. One of those reasons was to open your doors to additional customers. So, who are the potential customers for name badges?
"There are over six billion people on the planet, and boy, I'd like to sell every one of 'em a name badge. That's the market," says Bell.
That's about right. There is a wide world of awaiting-name-badge customers, from retail to restaurants; any business serving the public needs name badges, and don't forget that includes customers you already have for awards. If they're not getting them from you, they're getting them from someone else. What if that someone decides to offer awards as well? Diversify; diversify in service, in products and in markets.
"Your biggest market is the vast array of retailers out there. Any retail operation is a potential name badge customer," says Johnson.
Clark notes that there are other businesses that need name badges as well. Since 9/11, many companies and even private residences have become much more vigilant about making sure people are who they say they are. Heating and air conditioning companies, hardwood floor companies, janitorial services—any company that has people going into homes and buildings that are not their own are potential clients for name badges.
"Every company in the Yellow Pages is a potential customer. If they've got a truck with a logo, T-shirts or hats with a logo, why not a name badge? I think a name badge completes the image of a professional individual. When companies wear name badges, it gives confidence to their customers. It says, 'I officially represent this company,'" says Bell.
The next time you drive to work, the next you walk down a street or visit a mall, count the number of people you see officially representing their company.
"When you're aware of name badges, it's amazing how many different people you'll see wearing them. There are more badges out there than anyone could count. All you have to do to see them is look around," says D'Antonio.
Methods
There are many different processes for personalizing name badges. That's part of the beauty and attraction of name badges. So let's count them up. If you offer rotary engraving, laser engraving, sublimation, screen printing, digital printing, hot-stamping, embossing or etching, you can create or personalize name badges.
For most of those processes, name badges are just one of the many different products they can personalize, and that's part of the allure of those machines—their diversity. But, for anyone interested in selling full-color name badges in serious-sized quantities, the Millennium printers from Direct Color Systems deserve serious consideration. They are able to quickly print badges of various sizes in any variation of color.
While Millennium printers do require a healthy investment, remember that the sum of money that matters most is not the investment cost, but the profit potential. That's something to keep in mind when looking at investing in sublimation, laser or rotary engravers as well, all of which can personalize badges along with a host of other products. Return on investment: determine as closely as possible what this will be for your business.
Talking about investing in new technology reminds Ricci of a story, "There was once a story that someone told me about the Alamo: They were fighting and fighting at the Alamo, and there was a salesman at the back door banging away as hard as he could to get someone's attention. Someone heard it and went to the commander. The commander says, 'What is it?' They tell him, 'It's a salesman at the back door.' The commander says, 'What? Tell him we're busy fighting! Get rid of him!' Well, do you know what the salesman was selling? A machine gun."
The Big-Picture Plan
The question is not what you sold them today. The question is what will you sell them tomorrow? Badge business is repeat business; that fact is one of the best reasons to get into name badges. Companies with a great deal of turnaround are great clients for badges, and usually, that's what people are referring to when talking about repeat business for name badges. But what about the employees that stick it out? Why should they be stuck with the same name badge day after day, year after year? Don't sell product, sell product plans.
"My distributors try to sell a name badge program. I've got three of them who are trying that right now. One of the end users is a grocery chain with 33,000 employees. Everyone gets a new name badge on their hire anniversary date. It does two things. First, it gives everybody a new badge every year, so everybody's badge looks new and sharp, instead of old and banged up. It also has their service years on it, 'Proud to serve you for X amount of years.' And, that gives the employee's manager the opportunity to, at least once a year, come around and personally acknowledge that person's years of service," says Nelson.
Don't forget to ask yourself what business you're in. Are you in the printing business? The engraving business? Trophies? Plaques? Pins? Or, are you in the recognition business? Recognition is what name badges are all about. Why shouldn't they provide some recognition for the ones wearing them while providing a name to those reading them?
Marketing the Goods
Good marketing is essential in the success of any new product, says Allen, and to help with that, DCS offers a marketing tool with their machines. An important early step is to determine who you want to market to, keeping in mind that your current customers can likely all use name badges. Allen says that for these customers, as well as customers yet unattained, direct mail can be a very effective marketing tool.
"One of the great things about name badges is that you can actually market the product for a very reasonable price. These days, it's usually very easy to get someone's logo, either through a business card, a website or literature. Once you've got that logo, you can put it on a badge. The name that goes on that badge is the name of the person who decides where the company gets their name badges from. Somewhere on that badge, put your company's contact information. Then, along with some promotional literature of your own—which is important to have—you send that name badge with that person's name and company logo on it. Something with your name on it is hard to throw away. They'll put it in their desk drawer. While they may not need badges when they get that mail, they'll need them eventually, and when they go to look for a person to buy from, they'll have your information," says Blair Allen of Direct Color Systems in Berlin, Connecticut.
"If you are a grocery store, would you like your employees to write their name down on a piece of tape and put that on a badge? Or, would you like one that is similar to one customer we have that serves the needs of a grocery store chain? Those name badges all have full-color backgrounds that correspond to the department the person works in. If they work in produce, there's an image of juicy tomatoes. If they work in the butcher shop, there's an image of T-bone and porterhouse steaks. Color can say a lot more than just a few words. When marketing, the best way to prove that to a client is to show them."
Before You Begin
What should you consider before adding name badges?
D'Antonio says that the first decision to be made for a potential name-badge business is whether they're going to make the badges and sell them, or buy the badges and sell them.
That's a good start. What else?
"Before going into the name-badge business, you've got to consider your vendors. Where are you going to get your fasteners from? What kind of fasteners are you going to get? How many colors of plastic are you going to have? How are you going to put their name on there? Are you going to rotary engrave it? Are you going to use a laser engraver? What vendor do you get those from? I think that's very important for a new person to consider," says Bell.
Clark says something important to keep in mind when doing name badges is that big orders are often followed by small orders from the same client. They may seem insignificant at first, but over time, they become valuable. Clark also notes that the artwork for a name badge may require more work than you might initially think.
Johnson agrees, saying that to do name badges, "A sense of graphics is very important. That will help you know what's balanced and looks nice."
Allen notes that the amount of labor required to create name badges is very important to consider. If you have multiple processes, or if investment in new technology is a possibility, it is worthwhile to set aside some time, crunch the numbers and compare. How much will it cost to produce them with a laser? A rotary engraver? Sublimation? A Millennium printer? Allen says that it is critical to figure in the amount of personal attention one process will require versus another.
"The biggest thing that they're going to have to consider – depending on how big the client is, if it's a medium-sized company, the problem you're going to run into is if they have a small turnover – is sometimes the customers will need one or two new badges and get a little pushy about wanting it as fast as possible. If the individual trophy shop is personalizing them, it really isn't that big of a deal, because all they have to do is make sure they have ten or fifteen additional blanks on hand," says Nelson.
Nelson adds that you may want to be sure that your clients are well aware of how long it will take you to get them a name badge after they have put their order in. Hopefully, they'll keep that in mind when they call for an order they expect immediately.
Future Forecast
No one knows what the future holds, but everyone's confident that name badges will be in it.
"This is not something that's going to go away. It's going to continue to grow and expand; there's certainly no risk of this being some kind of fad," says Connors.
Considering the prevalence of name badges and their continued growth, that's a safe bet.
So, what will the name badges of tomorrow look like? Clark says that he is working with software now that he may use to produce lenticular name badges. He has also seen LED name badges with running messages. Either of these may become popular, or at least more popular, in the near future.
Color will continue to be very important in the future, says D'Antonio, though he adds that color isn't necessary to have a good-looking badge. Some of the brass or gold on black badges for rotary engraving looks really sharp.
All the same, "I think we're going to see more and more full-color name badges. Sublimation has made a statement in the marketplace that we don't have to limit ourselves to the white-on-black or black-on-white, two-color badges. Personalization is becoming more and more important, and I see badges continuing to be a steady, core business within the industry."
Conculsion
In the end, only you know if name badges will be a strong asset for your company. But should you decide they are not for you, remember their prevalence. Sooner or later, it is likely that all of your customers will need name badges for one purpose or another. They've got to get them somewhere, and that somewhere could include your competition.
Thinking about that, think also of the question you asked yourself at the beginning of the article: Why should I? Now ask, why shouldn't I?
"Name badges are old products that have been around forever, but their importance has continued to increase with our ability to personalize things in this very competitive age for the retail marketplace. All retailers are looking for ways to come across to their customers as visually appealing and personable at the same time, and name badges are an important part of that," says Johnson.