4 Ways to Join the In Crowd with Lanyards

Marketers looking for the next big thing in promotional Item might want to consider the humble lanyard.

Journalists, event attenders, and trade show presenters are among the core lanyard-wearing population. Veteran attendees have been known to collect their lanyards, and turn them into a mosaic. Sporting a lanyard makes one a member of the “in crowd,” however briefly, so marketers would be advised to wonder what else the can do with not-so-humble lanyard.

1. Give the lanyard value. The lanyard should be viewed as an advertising opportunity. If the lanyard is for a resort, perhaps having a restaurant offer a free appetizer when presenting the lanyard will give it value past the event.
2. Make the lanyard unique. Alternatively, the lanyard could be stamped with one of those patches that has embedded video for a unique advertising stunt. If the lanyard is for an event, count on it being viewed several hundred times a day. Perhaps the lanyards could be coded to identify certain groups, so that a lanyard with a green dot represents marketers. This would make it easier for marketers or whatever group to find each other at mixers and hospitality suites.
3. Make the lanyard personal as possible to the organization or event, and then provide the wearer with a reason to hang on to the lanyard, beyond sentimental value. Perhaps the lanyard could be used as a ticket for a drawing or other prize.

   People may turn up their noses art name tags, but for whatever reason they’re more than happy to hand a small sign around their necks, especially if it defines them as part of the in crowd.

4. Tie the lanyard to a social media project could also be tied into a social media project on Facebook or Pinterest.