Are there really lapel pins for men and women alike? This is a reasonable question, but it is important to remember that these pins don’t come in just a single style or format. For example, the employer who wants to create a somewhat fun and yet competitive atmosphere could give out an employee of the month pin that was made from highly affordable and stylish enamel, cloisonné, or even one that is digitally printed with the company logo. Staff could have an ongoing competition to see which department head or team member acquired the largest number of these pins over the course of a single year.

Alternately, you could give out a precious metal lapel pin which has been hand-crafted into the shape of the company logo and made from gold or sterling silver. There are even options for precious gemstones or jewels to be added as well. This would be a remarkable gift for special staff members or for those earning an employee of the year recognition of some kind too.

Lapel pins can be as simple or as formal as required, and the range of options available for large or small purchases is actually somewhat impressive. There are makers of fine lapel pins that can provide a business owner or organization with so many different styles that it could easily become an overwhelming decision. This is the main reason to identify exactly how you will choose to honor employees with such a gift before selecting the lapel pins they will receive.

How many options will a buyer have? There are economy styles, there are lapel pins that can be die cast or die struck, there are antique and precious metal styles, aluminum and digital printed options, and there are even styles with flashing lights and those with printed photographic images as well. This means that they can be a great way to acknowledge employees or to allow members of an organization to wear a very recognizable and yet distinctive pin.

For example, let’s say that you are the director of a very large non-profit organization. You would like to somehow acknowledge volunteers, staff, and donors in a way that also promotes the organization. Lapel pins are the perfect answer because they are small, completely customizable, and affordable. You could acquire them by the dozens or even by the hundreds and give them to staff members to wear at any events, send them easily in the mail as a thank you gift to a donor, or even hand them to every volunteer who attends events or who helps out at organizational facilities. Each one of the pins could have the logo for the organization, making them a bit of free marketing too!

Before you rush into thinking that lapel pins are something worn normally only by men, you should understand that they can be made from materials that are easily worn by women too. For example, they are available in precious metals, pewter, and even with jewels. They can be cloisonné styles and also enamel, they might have photographic images imprinted on them, or they can be easily found in die-cast styles too.

The thing to know about high-quality lapel pins is that they are also totally customizable. This means that you might have hundreds of pins made from something like pewter or even 14k gold which are made in the shape of your logo and even dotted with gemstones too. Alternately, you might instead opt for a style that is silk-screened with your logo and shaped in a traditional format such as an oval or square.

This also adds up to a lot of flexibility and options. Consider that you might have hundreds of economy pins made to use as form of marketing. These might be given to new customers, donors to an organization, or every new staff member. You can then have the highest quality pins made as a token of appreciation to be given to the top donors or the most reliable and finest staff members.

We mentioned marketing in the previous paragraph and that might lead many to wonder how any lapel pin could be viewed as a form of marketing. Just consider that, if they are well-made and attractively designed, they will always catch the attention of someone nearby. This person or group will then usually take a closer look at the pin, and “voila”, that is free advertising. If they also get into a conversation with the wearer about the pin and the organization or business, this serves as something known as “word of mouth” which is usually acknowledged as the most potent form of marketing available anywhere.

So, when you honor staff, volunteers, or donors with a customized lapel pin, you are not only demonstrating to them that you value their presence, efforts or generosity, you are also helping your business or organization to thrive.

The most important thing to remember is that a high-quality supplier of lapel pins is essential to the success of such tactics. This is because it is only through the use of well-made pieces, which will stand up to years of wear that you can count on your various messages being received and distributed. National Custom Insignia has over 30 years of experience in this field and can easily meet any needs for lapel pins.

For example, a plaque is a wonderful token, and so too is something as fine and enduring as a precious metal pen and pencil set, but not many people will get a lot of use out of these high-quality gifts. So, what is a good solution for the boss who is looking to really acknowledge years of service with a lovely and yet useful token?

One of the savviest solutions is a lapel pin. These are made in all kinds of shapes and styles and can be as simple as a printed or silk-screened pin or as complex as a precious metal pin encrusted with gemstones.

Consider the staff member who has worked within a business for ten years. This is not inconsiderable, and is a commitment that should be recognized and acknowledged in a permanent way. Now, you can easily host a dinner or luncheon party in honor of this essential member of the team, but how do you make your gratitude permanent? You hand them something that they can easily wear on a regular basis. This might be a pewter or cast lapel pin in the form of the company logo, or it could be high luster cloisonné enamel pin that is colorful, unique, and always fun to wear. These are easily found or designed in “unisex” styles that make it easy to purchase a few “in bulk” to keep on hand for every tenth anniversary celebration or other special event.

Now, when someone has been in service for a period as extensive as twenty years it is likely that the company will host some sort of modest event to honor this person’s service. It is at such times that the precious metal, pewter, and cast lapel pins also make an ideal gift as well. Remember, the best manufacturers will allow their clients to purchase as few as ten pins, and yet these will still be beautifully hand-crafted in sterling silver or gold and will also be made to last for decades to come.

As already mentioned, there are also a few fine makers of lapel pins that offer clients the option of having gemstones added to their designs too. This is a remarkably classy way for a larger organization or business to acknowledge and recognize their “top” people.

For instance, someone who is retiring after a very long career within a company would be well-deserving of a jewel studded pin. This same sort of token, however, would work beautifully as a gift for a top donor too. Each time such a pin is worn it will automatically attract attention, but it will also allow the individual to enjoy a sense of pride over their years of service or they commitment to the organization.

This means that businesses and organizations of all kinds should take their cues from the “big dogs” and follow this plan for “spreading the word” through the use of pins of all kinds. You might ask if that is the reason they send their customers, staff, volunteers, or donors a package of materials that includes the pins and the most basic answer is yes.

Although a lot of groups will send out the lapel pins as a sort of reward or bonus, the true mission of lapel pins are to be worn, seen and then discussed. For example, let’s say a Minor League baseball team is just about to start its new season. They would probably head to a reliable establishment to have their pins for that year made. It would probably feature a logo, the season, and any extra features like a dangling logo or flashing lights. These lapel pins would be a prize for supporters of the team, something handed out at the first “home game” of the season, and even sold at home events.

These pins would promote the team in many different ways, including being collected by fans of the game, but their primary function would be to simply draw attention to the team name and get the viewer to follow through by seeking out more information and even becoming a fan too!

This is how all lapel pins made strictly for promotions will work. They will be given away to those who support the event or organization and when they are worn they will create more interest or even more business.

There are some high-quality manufacturers that offer such a diversity of options, styles, and designs, that almost any conceivable event could be promoted through the use of lapel pins. For example, National Custom Insignia offers styles that include trading pins, awareness ribbons, digitally printed styles, photo image designs, and silk screened versions that could all be affordably and easily designed to serve as mobile marketing devices. They also have top of the line styles too, and could make promotional items from pewter, silver, or gold just as easily as well.

Remember, however, that any lapel pin meant to promote an event or an organization has to be stylish and wearable if it is to meet its mission, and this means it is important to spend time designing the most appropriate pins possible. The better manufacturers actually have design teams that can help their customers to make all of the right choices for their particular needs. National Custom Insignia also has a design team that can work with a client to make the most eye-catching designs imaginable, and this is a great way to promote any event or organization.

Not only are lapel pins available in a diversity of styles, materials, and designs (which means they can meet the needs of any budget), but they are also customizable too. So, the person who wants to fundraise for the sports team could easily contact a high-quality manufacturer and get an array of prices for enamel, cast, silkscreened, and printed aluminum lapel pins to see which could accommodate their needs. These could serve as promotional giveaways to all of the parents and supporters who donate money, time, or materials to the team, and they could just as easily be sold to fans of the team at every home game too!

Now, if you are not looking for any sort of fundraising opportunities, the lapel pins will still work beautifully as a promotional tool. Consider that there are some manufacturers who make such an array of materials available that any sort of program, organization, or event could be easily promoted through the use of their lapel pins. For example, the popular “awareness ribbons” can be found in a rainbow assortment of colors, and a good maker of lapel pins would offer all of the most popular colors along with an option for custom text or art in the center of the pin as well.

There are also enamel, metal, pewter, aluminum, precious metal, and jeweled varieties available as well. Any of these could be selected as an appropriate gift for a supporter or participant in an event, and could be sent out well in advance to help perform a bit of “word of mouth”. This, in fact, is the true purpose of any promotional lapel pins – to attract attention and get people talking about the event. This is one of the main reasons that the best manufacturers will offer so many different styles and colorful design features.

For instance, imagine the power of a lapel pin that features flashing lights and the image of bright yellow school bus. This could be the perfect design to use for a “school’s back in session” campaign to make drivers aware of the importance of stopping for all school buses. Alternately, an animal control officer might make a habit of handing out Rabies vaccine pins to all pet owners who participate in their clinics. These too could have the flashing lights and be worn for a day or two to make others aware of the value of such a responsible decision.

Lapel pins are subtle and yet incredibly powerful, and they can be used for almost any sort of event promotion campaign. The important thing is to be sure that they are well-made and purchased through a reliable distributor.

When a business of any size is working to establish its own sort of corporate or professional identity, it will have to direct a lot of attention towards the design and use of its logo too. One of the savviest ways to use a logo, however, is not in media or print ads but is in the form of a well-made lapel pin.

How can a lapel pin be a valuable way to use the logo? There are all kinds of reasons that people receive them…there are the popular “trading” designs that collectors favor and will go to great lengths to acquire, there are the high-quality lapel pins made from such materials as pewter or gold and which are given as acknowledgement to valuable staff, and then there are promotional pins that are handed out by the dozens.

Once people receive them, the next thing they are likely to do is wear them or display them, and this is where the logo really gets to work. For example, let’s say that you own a small chain of coffee shops. You probably have a logo that most of your patrons would recognize and this appears on your paper cups, napkins, bags, and even on such things as t-shirts and mugs that you might sell in the shops. You decide to try to do a bit of promotional work for your chain of shops, and so you might begin some sort of “coffee club” that gives a prize for every ten cups purchased, etc. You must be sure to give out lapel pins featuring your logo as one of the very first prizes because this is going to cause a chain reaction of desirable results.

What will these results be? It is entirely reasonable to assume that not all of the pins will be worn, but there is going to still be a large number of people who will tack the pins to a hat, jacket, or even a bag or tote. Now, each time this garment or item is worn or used in public it will serve as a sort of walking advertisement for your coffee shops because it will parade the logo everywhere. When anyone catches a glimpse of the logo, they’ll take in the information and begin to wonder about the shop.

So, you have endeared yourself to existing customers by giving them a relatively cool free gift, and you have also attracted new customers at the same time. This is almost entirely effortless marketing and it puts any corporate identity work to the most excellent use possible.

The long-term employee would normally be honored for ten, twenty, or even more years of dedication and reliable service, and often this means some sort of party and maybe even a plaque or other gift. Why not give them a piece of fine jewelry that they can always wear with pride and with great style too? In this way you are providing them with a permanent acknowledgement of your appreciation, but also with an item that will endure years of stylish wear. Additionally, a distinctive lapel pin is quite likely to attract attention, and this means that the gift will serve another purpose – subtle marketing.

Of course, we also mentioned volunteers, and they too deserve a nice gift that will demonstrate your appreciation. Naturally, these folks would also really love to get a gift that can be worn for many years, that is attractive and appealing, and which also allows them to feel proud of all they have done. Again, a well-chosen lapel pin can meet such demands while also attracting attention and creating a bit of valuable “word of mouth” marketing or advertising about the organization as well.

Finally, we come to acknowledging the service and dedication of major donors. Yes, you thank them in writing, and you may even have some sort of event to which donors are invited, but why not give them a memorable and useful token of appreciation too? The lapel pin is the proverbial “no brainer” because it offers you a chance to give a donor a high-quality piece of jewelry that can also be made from a precious metal or even cast from pewter and which serves as a testimonial to their generosity. This too would provide a bit of word of mouth each time the recipient chose to wear it to functions and social gatherings.

So, we know that lapel pins make a durable, attractive, and completely customized gift option for employees, volunteers and donors. We also have learned that they can be used as a way of spreading the proverbial word about your business or your organization. The real key to using them as great gifts and also as a form of marketing is to be sure to purchase them only from the best manufacturers. National Custom Insignia has over thirty years of experience in making the finest and most unique lapel pins available, they can offer hundreds of options and can really help to make your gifts memorable and distinctive.

Corporate identity is not marketing alone, it is public relations, advertising, and more. This is one of the reasons that it is necessary for those responsible for such campaigns or programs to think outside of the proverbial box. This is usually the reason that lapel pins are added to a large number of corporate identity programs.

Now, before you begin to think that a simple lapel pin is not the most modern way to create brand recognition, it is important to step back and consider the full or “big picture”. For example, your corporate identity program could include rewarding key staff members with a precious metal lapel pin that is designed around the company logo. This pin could be cast or hand-crafted in the precise shape of the logo and could even feature gemstones too. Such a piece would be proudly worn by company leaders, executives, and others and this could serve as a major form of business to business corporate identity.

How is that? Well, consider sending some key staff members to a conference or event with each wearing their beautifully designed lapel pin. This would catch the eye of everyone with whom they come into contact and would instantly associate the logo and the business with a sense of refinement and high-quality.

Naturally, a corporate identity campaign operates outside of the general business world as well, and this is usually the time when customized lapel pins are put to work on a much broader scale.

For instance, if a business is just starting out, it would be a very wise idea to send lapel pins which featured the logo to all potential clients. If sales staff is used, they should include one of these pins with every single package of promotional materials too. Not only will this make a very favorable impression in the mind of the recipient, but also firmly establishes the logo within their mind as well.

As an example, let’s consider a small microbrewery that is beginning to expand its pool of clients. The sales representative would make a point of visiting any and all customers and potential customers. While meeting with the business owner, they would have them sample the latest brews and would leave them with a package of prices, promotions, and some lapel pins. These pins could be worn by wait staff or bartenders while the new beverage was being introduced to the customers. This would create interest and word of mouth and would be used to create a very strong and favorable measure of corporate identity.

The modern business world is very competitive and lapel pins are often a clever and powerful tool in acquiring a leading edge.

Just stop to think about the many types of lapel pins available, and it becomes easy to see why these are a clever technique to use in the pursuit of brand awareness. For example, how often have you been at a restaurant when the waiter or waitress approached the table wearing an “Ask me about…” lapel pin? This is a perfect illustration of the simplest way to ensure that the public is well aware of a particular brand or product.

Naturally, it won’t always be as simple as a manufacturer of a food or beverage product distributing handy lapel pins to existing clients in order to introduce a new line. There are also times when it is simply a matter of spreading the word about the actual existence of a brand, and the lapel pins will work just fine in this sort of example too.

For instance, let’s say that you run a dance studio and you want to be sure that people are aware of your presence in the general community. How can you use lapel pins for such a goal? It is actually very simple…you head to a high-quality manufacturer of lapel pins and get some assistance with picking the right design and style for your goals.

Consider that there are enamel pins, pewter and precious metal pins, cast and die-struck designs, silk screened options, photo image styles, and more. A supplier, such as National Custom Insignia, will have a team of designers who can help you choose the right materials and style for your budget. You can then give these out to each student who enrolls in the school. You will notice right away that such pins will be attached to dance bags, jackets, and even things like hats or book bags. These pins are now your primary ambassadors throughout the community and will create a lot of conversations between the students and those interested in attending dance classes.

There are many ways to use lapel pins for brand awareness initiatives, including being used by small businesses, non-profit organizations, community groups, and even schools or large-scale enterprises as well. The key is to work with a manufacturer that can guarantee quality and offer a huge array of custom options. National Custom Insignia has been creating unique and high-quality lapel pins for more than thirty years and their design team can work within the context of almost any budget or design needs imaginable.

The thing to remember about any brand awareness materials is that they must use the logo and they must be as high-quality as possible.

If you want to use a marketing and brand awareness tool that is sure to be put to use, you should select lapel pins. Before leaping to the conclusion that these are too fancy to be a gift to a new customer, you need to realize a few facts. Firstly, there are some excellent manufacturers of lapel pins who can offer everything from precious metal pins with gemstones to economy enamel pins that can meet even the tightest budgets. Secondly, lapel pins can be as elegant or as wildly colored as required, and this makes them an ideal solution for any brand awareness concerns.

How is that? When you are worried that people are just not becoming aware of your brand, you may take out print ads or begin doing different direct marketing tactics. If, on the other hand, you begin regularly handing out brightly colored pins, you will notice the results immediately.

Need an example? Let’s say that you make gourmet sodas and soft drinks. You can begin having sales staff handout free lapel pins to all of your customers. This will allow wait staff, service staff or employees in grocery stores to wear the pins and generate interest. In this way you will create something known as “word of mouth” and this has long been acknowledged as the most effective and powerful form of advertising and marketing available.

You could also create brand awareness for something like an organization or event through the use of lapel pins too. Just consider all of the charity walks held throughout the year. There are walks to help find cures for many types of illnesses, there are walks to support local and national organizations, and there are more localized events that include a fundraising walk too. If you are responsible for marketing such an event and attracting participants and sponsors, you could easily select lapel pins that could be handed out to everyone signed up to participate, to all of the people who will volunteer and organize, and to anyone who makes any sort of donation to the event. If you do this well in advance of the actual event, you will create a huge amount of “brand” awareness for your particular event and draw even more attention or support to it.

When choosing to use lapel pins in this way, however, it is vitally important to work only with a manufacturer who can give the kind of customized options and high-quality materials necessary. National Custom Insignia has been specializing in lapel pins for more than thirty years and they offer more than a dozen types of materials and thousands of possible styles.