Have you considered using swing tags – or ‘hang tags’ as they’re also often called – to promote your brand at an event? They’re such a simple and inexpensive piece of collateral to produce, and so easy to overlook, however they’re also a hidden weapon in the marketing arsenal – and any brand worth its salt will have plenty on hand when they attend events.
What is a swing tag?
You will certainly have seen swing tags before, even if you’ve never really thought about what they’re called. Swing tags are a piece of card with a hole punched through the top. A piece of string is threaded through the hole, which then means that the tag can be tied on to something to attach it, without relying on adhesives.
Unlike a price sticker, their larger size also means that they can have a fair chunk of information written on them. As such, they’re used just about everywhere, from fashion (where they display clothing sizes and washing instructions) through to travel (where people will often thread swing tags through their luggage with address information for if their luggage goes missing).
If you’re doing things right, they’ll also show up at whatever events that you’re attending or hosting.
What’s the value of a swing tag to a business?
Businesses use swing tags for a wide range of purposes, but as a whole, they’re seen as a great way to provide key information that the consumer is most likely to read, because the swing tag is generally provided in such a way that the consumer has to interact with it.
So, for example, if you take a ‘goodie bag’ to an event to provide to attendees, you would tie the swing tag around whatever cord or opening is required to access the contents of the bag. In other words, for recipients to get at the goodies, they need to first look at the tag.
The same would go for any merchandise you offer or sell at the event. With the swing tag tied around it, your consumer has to look at the tag to untie it.
What should I print on the tag?
A swing tag can be used in any number of creative ways. In its most basic, you would have your company logo on the one side of the tag, and contact details, a website link, or similar basic brand information on the other. This is simple, but effective, as it reminds the customer of your brand and gives them a way to stay in touch or find out more if they want to.
But if you want to be more creative with the swing tag, and make it a real “value add” to your business, as well as your customers, consider some of the following ideas:
- You can use the tag to share critical information about the product – whether that be a web-link to a user manual, health and safety instructions, or simply some product information about related products.
- Print an endorsement on it. Consumers like to hear when a product has the endorsement of a celebrity or trusted personality, so if you’ve got a positive review for your product or service, sticking a key sound bite of that on the swing tag can go a long way to giving your brand further legitimacy.
- Make the swing tag a coupon for the next purchase. Simply print a little code on the swing tag that gives consumers a discount. If you provide that at the event as part of whatever promotional material you share, you’ll also be able to track the effectiveness of the goodie bag, sample, or merchandise that you provided (and your investment in the event), by how many people make use of the discount.
- Make it a collectible! Another effective way to subtly encourage people to keep using your brand is to make the swing tags a collectible. Make the art on one side truly stylish and gorgeous, and then on the back let people know it’s one of four, six, ten or more. Then, each time a customer makes an order, attach a separate random swing tag to the order. Use the event to hook people in, and then use the sales platform to turn shopping with your brand into a hobby.
- Use it as a way of collecting customer information and generating sales leads. Get people to fill out their details on one side of the swing tag at the event, and then drop the tag into a competition box. At the end of the event, give away the prize, and then use the swing tag information to create a post-event mailing list.
These are just some of the creative ways you might want to use swing tags! They’re an incredibly versatile piece of marketing collateral, thanks to their large real estate, and given as part of something larger. When you’re attending events, giving away swing tags is one of the most useful pieces of branding that you have at your disposal.
Need some custom printed Swing Tags for your upcoming event? MVP Print has you covered. We can print and send your swing tags straight to you within three to five business days. Contact us today for more information.
