We live in strange times and Masks are becoming the new norm, but what about businesses marketing their brand on their face coverings, thier brand name or logo. Many Las Vegas businesses are now going doing down that route as mentioned in the us.news by Al Mancini.
Restaurant owner Penny Chutina started making masks for themselves to save money but found that her customers though they were cool and asked if the could buy them. The Black Sheep in Vegas also had a similar response and are now selling them at $12 a piece.
So Is It A Good Idea?
The bottom line is these are marketing opportunities similar to buying a T Shirt at “Planet Holywood” or the “Hard Rock Cafe” and that they promote that the business is trading in a safe way during these covid19 times. Customers like to say “yes we have been there and enjoyed it”. It is very hard in these times to see this and anything but a good idea!
It is catching on and these add on sales can make the difference from lost revenue due to reduced seating arrangements or limited people being allowed in the building.
The Free PR
The next stage for some of these entrepreneurs is to sell their branded masks online and gain some free PR. Lets be honest that is what is happening here in this article. Using the masks as part of a Vegas Digital Marketing campaign to gain traction and engagement form those who believe masks should be worn. There are some examples of designs being shipped right across the USA from the click of a mouse, directly from their websites. This may be the world wide next year if international travel is re-introduced.
The branding exercise here is connecting something that is relevant to a business name, making it stand out above the rest, greater visibility.
Of course a few mask sales will not make up for total lost revenue and should not be the only marketing funnel. But in a time where thinking out of the box and listening to customers is key, it is worth trying.