We live in strange times and masks are becoming the new norm — but what about businesses marketing their brand on their face coverings, whether that is a brand name or a logo? Many Las Vegas businesses are now going down that route, as covered in US News, by Al Mancini.

Restaurant owner Penny Chutina started making masks for her own staff to save money, and found that customers thought they were cool and asked if they could buy them. The Black Sheep in Vegas had a similar response and are now selling them at $12 apiece.

So Is It A Good Idea?

The bottom line is that these are marketing opportunities much like buying a T-shirt at Planet Hollywood or the Hard Rock Cafe, with the added signal that the business is trading safely during covid. Customers like to be able to say “yes, we have been there and enjoyed it”. It is hard to see this as anything but a good idea.

It is catching on, too, and those add-on sales can make a real difference when seating is reduced or the number of people allowed in the building is capped.

The Free PR

The next stage for some of these entrepreneurs is to sell their branded masks online and pick up some free PR along the way. Let us be honest — that is exactly what is happening in this article. Using the masks as part of a Vegas digital marketing campaign gains traction and engagement from people who believe masks should be worn. There are designs already shipping right across the USA from the click of a mouse, straight from the businesses’ own websites, and that could go worldwide next year if international travel returns.

The branding exercise here is connecting something relevant to the business name and making it stand out above the rest. Greater visibility, in other words.

A few mask sales will not make up for lost revenue, of course, and this should not be the only marketing funnel. But at a time when thinking outside the box and listening to customers is what counts, it is worth trying.

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