This past week, I gathered together a few creative friends for my very first creative mastermind group; a small gathering of creative entrepreneurs and freelancers who get together regularly to discuss business and how to improve it. The first meeting was a little off-the-cuff, but ultimately really encouraging and I’m looking forward to the next one.
At the end of the meeting, I suggested we all pass around our contact information, and many people pulled out their business cards, but I hesitated with mine. I had cards on hand, but I realized they were outdated with information based on what Fresh Rag was before I refocused. Sure, the contact information was the same, but I felt like I was handing off a dusty, antiquated version of myself.
Instead, I chose to hand out some stickers I had on hand. I created a cheeky sticker with a designer-pun on it that I felt better represented who I am and what the site it about. A few people who hadn’t seen the sticker before thought it was fun and memorable. In contrast, when was the last time you felt that way about receiving a business card from someone?
Some time ago while walking back from breakfast with my family, I found one of my stickers stuck to the sidewalk. My pride swelled when I saw it and it made me think I’d done something right. I don’t ever see myself becoming the next OBEY, but the idea that someone else had one of my stickers and placed it somewhere made me feel awesome. If I saw my business card on the ground, I don’t think I would have felt the same way about it.
From now on, instead of handing out disposable business cards that nobody wants, I’ll be handing out kick-ass, memorable stickers that make people smile and think. And maybe, if I’m lucky, they’ll share it with the world by putting it somewhere for everyone to see. I want to make an impression on this world, and if I have to risk a vandalism fine to do it, so be it, but I refuse to be same-old, same old anymore.
Expect to see a new sticker design coming out real soon. In the meantime, what are you going to change in your business to stop being boring & start kicking ass?
Stickers sound like so much fun!
They’re not the cheapest option, but I think they have more staying power… no pun intended.
YES, and THANK YOU.
I hardly ever use business cards, and if someone were to ask me right now for one, I wouldn’t know what to do. Not because I don’t have some, but they are wildly out of date. Like three revisions and a URL out of date. I bought them because so many people seem to say they’re necessary, but I have got somewhere around 1000 business cards floating around my house that are no longer relevant because I didn’t use them or give them out before I changed the design again. They weren’t necessary to me then, so I hesitate to work up more now.
I’m not against business cards in an artists-should-fight-the-system kind of way, but it always felt off to me to see creatives handing out something that felt so bland and corporate. We aren’t corporations, so why use what corporations use? Isn’t there a better way to announce ourselves and what we do? Like you just did – stickers are different and eye-catching! Or if there’s a kickass design on it, or if it turns into a chair, or has a pop-up, that’ll grab my attention.
You bring up an interesting point. I think if I designed another card for myself when my information changed (as it tends to do often), I think my wife would have crucified me because of all the card boxes I have around. The cards I get are fairly inexpensive, and practically disposable, which also is an argument against them, so she can’t argue about the cost. The stickers are more expensive, but she knows they are more worthwhile and never makes bones about them at all. In fact, she gets excited when she sees one somewhere on the street.
Jenni and I have been thinking about this lately. Cards are such a paradigm, it seems we can’t go anywhere without someone asking for one. So we keep them on hand for requests. I think if someone wants your info in a familiar way, give it!
We have stickers, too (great minds…) and I love offering them in front of cards.
I think at the core is the idea of some kind of leave-behind that helps someone remember you and (of course) a way to contact you.
With the exception of bodily excretions, I’m of the philosophy that whatever works, do it!
I think the key is in your last sentence there, David. I am personally determined to make the stickers idea work because I think it’s taking the idea of networking devices to the next level. It won’t work for everyone, but I definitely think there is room for many of us creative types.
We have nothing but stickers. Never had a biz card for La Muerta at all. We just add our url on the slaps and boom. Those things spread like wildfire and don;t go on a file folder. People make them visible.
Exactly, Luis. Business cards have their place still, but for certain brands, they are not necessary.
Great idea!
I was thinking about doing myself some postcards (well designed/fresh & clean/with a funny or wise word/quote on it) instead of business cards.
It it´s beautiful they will put it at their wall, smile and think of me every day…
Cheapest price I found (in Germany) was 31,45 Euro for 500 pieces, means 0,06 Euro per card. Equals 0,08 USD.
what do you think?
A valid concept for sure. I’ve seen it done, and if they’re beautiful or clever, and do get kept, I don’t see why not. The value is about the same as the stickers, but it would have to be attractive enough for someone to pause before tossing it in the trash.
Another option for this idea is to make the postcard useful. I had one friend who would send out her postcards as a quarterly calendar, sending out 4 a year to subscribers. It’s really quite brilliant, keeping that branding within eye shot at all times.
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