Sticker marketing is becoming increasingly popular with more and more companies opting to use stickers as an important part of their promotional arsenal. People perceive stickers as a gift rather than a promotional tool, which lowers the barriers that normally go up when people are faced with traditional advertising. So, instead of your customers turning into impenetrable walls like they might do with a standard ad or sales pitch, when they receive a sticker, they end up thanking you profusely. And, in the best case scenario, asking for more stickers to share them with friends and family. But stickers come in a wide range of shapes, sizes, and flavors. So, if you’ve ever wondered what
die-cut stickers and
kiss-cut stickers are, and which option you should go for, read on to find out.
A die cut sticker is one where the blades have cut through the vinyl as well as the paper backing. The end result is a sticker with backing that’s the same shape as the sticker itself. So, for example, if your sticker is shaped like a cloud, the final product, backing included, will be shaped like a cloud. A kiss cut sticker is one where the blades don’t go as deep and only cut the vinyl, leaving the backing intact. In this case, the final product is usually a rectangle or square of backing and vinyl, but when you remove the sticker itself from the backing, it’s been cut around the design’s shape. For example, when it’s still on the backing, the sticker is rectangular or square, but when you remove the sticker, it’s the shape of a cloud.
When to Order Die-Cut Stickers
Die-cut stickers tend to have a more attractive presentation and many people perceive them as being more professional and valuable, even if the price point is pretty much the same as with
kiss-cut stickers. Some of the situations in which you should consider die-cut stickers are as follows:
Making a Good Impression on Customers and Prospects
As already stated, people tend to perceive die-cut stickers as being more valuable. So, if you really want to make a good impression on your customers and prospects, then you probably should opt for die-cut stickers. Remember, stickers can do wonders in terms of earning customer loyalty, which will eventually translate into a higher lifetime and transactional value for those particular customers. Plus, loyal customers tend to act as advocates, so you really want to generate as much loyalty as possible. And giving them stickers that seem more valuable and more attractive is a good way of doing this. Also, don’t forget to hand out a few extras as it increases the odds of your customers and prospects giving them on to other people they know, thereby increasing brand awareness.
Giving Stickers Away to Suppliers
You might not have considered giving stickers to suppliers. After all, why do you need to advertise to your suppliers, right? Well, by giving them a stack of
die cut stickers, you can help increase brand awareness because they can hand those stickers out to their own clients. It also helps build a strong relationship with your suppliers, which always comes in handy. Again, it’s important to remember the perceived value of stickers. They are valuable and aren’t something people throw away.
When to Opt for Kiss-Cut Stickers?
Kiss-cut stickers are available as singles – i.e. one sticker with a rectangular background – or they can be part of a sheet. For example, an A4 sheet with multiple kiss-cut stickers. While the presentation of kiss-cut stickers isn’t quite as attractive as their die-cut counterparts, there are plenty of situations when they are the preferred option. Here are a few situations in which you should opt for kiss-cut:
Your Sticker Design Has Very Complex and Delicate Edges
If your sticker’s design has a very delicate and complicated edge, such as lace or something similar, then kiss-cut is the better option. While cutting out the design wouldn’t be a problem, the delicate edges are more likely to get damaged with die-cut stickers.
You Are Applying the Stickers Yourself
Whether you are putting up stickers on every window, bulletin board, and light pole you can find, or you are putting them on your products, peeling stickers off their backing when they’ve been die-cut is not fun. It’s a little more time consuming and can get annoying really quickly. With kiss-cut stickers, especially when they are on a sheet, peeling them off is much easier and quicker. So, when you have a bunch of stickers to apply, you definitely should go the kiss-cut route to save yourself a lot of annoyance and aggravation.
You Are Giving Out Sets of Stickers
Maybe you’re running a promotional campaign and are giving away multiple different stickers to each customers. In this case, a sheet of kiss-cut stickers is a good option to keep them all together for organizational purposes. However, keep in mind that your customers then won’t be able to trade stickers or give them out to people they know. When it comes to choosing between die-cut stickers and kiss-cut stickers, you have to consider what you’ll be using them for. So, when you’re using stickers as gifts to hand out to customers or trying to increase brand awareness by making stickers available to prospects, then you probably want to go with die-cut. With die-cut, you’re sending the message that your customers and prospects are valuable to you, which is why you’ve made sure to provide value in return. Even if, monetarily speaking, they’re practically on the same level. Unless, of course, you’ve opted for a highly delicate design that simply wouldn’t stand up to a lot of manipulation. Then, kiss-cut is definitely your best bet. Also, go with kiss-cut when you’ll actually be applying the stickers yourself. Trying to peel five hundred die-cut stickers will get really old, really fast. So, for your sanity, you’re better off with
kiss-cut stickers.
