The relevance of the humble business card has come into question post covid, with our cards not seeing the light of day for over a year. With hybrid style meetings and business events becoming the norm in a COVID aware world, does handing over a business card quite frankly seem an unnecessary un-hygienic act and just a waste of money or does it still have a place as a valuable brand asset?
For us, we have always seen business cards as a great way of making a great first impression of your brand. When you hand over a well designed and printed card it makes you memorable and stands out from the hundreds of other cards you have tucked away in a shoe box.
"You never get a second chance to make a great first impression"
Will Rogers
However, like everything right now they have to evolve to remain relevant and work in today's changing business landscape. We will go back to face to face meetings or events again soon and we will be using business cards again but maybe in a different way. Here are some ideas to make your cards stand out at your next meeting and use them as a valuable extension to your brand.
NFC business cards:
These cards have Near Field Technology embedded into them. In short they have a small chip sandwiched and hidden between 2 layers of card. These allow you to simply tap your card onto any mobile device without any contact and it will display your details to the recipients phone. The best part is you only ever need 1 card, so printing hundreds of cards is a thing of the past.
image: TapTag
Eco friendly cards:
All brands need to be more sustainably conscious. This now goes beyond making sure you recycle old cards or using FSC approved stock.
There are some great options out there like cards made from renewable wood fibre, cotton fibre based cards made from clothing off cuts, 100% degradable and compostable cards.
Also look for printers or suppliers that sign up to environmental initiatives such as Ecologi that plants trees for every purchase and help fund the highest standard climate projects.
image: Moo & Ecologi
QR codes
We have seen resurgence in using QR codes in printed marketing to allow people to scan your card using a smartphone to display a web page. They no longer need to be intrusive black boxes on your cards as you can now get your QR code in your brand colours or that include your logo or unique icon. Also think about creating custom landing pages so they get a personalised message when they scan your card rather than just your homepage.
image: QRCode Generator
AR cards:
Augmented Reality technology is becoming more mainstream and affordable these days making it easier to add a new dimension to your cards. By scanning your card with an appropriate app on your phone you can turn it into a unique, virtual, interactive and memorable experience.
image: ARKit
Anti-bac cards:
If accepting a card that has been in someones pocket or grubby hands fills you with dread post COVID or if your business relies on all things to be clean and clinical then there is a solution.
Cards with anti-bacterial coatings are available to rid your cards of infection or plastic cards that can be regularly wiped clean and washed.
image: SafeLam
Get Creative:
Think beyond a bland plain card and get them designed in a way that stands out and makes them relevant to your brand. For example if you are an interior designer, turn your cards into pattern swatches, If you are a confectionery company then perhaps get a bite mark diecut out of the corner of your card. These kind of ideas not only make your brand stand out but makes you more memorable.
image: CreativeBloq
Comments