Enhance your brand's presence with logo branded coasters: the perfect blend of style and marketing impact

Why exactly are logo-branded coasters so in demand right now? In 2022 alone, the biggest market for coasters, i.e. the US market, had a value of $670 million (around £523 million). That’s a lot of money for items we use to hold our cups or glasses while having guests over! With the numbers being so big, again, we ask: what makes the coasters so popular, especially as branded items? Well, in this article, we go over every little detail related to these beautiful little bits of anti-liquid protection.

Who benefits from promotional coasters?

Bars and restaurants

If we’re running a bar or a restaurant, a few items will fit as well as logo branded coasters. With the logo of our establishment on top of the item, they will serve as perfect marketing tools to people who enjoy fine dining in a decent restaurant.

Hotels and hospitality establishments

Be it a hotel, a hostel, a motel or something in between, adding a branded item here and there in the room gives off an air of professionalism, stability, and confidence. When you spot a coaster with the hotel branding on top, you know you’re in a good place.

Conferences and corporate events

What are corporate events such as conferences and meet-ups known for? Why, their exchange of corporate gifts and networking, of course. And few brand representatives can resist free items from even their competition, let alone potential partners. So, we ought to step up our corporate game and push harder for more items with coasters and maybe some promo mugs.

Retail and merch

On their own, printed coasters are a neat gift. But when we combine them in a gift basket or a care package, we’re providing our client with a bit of extra on the side. Successful retail will always rely on branded merch, and vice versa.

Material makes the merch

What type of coasters should we choose? Some materials are better than others, true enough, but only depending on the situation. In reality, there is no hard, set rule. Simply go with the flow, and the buyers will follow. With that in mind, let’s see where the flow takes us.

Hardboard

Hardboard may be the most common coaster material out there, and with good reason. It’s sturdy, durable, cost-effective, environmentally friendly, and quite stylish. Furthermore, in terms of how we can design it, hardboard offers a lot of options, from simple printing to laser engraving. Overall, it’s a material we cannot recommend enough.

Cork

Slightly softer than hardboard, cork is actually almost tailor-made to be used in coasters. Not only does it absorb liquid fairly well, but it can also be laser engraved for that neat, clean and classic look. Furthermore, it’s so lightweight that we can place it anywhere and pick it up in no time flat.

Leatherette

Why would we have a coaster made out of what is essentially faux leather? Well, several key reasons:

• Durability 
• Softness 
• Sophistication 
• Easy cleaning 
• Perfect for embossing, debossing, and engraving

Various branding techniques

One reason behind the massive popularity of logo-branded coasters is just how versatile they are in terms of branding techniques. There are so many different ways we can place our logo, company details, and slogans onto a coaster that it boggles the mind. So, for this article, we’ll cover some of the more prominent ones.

The world is such a colourful place, and it’s always a good idea to bring a bit of that colour to our branded items. There’s nothing quite like having a coaster that displays our company’s visual identity in every single shade of red, blue, yellow, green, orange, purple, black, white, pink, and beige, among others.

But it doesn’t just end with the colour choices. If we want, we can use different tricks to our coasters, like gradients and intricate designs, making them transparent, or even use actual photographs as the basis for the prints. It’s an endless line of creativity.

Let’s say our coaster is made out of wood, bamboo, hard leatherette, ceramics, or even a bit of stainless steel (yes, those exist). How smashing would it be if we were to engrave our logo and other corporate messages onto the surface? Just tracing the logo with one’s finger is an experience worth the purchase. Plus, it just looks finer than fine wine.

There isn’t a person out there that doesn’t enjoy seeing a surface with the logo and the letters either slightly raised above or dented below the surface. In other words, people love embossed and debossed items. There’s an air of sophistication to seeing those bits of design smooth and pleasant to the touch. And even if we were to just look at it, there are few design choices that can compare to embossed and/or debossed letters and images.

Most coasters we know are either round or square, with some being oval or rectangular. So, why not stand above the crowd and pick an atypical design like a star, a rectangle or a puzzle piece? What about a shape that’s more in line with our logo, like a shield, an animal head, or the shape of the letters in our company name?

Nowadays, printing and cutting coasters is not too difficult or expensive. Therefore, it will serve our marketing cause well to get a little creative with the shape of our coasters. After all, it’s the unexpected that attracts clients and keeps them coming back for more.

Curated by Gareth Parkin   |   Product Marketing Director

As the founder of GoPromotional, Gareth has developed an enviable reputation as an expert in the promotional products industry with over 25 years experience. As an active member of the BPMA, ASI and Forbes Business Council, he regularly shares his wealth of industry knowledge and perspective in order to drive the branded merchandise sector forwards. With an entrepreneurial mind, Gareth has his finger on the pulse of our UK and international operations. Responsible for marketing and technical operations, he continually motivates the team with his vision, enthusiasm and desire to be the very best.

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