If you've walked into a coffee shop recently, you've probably noticed a lot more color around to catch your eye. It's not that they've redecorated -- it's that every laptop is covered in a smattering of bright, fun stickers. From classic brand logos to cute characters, custom stickers are BACK.
Why are custom stickers so popular these days?
Put simply, Millennials. While Gen-Xers may have casually traded scratch-and-sniff stickers in the 1980s, Millennials were all in on stickers as kids. Remember Lisa Frank's rainbows and doe-eyed animals? These were must-haves for kids growing up in the '90s, and odds are good that their teachers were using them as rewards, too. So there's strong nostalgia for the good old days when it comes to getting a sticker: When someone gives you one, you just feel good. They must care about you, and think you're doing something right. Right?
Modern brands love to tap into that feeling of personal connection. Nostalgia-centric Millennials are the ones running the cultural show, and this is especially true on social media. Stickers are an analog form of advertising that has gotten a new lease on life thanks to image-conscious brand influencers. These Instagram and YouTube stars use stickers as a visual shorthand for their personality. When your Instagram page is all about your lifestyle, the sticker you put on the water bottle that will be featured in a poolside foot selfie suddenly becomes hugely symbolic.
Gen Z is in on the custom sticker trend, too
Millennial brands may be the ones who brought stickers back by including them in their subscription boxes and product packaging, but Gen Z (born between 1996 and 2010) has taken the trend from quirky to cool. This generation can't get enough of stickers, and they use them as a major signifier of personality.
For example, you can't walk across a college campus without seeing laptops and water bottles turned into billboards meant to serve as conversation starters. Students use the stickers as a way to strike up conversations with each other. Think of it as the real-life version of a social media profile listing hobbies and interests. There are even online articles devoted to deciphering someone's personality based on the stickers they prefer, so sticker culture is real.
Stickers for advertising
Now that stickers are so popular, it makes sense for nearly every type of business to devote some advertising dollars to produce them. Because young people use stickers to represent who they are to the world, getting your logo onto someone's laptop is also getting a personal endorsement of your brand. This means that it's crucial to design stickers that reflect your brand's unique voice and aesthetic. For example, a skateboarder definitely wants a classic Vans sticker but might not care for their dad's insurance company logo.
That's a good reason to consider bright colors, modern fonts, and on-trend designs featuring cute characters and shapes to broaden your appeal. Consider designing an array of stickers that work together to boost the odds of creating a hit: a bunny, a carrot, your logo, and a funny or inspirational quote can make a cute set of stickers that appeals to everyone. You can even create sticker business cards as a way to delight your customers and keep your brand top of mind.
How to create your own custom stickers
So where do you find sticker printing for your business? Jukebox has everything you need to create custom stickers on robust, scratch-resistant vinyl. Choose from traditional shapes and sizes, or go all-in on a custom shape to outline anything from an ice cream cone to a unicorn.
Ready to get started? Check out Jukebox's custom stickers to boost your brand today.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Elizabeth Trach
Elizabeth Trach is a professional writer, editor and founder of The Blogwright. She provides creative copy for businesses of all sizes, and she especially loves working with entrepreneurs and small business owners with a strong design sense. She is also the author of “Both Sides of My Skin” from Annorlunda Books.
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