For many of us, name badges were those terrible things that we wore when we got our first jobs flipping burgers or working in stores. Name badges can be that, but they can also be a powerful marketing tool.

Our identity is our most powerful asset. People know who we are, what we stand for, and what’s important to us. It’s who we are, not what we are, that people gravitate toward. Sharing our identity is the best way to get lots of fans.

Personalized name tags are a great way to make sure everyone knows who you and/or your employees are.

Advantages of Name Badges

Custom name badges seem never drops in popularity because they are a few significant benefits of name badges that are not easy to be replaced.

Emphasizing the Power of Your Brand

According to Microsoft, it takes 13 touches or more to make a sale. This means that someone needs to see your brand, your logo, or interact with your business 13 or more times to be convinced to buy from you.

Custom name badges are a perfect way to show off your business to everyone, without a lot of work or expense. Everyone wearing a custom name badge with your company’s logo, is another chance to make an impression. It’s like a tiny billboard walking around your store, your town, or a conference.

Making Customers Identify Staffs

Name badges are a simple solution to a complex problem. Customers feel better when there is a name associated with the service they receive. If someone does great, it’s much easier to tell their boss who they are by saying their names.

If they have poor service, their custom name badges will let them identify the person by name. It makes retraining faster and easier.

Showing Your Personality

Everyone has seen name badges that have a logo and then just someone’s name – Mike, Justine, Karen, Jamal. How boring, right? If people have a title, put it on the name badge. Assistant Manager, Shift Supervisor, and Lead Cashier are all earned titles.

You can also make it personal and funny. Things like, “Realtor of the Universe”, “#1 Shift Boss”, and “THE WOMAN!” are all statements that make a name tag personal.

By adding a personal experience, making the badges the best name badges is a great way to acknowledge your team and make them feel special.

Industries with Name Badges

Make name badges are a part of your marketing concept. Most businesses use them as nothing more than a necessary evil. In fact, you can tell as soon as you see name badges that just have names that are printed out of a label maker, the company doesn’t care.

Take the time to consider the idea that name badges are one of the most visible ways to market your business.

Plus, they’re inexpensive and easy to order. Place an order on the day someone is hired and have a fancy name badge for them in just a few days.

There are several industries that use name tags to great effect. Here are a few that use them now or could use them to market themselves.

Real Estate- Realtors® use personalized name badges all the time. With their broker’s logo, their full name, and even their real estate specialty (commercial, residential, investment), they’re able to tell people about what they do without saying a word. Similar to the gold jacket that Century 21 agents used to wear, name tags like these let people instantly recognize who they are and what they do.

Hospitality– The hotel, resort, and travel industries use name tags so that their staffs are less likely to be called, “Hey, you.” Using name tags gives visitors a sense that they know these folks. After a week in a hotel, they’ll know the names of the pool staff, the front desk staff, the concierges, and the hotel staff. These small name badges not only give bring hotel occupants convenience, but also provide them a warm atmosphere.

Retail– Stores and even salons, all types of retail businesses use custom name tags so that their guests don’t have the uncomfortable experience of speaking to staff for 20 minutes and not knowing what to call them. If you can say, “Mike, which shoes would I wear with a suit like this?” or “Sharice, do you have these in an 8?” it makes interacting less impersonal.

Law Firm – Large law firms have dozens, even hundreds of staffers. While the top partners are unlikely to want or need name tags, giving the rest of the staff name badges is a great way to market the firm. When a paralegal goes to the courthouse or a legal secretary grabs coffee around the corner, they can be marketing the firm. Having several hundred people in a certain part of town can make the firm seem even larger and more ubiquitous.

Doctor’s Office and Hospitals– Few places are as intimate as our doctor’s office. While the doctor’s names are usually embroidered onto their lab coasts, the front desk staff, the secretary, even the janitorial should all have name badges. This makes them a lot more approachable. It also marks them as staffers when they walk through a waiting room or are in a hallway. Most hospital staff have name tags or their names embroidered onto lab coats. While someone is in the hospital, being able to use people’s names is comforting and makes one feel a lot less vulnerable. That puts everyone on a level plane. After all, the patient’s names are on their wrists, their charts, and often on their doors.

Homecare– Home health aides are a great way to keep the elderly and the ill at home for longer. Using name badges can make it easier for family members whose memories aren’t the best to know to whom they are speaking. Names should be printed in large, easy-to-read letters so that even those with poor eyesight can read them.

Traveling Repair People– Whether it’s for a cable installation person, a team that delivers washing machines or even a dog walker, an official name tag is the first way to know this person is legitimate. They might need to present identification, but a name tag is an additional line of defense. The company’s logo and even an emergency phone number can be a huge help for setting nervous customers’ minds at ease.

Law enforcement– Police officers often wear name tags. Most officers have a badge number, but it can be hard to read. A name tag makes an officer more approachable. With a name to their face and uniform, an officer can be less intimidating for people that they don’t want to scare off.

Security– Like police officers, security personnel should have employee name tags that tell everyone who they are, what they do, and whom they work for. This is especially important when they are in plainclothes at an event where they blend in.

Types of Name Badges

After getting to know the advantages and usages of custom name badges, it is necessary to know which types of name badges you can choose. Here are some common types of name badges available.

Plastic Name Badges– The versatility of plastic name badges makes them an amazing asset. In regard to the surface, plastic name badges have a smooth or textured surface to suit your specific requirements. From custom prints, colors, and even shapes, plastic name badges are ideal for nearly every situation. At GS-JJ.com, we’re able to create any shape or size of the plastic nametag.

Printed Name Badges– Printed name badges are made by laser printing logos, names, and more onto a plastic surface. The advantage is that you can put almost anything onto the nametag, including in multiple colors and details.

Engraved Name Badges– Engraved name badges are made by engraving images into plastic name tags. This gives you a single-colored name badge. The surface might look like brushed aluminum or brass. The letters and the logo will have the color of the internal plastic, usually black or brown.

Metal Nametags– These tags are made from stainless steel or aluminum that is laser etched to put the name and information onto the steel. These are ideal for situations where the person might find themselves dealing with hot or difficult objects. Because they are so durable, they are perfect for welders, mechanics, and others who might destroy a plastic name tag in minutes.

Adhesive Name Badges– Rather than a pin that sticks through clothing, these name badges simply stick to clothes. They are the best solution for quick, hassle-free identification. They are perfect for events where everyone might be wearing more formal clothing or where children, who might hurt themselves on pins. They are an inexpensive, but still customized, name badge solution for those special situations. If you want name badges for temporary use and suitable for meetings and conferences as well, these adhesive name badges are the best option.

Magnetic Name Badges– These magnetic name badges are designed to use two magnets pressed against each other to hold the badge on. This is an alternative to using a pin that leaves holes in clothes. These can be attached to smaller badges or larger hanging badges.

Photo ID Name Badges– This is a more complex name badge than the others. This is designed to double as a security badge. It will usually have a photo of a person, their nameS, their roles, the logo of the organization, and usually a magnetic stripe or a bar code that can be read by machines or people.

Reusable Name Badges– A reusable name tag is designed to snap together. The logo and name can be printed on a laser printer, cut out, and place between an opaque holder and a clear cover. These are useful for temporary staff or places with a great deal of turnover.

Not only can custom name badges be divided by their external characteristics like their surfaces, structures, they can also be divided by the invisible functions they have. They are name badges that are used for formal occasions like business or important events and just for fun.

Name Badges for Business

Name badges or name tags should be seen as more than just something “corporate makes us do”. They are an opportunity to promote your business, your identity, and even your own unique personality.

In a place where they’re recognized as something that can be used for self-expression, they are a great way to bring the customers closer to the staff. That familiarity is a perfect way to grow a business because people want to feel comfortable as they shop, get their hair cut, or interact with the police.

Name Tags for Events

Events, whether 25 people or 25,000, require name tags. They can be used to meet and greet more easily, identify different roles, and make it easier for attendees to find the right person.

Attendees can be given name tags, not made of paper, but real engraved nametags with the attendees’ name and their company on them.

Conferences are an important place for name badges. Everyone should have their name on them to make communication easier. In this case, their company and their role are important. For example, if it just says “John Patterson, Microsoft”, you don’t know whether he’s a programmer or a salesman. Specific information on the name badge, such as “John Patterson, Microsoft, C++ Specialist,” can be perfect because anyone reading his employee name tag knows who he is, where he works, and what he does there.

Name Badges for Fun

One place where really nice name badges are often overlooked is for family reunions. Nametags with the family crest, the person’s name, and their parent’s names can be a great way to help long-lost relatives to figure how they’re related and to be able to spark up conversations. This type of item will become a memento of the event. It acts as an identifier that “I belong to this family.”

Custom name badges are an ideal way to create something that’s elegant, beautiful, and lasting for a family that wants to celebrate its heritage and the family members, past and present, that make up who are.

Where to Find the Best Name Badges?

There is only one place to find the perfect cheap name badges – GS-JJ.com. Our designers and master craftspeople can create any name badge at any time. Because we work with one of the world’s largest manufacturers, we’re able to offer the best prices and the fastest turnaround.

GS-JJ.com is one of North America’s largest distributors of custom name badges of every type. With offices in the US and Canada, we’re able to serve everyone from close to home. We offer a full line of styles and a complete assortment of materials to choose from. GS-JJ has an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau, guaranteeing your satisfaction.

You can also contact us if you need the following products: lapel pins, lanyards, patches, challenge coins and medals.