Why Fridge Magnets Work in Advertising Your Brand

In the big picture, they’re small but can sure work wonders.

In recessionary times, demand for promotional items like fridge magnets normally goes out the window. This is perhaps understandable, as put next to TV advertising, print advertising, radio advertising and outdoor advertising, they’re not considered mainstream media. More likely, they’re lumped together with pens, calendars, diaries, mugs and T-shirts as “nice-to-haves” as opposed to “must-haves” ie promotional paraphernalia which are popular in good times, but not so popular in bad. Maybe this shouldn’t be the case.

If one considers that the average homeowner goes to the fridge at least eight times a day, and in so doing, is exposed to fridge magnets the same number of times, it could be construed that they have a bigger role to play in the marketing mix than they’re given credit for. Certainly, as a reminder media, fridge magnets can work extremely well.

Many of us have our fridges plastered with magnets from our local plumber, electrician, pizza takeway outlet, insurance broker, car dealership, estate agent and Mr Delivery, and we have them there because we know where to find their contact details when we need them. They work for us, and they work for the companies supplying them as their brands are literally in our faces on a daily basis.

Fridge magnets come in all sizes and can be die-cut to practically any shape. Whereas a wine maker may want a magnet in the shape of a wine bottle, a dairy in the shape of a milk cannister or a cellphone manufacturer in the shape of a smartphone, fridge magnets can be highly effective where the intention is to target the homeowner in his or her home environment.

When sourcing a supplier, one should not necessarily go for the cheapest quote, however. More often than not, cheaper magnets will be of low polarity which will result in them surely but steadily slipping down the fridge door in time. High polarity magnets may cost a bit more but are quality magnets which will invariably last up to five years.

But fridge magnets are just one in a range of magnetised marketing products. Today one can get magnetised licence disc holders (far better than conventional licence holders in that you’re not stuck with glue residue that is nigh impossible to remove from your windscreen), magnetised fridge calendars and magnetised fridge notepads (typically small calendars with a magnet affixed to hold a business card), magnetic business cards and magnetic photoframes.

Popular with banks, insurance companies, medical aid schemes, fast food outlets, telecoms providers, churches, estate agencies, bond originators, car dealerships, vehicle manufacturers and the like, magnetised marketing products will always be in demand.

As a way of reinforcing one’s brand to either the homeowner in the home environment, (or, in the case of a magnetised licence disc holder) to the passenger sitting in a vehicle, they’re important in the branding process, and should not be considered only when times are buoyant. As a marketer, you may find yourself getting more value out of them than you would from the main media types.