Branding is crucial for restaurants of all sizes and kinds. It helps create a strong first impression with potential customers and creates a sense of trust and credibility. According to “Exploding Topics” Blog Business Blog - 81% of consumers need to trust a brand to consider buying from it and 55% of brand first impressions are visual. There are a lot of different ways to create a strong first impression at a restaurant. Promotional products and branded merchandise are one of the easiest ways to make a first impression!
Restaurant and bar merchan
dise has taken off in recent years. T-Shirts, Apparel, Keychain, Custom Glassware, and stickers are some of the items you will commonly see in merchandise sections of bars and restaurants everywhere; restaurant chains, local spots, cocktail bars, and dive bars alike. Kaleigh Moore, Forbes contributor, recently said, “like the music you listen to, the place you eat is becoming something of a status symbol.” Merchandise provides a sense of brand loyalty and gives customers another way to support the place they love.
So with all of these different promotional products out there, which is the best? Cost, versatility and trends are all things to consider. And one promotional product that goes above and beyond all other promotional products for restaurants is custom coasters! So why choose coasters for marketing and branding at your restaurant?
CREATE A MEMORABLE IMPRESSION
Coasters can help create a strong first impression because they are often the first thing your servers and bartenders will lay down on the table when customers arrive. Coasters add to a sense of customer appreciation because it feels like a nice personal touch when you receive a coaster under your drink. It helps prevent the drink from creating a puddle on the table. Little things like this help your customer to feel valued which in turn created increased brand loyalty.
BRAND VISIBILITY
Custom coasters are like mini billboards. They are a golden opportunity to showcase your restaurant's style. You can easily showcase your business’s logo, colors and brand identity to custom coasters of all shapes and sizes. The more a customer sees your logo and colors the more familiar they come with your brand! 
PRACTICAL BRANDING TOOL
Beyond being an amazing marketing tool to help with brand awareness and visibility, they are simply a practical tool for restaurants. Coasters help protect tables and bar tops, essentially cutting down on coasts by protecting your furniture over the years. They are also used so frequently in businesses and for personal use at home. This can enhance recall and customer engagement because they are used so frequently.
MARKETING BEYOND THE RESTAURANT
Coasters are portable! Small, lightweight and easy to use in a variety of locations. The versatility of coasters is one of the best things about them. Take them to catering events. Pass them out to customers for customers to use at home and share with others. Add classic pulp board coasters to your merchandise section for sale so that your customers have something to remember their experience by. You can also offer higher end laser engraved feux leather coasters.
Custom coasters are a blank canvas for your creativity. The options for designing are endless because of this! You can make them interactive to encourage engagement with customers. So what kind of creative things can you use for your custom coasters? 
QR CODES
Add QR codes that link to menus, games for customers to play, or puzzles for event specific interaction. This can help reduce menu costs if you add a contact-less menu qr code to the coaster. It can also help customers to instantly access information about you and your restaurant. You can create specific web pages with information about the restaurant and restaurant history to give your customers more information. Or you can use this as an opportunity to upsell a product.
ARTIST AND BRAND COLLABORATIONS
Lauren Bonfice, Cultural & Digital Strategist and founder of The Collab Studio said in a recent post in reference to artist collaborations, “By joining forces, these two groups can leverage their respective strengths to create powerful marketing campaigns that resonate with audiences and boost sales”. Collaborating with local artists and brands is an excellent way to get creative with your custom coasters. Firstly, it is an amazing way to network. This is a golden cross-promotion opportunity to reach people in the artist or brand’s community that you might not have been able to reach otherwise. Collaborating with a local artist can also result in unique, eye-catching designs that will grab the attention of your customers right away! Custom collaboration coasters are great social media content too. It’s easy to tag your collaborator and repost to your main feed or story. 
LIMITED EDITIONS & EVENT SPECIFIC COASTERS
Create a limited edition custom coaster run about a special food or drink offer to create a sense of exclusivity and promote new menu items. This also works great for specific events. For example if you are doing an Oktoberfest weekend party to celebrate Oktoberfest at your restaurant with special deals create a custom Oktoberfest coaster to celebrate the occasion! This is a great giveaway for your customers to remember your event by.
There are so many unique and memorable ways to fill your coaster canvas. With the cost-effectiveness of custom coasters and versatility they offer, you can’t go wrong with using custom coasters at your restaurant.
