Chances are you’ve heard of Word of Mouth Marketing, but what about Wearable Word of Mouth Marketing?

The chances you have purchased an item, used a service, or supported a cause because of your family and friends is high. Most often we turn to those closest to us for recommendations because we trust them and their judgment. This is where Word of Mouth Marketing begins. Word of Mouth Marketing is an essential marketing function that should be a part of any organization’s toolkit. Whether you’re a nonprofit or Fortune 500 business, you want people talking about your work and how much they love it. Tools like social media, influencers, and review sites are popular digital ways of word of mouth marketing. Wearable items are a tangible way to spread the word about your cause or campaign. Wearable items are a valuable asset that will help followers fall in love with you and your mission. This is Wearable Word of Mouth Marketing in action.

What is Wearable Word of Mouth Marketing?

Like we stated before, Word of Mouth Marketing is incredibly valuable to your organization. It utilizes our natural desire to share things that we are passionate about with others. Word of Mouth Marketing is an organic way of spreading information. Wearable Word of Mouth Marketing takes this idea and pushes it one step further. It begins with products your supporters wear that signal others toward your brand. For example, giving a volunteer or participant a bracelet with your phrase or logo charm. They will wear it with pride and, when others ask them about it, you’ll be widening your reach. It is a creative way of advertising and showing appreciation to the people who love your brand.

Wearable Word of Mouth Marketing is a must-have component in any marketing strategy. Physical items are incredibly dependable and more and more organizations are including them as a key expense in their marketing budget. Branded products from water bottles to pens and t-shirts are the norm. If you don’t want to be average, perhaps consider something more meaningful, unique, and longer lasting. Wearable items, like logo charms and accessories, encourage people to start a conversation about things that are important to them. It can also give you a higher return on your investment. In fact, the biggest danger with wearable word of mouth marketing is under-investment. Your loyal base has the highest potential when it comes to your advertising budget or lack thereof. If you’re not including a wearable item in your marketing budget, you may be missing out on a huge opportunity.

HINT: An innovative way to use a custom wearable item is to engage a corporate sponsor and co-brand the item together. The sponsor underwrites the cost and receives cause marketing recognition.

Why Should You Care About Wearable Word of Mouth Marketing?

Wearable Word of Mouth Marketing has many advantages. As previously mentioned, it capitalizes on the basic human desire to share something they support with others. When someone is enthusiastic about a brand, an organization, or cause they will feel compelled to share it. This element of marketing allows you to grow your reach without relying on referral marketing. Referral marketing, by comparison, specifically targets one group or person. With word of mouth, you’ll be reaching more people and different types of people. It has the potential to help you reach new groups, expand your loyal supporter base, and create return donors. When you develop your own custom wearable item there are many ways you can use it.

• Create a social media campaign around people wearing your bracelets
• Use them as an incentive to increase donations
• Give them to volunteers and donors to spread the word about your cause