How to Use Branded Notebooks to Build a Lasting Brand Experience

These days, after a few taps on a smartphone, you can find an app for just about anything from calendars, fitness, and photo editing to games, financial trackers, and meditation.

Contacts, calendar events, to-do lists, reminders — all can be stored and tracked in your phone and/or tablet — decreasing the need (or desire) to take pen to paper and carry notebooks or planners.

Amidst a highly digital and efficient world, going old school and writing your tasks or notes down is not only a cathartic experience, but experts say we are more likely to remember whatever it is we chose to write out.

How brands are using branded notebooks to create an experience

Brands like the Brewers Association (BA), have leveraged branded company notebooks five years and counting as part of the strategy for their annual Craft Brewers Conference (CBC) event.

The mission of the BA is to promote and protect the nation’s more than 7,000 small and independent brewers. They endeavor to equip their members with the tools and resources to run successful and sustainable businesses.

The CBC offers 12 education tracks and over 80 seminars led by the top minds in the beer world. This year’s theme is if the event is “Craft Your Course” and is being held in Denver from April 8-11.

Capturing brand moments and experiences with custom branded notebooks

“The notebooks are a great way for attendees to capture those ‘ah-hah’ moments and inspirational quotes during seminars, make brewing notes, or simply use their creative juices and doodle,” says Joe Damgaard, advertising and sponsorship associate at the Brewers Association.

Our account team has been working closely with Joe and his team every year on the notebooks.

“There is a good amount of information that they need to portray on the notebook itself, so the biggest must-have is a nice imprint area,” says Kat Ringenberg, one of our account managers who oversee the notebook projects for BA.

“Also, they have sponsors that they co-brand with, so not only do they need their own name and logo on the notebook, they also need room for their sponsors,” says Ringenberg.

Attendees appreciate the notebooks year after year

CBC attendees have asked for extras in the past, says Damgaard, expressing their true appreciation for the notebooks, the attention to detail, and their overall usefulness. Plus, since the theme of the event changes each year, the notebook design also changes to mirror that year’s theme; they become a nostalgic collectible and a way to display brand loyalty over time.

“In today’s digital world, many are coming to the conference with only their phones and the notebooks provide an effortless way to capture more in-depth thoughts,” says Damgaard.

How many times have you personally attended an event and the battery on your device dies leaving you scrambling for something to take notes with?

Having a notebook with a few spare pens handy is always a good plan B to depend on, which for me, has become my plan A, as keeping notes the old school way keeps me more attentive and focused during the conference and a way to pause the email deluge and eliminate other distractions that come in from back at the office.

Employees use the notebooks, too

Being small and portable, BA employees use the notebooks to capture thoughts on what is working well during the event and note areas the event can improve on the following year.

Having a notebook on hand to keep a record of the event in real-time reduces the risk of forgetting the little details that make the biggest difference or those great anecdotes you hear in passing.

When the event is over, there are often many other priorities competing for your attention, and often push reviewing an event down the priority list.

This tactic is a great way to get that feedback dialed-in when it’s the most effective, fresh, and relevant. You never know when that next stroke of genius is going to hit!

Notebooks help to increase sponsorship visibility and brand awareness

For increased CBC brand awareness, the organization partners with our design and creative team to carry each year’s event aesthetic into custom promotional products. The real estate of the notebook itself is strategically mapped out to include space for sponsor logos and additional page inserts.

“[The notebooks] are a great opportunity for a sponsor to gain visibility on an asset that nearly every attendee will touch during CBC,” says Damgaard. “We also include a URL in the notebook design each year that helps to encourage attendees to visit our sponsor electronic bag insert page and learn more about the variety of products and services that our sponsors supply to the industry.”

A creative and collaborative partnership rooted in Boulder

“I love working with Anthem Branding because they are right in our backyard and they provide a high level of service.”

Being both based here in Boulder, Ringenberg says is a great way to show the agency’s continued support for partnering with local businesses and leveraging Anthem Branding as an additional asset to a company’s team for all things custom, design, and creative-oriented.

Want to add some pizzazz to your next event to keep attendees engaged and boost overall brand awareness? Give us a call or drop us a line to discuss your custom merchandise and promotional product options.