business card + discount card = good idea?
pleasebekind (49 points) | Thu, 2009-06-11 06:30Hi all,
A client is thinking of using having her business card designed to be a discount card as well. She owns a cake shop. Her idea is leaving the front blank so she can write anything on it (a message, whatever), then the back has the contact details and then 7 boxes to punch a hole through every time a customer buys a cake. Last box is a freebie, or something like that.
Not really sure if it's a good idea. Innovative in a way, but I keep on thinking what happens to the card after it's all been punched out. People are likely to discard it. Also, if you need to hand it out to people who are not your customers, then the boxes sort of lose their purpose.
Any thoughts? I'm thinking of suggesting perforations, so that the punched-holes part can be torn off after. Budget-wise I have no idea if that will cost more.
(On a side note I guess I'm just really obsessive-compulsive about having a clean business card and not have holes through them)
it's very common in the retail food business. it's a way to reward repeat customers.
to be honest, it's not really a "business card" in that respect, it's a discount card that has contact information on it.
yeah that's what I was thinking, too. but my client is insistent on going this route. I tried telling her that it's not really professional if she's going to hand out a discount card to business contacts or possible vendors...
I would print separate business cards - they're cheap enough. Then print the discount cards in volume. Just my opinion.
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remember, the designs can be very similar. maybe even the same, if the business cards are single sided. you could have half of her cards printed single sided with her info on them and half with the discount markers on the second side. then she can give out the discount marker business cards to customers and the ones w/o to vendors and other non-customers.
Just have the baker replace the card with a fresh one when they make good on the freebie. I think people really use these cards, but whether or not they keep them handy (in a wallet or card case or whatever, probably depends on how often people expect to buy a cake. They're great for coffee shops, where frequent purchases make them worth hanging onto and using on every visit.
Mara
Thanks guys. I have told her my concerns and listed examples on how best she can communicate with a proper business card. Still waiting for her response though.
Use the holes as a design challenge. Don't let your ego get in the way; have fun with it!
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The Salon Design Tech
AWESOME idea. Then you don't piss off your client plus you're able to supply something super creative. Maybe a circle of 7 punch outs like a cake top or the letter "C"...or the first initial of the shop's name. Go go creato!
"Art -- the one achievement of Man which has made the long trip up from all fours seem well advised." - James Thurber
Thanks for the suggestion! I am having fun working my way around things :)
I hope she has a way of punching out the holes in a way that cannot be easily recreated. You wouldn't want customers getting cards and going home and punching out the holes themselves.
Good thought. Most places seem to use some distinctive little stamp to cancel out the circles, or tiny coffee beans or whatever on their cards. I guess it's for that reason.
Mara
Yeah. Well my client signs over them, I think. To prevent that. But I'll bring this up. Thanks!