While there’s nothing wrong per se with the plain white paper cup you might see in cafes and takeaways across the country, it’s hard not to picture someone drinking from one and think of it as anything other than a missed branding opportunity.

For any coffee house, pop-up shop or eatery using paper cups to serve up parts of the menu, they can often be an overlooked aspect when considering marketing spend on brand promotion.

In this blog, we want to talk you through the reasons why branding your paper cups can be lucrative for your business, as well as how to put it in place.

Why should you brand your paper cups?

Going on a date, catching up with friends, seeing your parents for a long overdue chat? No matter the reason, people can spend anything from 20 minutes to several hours in the company of their cup of tea or coffee.

Consider how many times people look down at their cup during this time.

From swift glances between conversation topics to a lengthy stare as an office worker contemplates what they’re going to say in the afternoon meeting – quite simply, there’s huge opportunity to hammer your brand message home.

Even when people consume their coffee on the move, they could be advertising your brand to numerous passers by during the morning commute, while they might even drink it with colleagues once they get to the office.

Having your brand name, colour scheme and strapline across the cup can be the difference between steady business and a significant influx of new customers wanting to find out why your coffee is so good.

Cost-effective marketing

A custom printed cup is certainly one of the more affordable ways of marketing your brand.

There is a reason why billboards and traditional forms of advertising are making a powerful return, and that is because they remind people of a time when they could connect to brands in a more spontaneous and straightforward way.

With clickable ads and paid social media posts becoming more expensive as you try to get seen within a saturated digital advertising market, branding your paper cups is a great way to spend a modest budget for a potentially sizeable return.

Paper cup advertising in particular has been cited as one of the most successful forms of offline marketing strategies when it comes to increased consumer interest.

Whether it’s putting your social media links on the side of the cup, or highlighting offers on your website, adding a call to action for the customer as part of your custom printed cup design can also be useful.

Think about how leaflets and flyers might be actively discarded or ignored in order to make way for the coffed-filled paper cup. You have already won half the battle because it is a product that customers are guaranteed to interact with in some way.

Targeting the right customers

Another perk of custom printing your branding on paper cups down to their intrinsic ability to target the people and demographics you think would enjoy your coffee, tea or soup the most.

Think of the promotional opportunities that may already exist where you live. If there is a college campus, university, or corporate office space near your location, then you could offer to sponsor a student event or discounted beverages for a large meeting - making your brand instantly visible.

Because people tend to gravitate towards creative, eye-catching branding, there is also the added bonus that people might walk past your business’ window and look to try your hot or cold drinks based on this alone.

This means that you haven’t had to actively sell to them, instead, they have chosen to engage with your brand, which means they are more likely to continue to be valued customers in the long run.

Environmentally aware

Climate change is becoming an increasingly important consideration for businesses and networking events looking to reduce their carbon footprint while simultaneously appealing to eco-conscious customers. 

Highlighting that your paper cup is made from recyclable materials is another great way to connect to both existing and potential customers that may not have previously known that your brand was eco-friendly.

When ordering from us here at PackGenie, you will soon see that we are as equally passionate as your customers when it comes to protecting the environment.

Take our Single Wall Custom Branded Coffee Cups as an example. They are made from 100% recyclable materials such as vegetable oils, and sourced from Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) approved and managed forests, which is something you can also shout about on your printed paper cups should you wish.

Want to go one step further when it comes to persuading customers to buy from your coffee house? Our Custom Branded reCUP Double Wall Recyclable Cups with Earth Coating ® can be turned into entirely new paper products through paper reprocessing plants.

What’s more, these reCups are the only double wall paper cups carrying an AAA certification by the European Green Dot Scheme.

How to order your branded paper cup design

Firstly, head over to our Branded Paper Cups site area, where you can take your pick from a wide range of cup sizes, including 4oz options for espresso or sample cups which are ideal for taster events, as well as single/double wall cups and lid options suited to different types of drinks.

Once you’ve decided which paper cup product you need, you can order wholesale in batches as small as 1000 cups. If you don’t have the means of creating your own artwork, we offer free design preparation so that we can present your brand in the best light.

For high-quality branding and promotion of your coffee house, café or milkshake business, look no further than PackGenie to help make your brand stand out from the crowd.

Tags: offline marketing, cost saving, marketing budgets, coffee cups, paper cups, eco-friendly, printed paper cups, branded paper cups