Branded Lanyards Offer Companies a Practical and Effective Promotional Option
Though not originally branded, lanyards have been in near constant use for close to six centuries, and during that time they have served a number of widely differing purposes. Derived from the French word, Lanière, it used to describe a thong or strap, and was first recorded to be used by French soldiers in battle who employed them to secure a sword, a pistol or a whistle to some part of their uniform, thus keeping such items handy and preventing them from being accidentally lost. This type of use both for military and naval personnel was soon adopted by other European nations and was eventually to spread throughout most of the world.
Today, branded lanyards are still used as tethers but tend to be used to secure items such as keys, ID cards, mobile phones and cameras rather than guns and swords. Among the armed forces, the un-branded variety has largely been re-purposed as a decorative embellishment worn with dress uniforms. However navy boatswains may still employ them to secure the whistles used to pipe officers of Flag-rank aboard and to sound a number of other shipboard commands.
Today more emphasis is placed upon the appearance of the tether than the items to which they may be attached. Materials such as polyester and nylon, overprinted with colourful text and designs, are typical of the branded lanyards now in use to promote companies and their business activities.
In addition, they have become equally relevant to many employers as a security accessory. In addition to safeguarding attached items such as access cards or RF tags, even in the workplace, they can also provide an effective tool with which to promote the corporate identity both of the employing company and the wearer. Different colours may be used to visibly identify those who are permitted access to certain restricted areas and to highlight any possible transgressions. Providing a more compact option, badge reels allow much of the tether to retract into the reel when items attached to these branded lanyards are not actually in use.
They are available with either a flat or rounded section and in various widths and thicknesses. The flat, ribbon-style products provide a large printable surface that is ideal for full-colour graphics that are certain to catch the eye while those with a circular section are more suited to text although their bright base colours should prove equally eye-catching. Some products such as glasses straps and attachable accessories such as bottle openers in a variety of novel designs offer their users more specific functions. They still, however, provide advertisers with an effective medium for promotions and so this more specialised form of branded lanyards represent a very viable option for use as inexpensive but useful giveaways. The practical nature of these promotional gifts will serve to ensure lengthy retention and prolonged brand exposure.
IDCBand is known throughout South Africa and in many overseas countries as a leading supplier of both promotional and security accessories. More significantly we are widely recognised for the high quality of our products, for our competitive pricing and for our excellent customer support. In addition to the items described we also offer an extensive selection of promotional and security wristbands to complement our equally wide range of branded lanyards.
