It’s possible these nylon (or cotton, if you’re a little bit fancy) neck accessories may rouse images of dime-a-dozen, dollar-store models prone to threadbare wear and easy tear. Or perhaps they conjure memories of loud colours and childhood characters encircling your neck and guarding your locker key.
If the former rings true to you, then dollar stores have besmirched the good name of lanyards. And if you identify with the latter, you can rest assured that lanyards have a second life beyond the schoolyard. From a business perspective, lanyards are affordable yet invaluable tools that provide security and brand visibility. Buy them in bulk and even the ‘higher-end’ cotton varieties won’t drain the business budget..
About now, you’re probably wondering how such humble neck accessories can provide enough benefits to earn themselves a dedicated blog post. We’re giving these underrated workplace items a rare chance to shine. What, exactly, are the benefits of using lanyards, and how can they prove useful from a business perspective? Keep reading for all the answers and more!
Security
A lanyard is no key or smartcard. It can hold these items, just as a coat hanger can…well, hang a coat. But to relegate a lanyard to nothing more than a hanging storage solution would be to do it a grave disservice. Not only can a lanyard guard your office key or access card, but it can also legitimise a person’s presence in any organisation via visual verification.
Think of the White Lab Coat Effect. If you see someone in a white lab coat, your brain will class this person as an authority figure or expert. Ergo, you will be more likely to respect, believe in, or listen to whatever is it they have to say. Lanyards provide this effect on a smaller scale. If you see someone roaming around your workplace wearing a lanyard, —even if it’s someone unfamiliar to you—you likely won’t question it. This goes double if it bears the logo(s), text, or colour(s) associated with your organisation.
How, exactly, does the humble lanyard provide worlds of assurance? In the same way labels at a museum provide definitive information about their corresponding exhibits. Lanyards separate the legitimate from the counterfeit. Play a game of Spot the Stowaway and the greatest tell may well be that they’re not wearing a lanyard.
From an internal perspective, lanyards can sort the senior from the standard employees. Your organisation may bestow upon senior staff colour-coded lanyards indicating that they may access more restricted areas. Lanyards are the visual equivalent of being ‘ticked off’ by security. They are a shorthand that tells you all you need to know with a mere glance.
Brand visibility
If your employees represent your organisation externally, you’re going to want lanyards. Not only do lanyards provide a sense of legitimacy and professionalism (see the point above regarding the White Lab Coat Effect), but they’re also a great way to promote brand visibility and awareness. Think of your employee as the product and the lanyard as the label.
If you want your organisation to stand out against the competition, issuing lanyards is a great first step. Even if your (prospective) customers don’t absorb the information consciously, the logo(s), text, or colour(s) of your organisation should register at least peripherally. The more you put yourself out there, the more likely people will be to remember you.
If your organisation is ever at a conference or exhibition, customised lanyards will be essential. Check out Identity People’s options regarding lanyard customisation.
Convenience
Can you imagine anything more convenient than having your keys, smartcards, and other nifty trinkets immediately accessible at all times? We can’t, and in an age where male clothing tends to carry ‘pocket privilege’, this can go double for women. Lanyards keep everything you need all in one place, which is literally right in front of you. They can also save time when entering restricted areas.
Whilst once you had to prove your access permissions by presenting an identity badge, nowadays, the act of wearing a lanyard can suffice. So long as security knows you’re ‘with’ the company concerned, they can let you in and hence streamline the whole process.
Cost-effectiveness
For such beneficial items, lanyards rank among the most cost-effective workplace supplies. Whether you’re opting for something plain or something customised, even lanyards of the cotton variety shouldn’t set you back too much. If you’re buying in bulk, customised lanyards are the most cost-effective option. They should cost less than a customised marketing campaign—and you can’t even wear one of those.
Won’t damage your clothing
Unlike pin-on badges, lanyards won’t damage your clothing. Whilst the former form a physical hole through your clothing material, the latter merely rest around your neck. Lanyards are preferable to clip-on badges, even, which still claw your clothing material. You can remove a lanyard with ease in a way that will not alter the fundamental fabric of your garments—literally.
Better team morale
Though more of a run-on effect rather than a direct consequence, wearing a lanyard can boost team morale and productivity. How can the mere act of wearing a nylon neck accessory strengthen your team, just like that? In a best-case scenario, your employees’ chests will swell with pride ’neath their high-quality lanyards, fuelling their laborious motivation. At the very least, high-quality lanyards will give your employees something to bond over. This, in turn, could strengthen staff unity, as well as the quality of their teamwork.
Durability
Clip-on or pin-on badges are prone to breakage or rust. They may be cost-effective, but they certainly aren’t durable. Lanyards, on the other hand, are cost-effective and durable. If they’re made from synthetic materials such as nylon or polyester, this is an advantage that renders them waterproof as well as stainproof. Even from a non-business perspective, if you were to sift through your personal junk pile, you would be far more likely to recover an old lanyard than a cheap name badge you wore one time. Lanyards endure and that’s a fact.
Sold yet?
Now that you know the benefits of using lanyards, are you champing at the bit to invest in some—possibly in bulk? If so, we’ve got you covered! At Identity People, we have high-quality black lanyards, as well as printed lanyards fit for all sorts of business purposes. What do you need, how much do you need, and what’s your favourite colour? Whether you want to go with one of our default designs or customise your lanyards to display your own unique brand, we can cater to your needs. Contact Identity People and get a quote now.
