We're big fans of the Never Stop Marketing blog at Sonic. Last week it was Jeremy's observations of paper coffee cups that caught our attention. This week it's name tags.

On any given day, think about the number of name tags you encounter. The teller at the bank... what was his name? The cashier at the grocery store... it was Susan, I think? My server at Sweetwater Tavern... I have not the faintest clue. But the Roast Chicken Salad was really good.

Jeremy had no trouble remembering Betty, the Westin employee that he met in Beijing. Now, why was that? Because Betty's name tag had a little something extra. Beneath her name, the text- "My Passion: Singing"- was inscribed, and it acted as a conversation starter between her and Jeremy. 

Westin's name tags teach us that a little creativity can really amplify the impact of your branded items. If you're going to invest in name tags for your employees, make them work for you.