Back to Indoor Dining? Advertise on Placemats!

Are you looking for the best approach to reach to customers at their most relaxed time of the day? Then advertise on Placemats! The bars and restaurants are open and we are seeing customers coming back to their favorite joints to enjoy meals and drinks. This is following the discovery of effective Coronavirus vaccines, and so people are beginning to feel more confident about dining at their favorite restaurants. For marketers who are looking for an effective and inexpensive form of advertising, then advertise on placemats. What does advertising on placemats involve?

How Does Advertise on Placemats Work?

As the name suggests, Advertising on placemats refers to printing a message on the mats placed on dinner table, with the intention of promoting products or services. Therefore, the advertiser will select some of the top restaurants where the target customers frequent, and place branded mats on the restaurant tables.

As customers walk into the restaurant and wait to be served, the branded mats will capture their attention. Even as they enjoy their meal, they will keep looking at the advert, which means the interaction is more than 15 minutes, generating a high impression. In some instances, especially where customers come into the restaurant in groups and sit at one dinner table, your brand is likely to feature in the discussion.

Therefore, if you advertise on placemats, you are generating high brand awareness among the customers walking to the entertainment joint. If the advertiser applies proper targeting, then advertisements on placemats will generate high conversions.

Why Advertise on Placemats?

Here are some top reasons we believe you need to advertise on placemats.

1.      It is a cheaper Advertising Method Compared to Traditional Advertising

The cost to advertise on 30,000 placemats is a fraction of how much you could pay to put up a single billboard. Therefore, advertisers who are after cheaper advertising methods should try to advertise on placemats rather than advertise on billboards.

2.      Generates a Higher Return on Investment

Another top reason to advertise on placemats is the potential to generate higher returns on investment. We have seen that to advertise on placemats, you incur a lower cost compared to the traditional methods of advertising. Moreover, advertisement on placemats generates a higher number of impressions compared to advertising on billboards. Consequently, there is a chance to achieve a higher return from the investment, so long as the advertiser ensures effective targeting.

3.      Advertisers Gain Customer Attention If they Advertise on Placemats

Advertising on placemats could mean greater customer attention because you are reaching out to the customers when they want to relax. Thus, the message sinks into their mind, and they are more likely to remember the advert the next time they come across your product or need services you are offering.

4.      Creative and Unusual Advertising Approach

Finally, advertising on placemats is often an unusual method of reaching your customers. The patrons walking into a restaurant do not expect to see your advertisement on their dinner table! When the customers see the advert, they are curious to know what it is about. Ultimately, you have delivered the message to the target audience.

Use cases for Placemat Advertising

E-commerce Stores

Use Case: An online clothing retailer uses placemats in trendy cafés to promote a limited-time sale. Customers can scan a QR code on the ad to receive a 15% discount on their first online purchase.

Objective: Drive traffic to the e-commerce site and boost first-time purchases.

Benefit: Allows online-only businesses to gain visibility in physical locations while targeting the right audience.

Entertainment Venues (Theaters, Concert Halls, Sports Arenas)

Use Case: A local concert hall places placemat ads in restaurants near their venue promoting upcoming shows. The ad offers exclusive discounts for early bird ticket purchases when customers use a specific promo code.

Objective: Increase ticket sales for local shows and performances.

Benefit: Targets local diners who are likely to be interested in attending events nearby, offering them a direct incentive to purchase tickets​(

These use cases show how placemat and tabletop advertising can be creatively deployed across multiple industries to reach targeted local audiences, foster immediate engagement, and drive conversions. By integrating physical ads with digital tools like QR codes and promo codes, brands can effectively bridge the offline and online customer experience.

Conclusion

At Adzze, we have built the capacity to produce ads on placemats. Thus, if you are planning to advertise on placemats, contact us for a free estimation and no-obligation consultation. We will advise you on the best practices for using in-hand advertising like placemats at restaurants.

We dive deeper into the advantages of this innovative advertising approach, exploring its cost-effectiveness and how it stacks up against other media options, in our additional blog posts.