In this blog post I write about personalised utensils, physical objects, that help you develop the visibility of your brand. I’ll cover what they are, what role they play, which ones you can personalise, how to personalise them, how to make sure they don’t lose their luster and at the end I’ll present a few examples.
In general, personalised utensils refer to cutlery and kitchen tools that are customised per the unique preferences of a brand. For the purpose of this blog post, I will focus on utensils that are used by brand ambassadors who represent a drinks brand. This is one of the industries in which personalised utensils are used most.
Personalised, particularly custom brand ambassador utensils, can help your brand stand out in many ways.
Unique style: By using utensils that are uniquely representing your specific brand you automatically set yourself apart from other brands. Unique shapes, colors, patterns.
Memorable experiences: Personalised utensils can serve as conversation starters. Picture a premium spirit tasting, hosted by a brand ambassador. Everyone will be exposed to the utensils he will be using.
Brand perception: Personalised utensils demonstrate an elevated attention to detail and thoughtfulness. Consumers are likely to interpret this by perceiving your brand to be of higher value.
Specific purpose: Personalised or custom utensils can be made with a special focus on functionality and comfort. This assures they don’t only look good but are also extra practical. This proves that your brand values both aesthetics and functionality.
Brand storytelling: When using personalised or custom utensils you have a chance to express your culture or a specific theme. To tell your brand story. A good way to do this are replicas. The following item, the Reyka Mini Still, represents a miniature version of one of the six original stills. These are located in Iceland. The black rocks represent the original lava stones which are used as part of the distilling process of this premium vodka.
Branded merchandise: Personalised utensils can not only be used by brand ambassadors but by consumers, too. This is an opportunity for gifting. Depending on the product, this ranges from small giveaways to prestige VIP gift items. To consumers these items are often desirable and in some cases even treated as collectibles.
Your brand enthusiasts will particularly be eager to own them. There are for example Facebook groups in which members share insights into how to obtain branded utensils of a certain brand. Throughout the years we here at PES have received a lot of enquiries from individual consumers. They ask us if we’d be able to sell them certain personalised utensils of their favourite brand.
There are many utensils out there that can be personalised.
Cutlery: spoons, forks, knives.
Bar tools: ladle, jigger, strainer, mixing glass, wine key, muddler, pourer, cutting board, ice bucket, peeler, zester, bar spoon, bottle opener, cocktail shaker
Serving utensils: serving and ice tongs, cake servers, salad servers, tray, cheeseboard.
Specialty utensils: there are endless possibilities to create personalised or custom utensils. Think about examples such as chopsticks, cheese knives, ice cream scoops. The list is endless: dippers, special cutting and slicing tools.
The decision how to best personalise your utensils has to be based on your brand identity, the product and your target audience’s preferences. There exist many methods, such as CNC or laser engraving, hotstamping, printing, electroplating, etching and coloring. Utensils can be personalised via custom shapes, too.
If you plan on using your utensil as a gift item you will want to pay attention to its individual packaging, too. Your goal is to elevate that first impression when a consumer is receiving your gift.
How to take care of personalised utensils will differ depending on the type of product. Particularly on the material and the quality level. The best thing to do is to follow the care instructions your supplier should provide you with.
You or your supplier might manage 3rd party tests, e.g. a food safety, a dishwasher safety, maybe even a salt spray test. A salt spray test is used for metal items, e.g. a stainless steel jigger. Via a salt spray chamber you can simulate how the product will look after a few years of usage. Essentially, it gives you insight into the durability of your product. Before you start the bulk production phase.
For the vast majority of personalised utensils with delicate finishes you will want to hand wash them only and avoid any abrasive cleaners. Avoidance of prolonged exposure to heat and proper storage are important aspects in order to properly take care of your personalised utensils. Especially utensils that are personalised via print can easily fade from exposure to direct sunlight.
When it comes to wooden items, e.g. cheese trays, you will want to regularly oil them, avoid soaking them in water and any dishwashing.
There exist a vast amount of personalised utensils. Let me present three PES ones. These have, as all of our products, been made in our own workshop, located in Zagreb, Croatia.
An example of a custom utensil that at the same time has been used as a gift item towards consumers is the Hendrick’s Jigger. The client had first asked us to develop a concept for an on-pack item that was meant to be used in the Global Travel Retail (GTR) channel. As part of a gift set that included a bottle of Hendrick’s gin.
Once the design got confirmed, we developed a tool via which we could bring the custom shaped item to life. In this case it was a semi-automatic tool which means it performs several of the production steps. A semi-automatic tool is often the most cost-effective option for projects with large volumes. Of at least a few hundred thousand units.
For Glenfiddich we developed a custom premium tasting set. As an upgraded version of the commonly used printed sheet of paper. The premium set consists of a a stainless steel bar tray, a wooden tray, coasters, ice tongs and forged coins which indicate the number of years the different Glenfiddich whiskeys have aged.
The Copper Dog is a Blended Malt Scotch whisky brand owned by Diageo. For brand activations, primarily at events, we had been asked to make so-called dipping dogs.
The origin story behind the “dipping dog” dates back to the 19th and early 20th century and is linked to Scottish whisky distilleries. A “dipping dog” refers to a small copper vessel, typically cylinder shaped. It was used by distillery workers to sample whisky straight from the cask. This product was called a “dog” because it was a worker’s best friend and it was often kept hidden close to them. Like a loyal companion.
A dipping dog serves as a symbol of the resourcefulness of distillery workers. It stands for a time during which whisky production was less commercialised and more about craftsmanship.
Some dipping dogs are sold as collectibles and serve as memorabilia. Our dipping dog model is functional, too. Since it is made from food safe material. We can make this product either with a cork stopper element or a metal cap that is screwed onto it.
In summary, personalised utensils can play a significant role for brands.
They help tell the brand story and make it easier to create memorable experiences for consumers. Utensils offer a unique opportunity for differentiation and often add practical value as objects of everyday use. Sometimes they can be used as branded giveaways or corporate gifts, thus serving as daily reminders of your brand.
Ivica Baraba
"In PES I get to work on many custom Point of Sales material projects. I’ve been doing this since 2004. It intrigues me to delve into brand worlds and determine what products can help a client achieve their business goals. It is an exceptionally creative and dynamic industry to be a part of.”
