Whether you run a dedicated ice cream shop or a café serving everything from coffee and lunch to ice cream, adding custom ice cream cups to your business toolkit can help you generate free publicity, fuel growth and attract new customers.

Many food service businesses ignore the importance of custom branding on their takeout cups and other containers, instead opting for generic equivalents due to their lower costs, simplicity, and quick delivery.

While this can seem like a good decision in the short term, it’s usually a long-term mistake. The short-term costs of creating custom ice cream cups and other takeout supplies for your café or ice cream shop is almost always outweighed by the huge long-term benefits.

From branding to free publicity, we’ve listed some of these benefits below, as well as detailed information on how custom ice cream cups can help you attract new customers, sell more of your most popular ice cream products and grow your business.

Custom Ice Cream Cups Stand Out, Promoting Your Brand

Compare major coffee chains and you’ll find that while many are successful, none have been able to match the incredible growth (first national, and later international) of Starbucks.

There are several factors that have contributed to Starbucks’ success, ranging from its smart approach to opening new stores to its product range. One factor that’s frequently ignored is a smart approach to marketing through the company’s packaging.

Unlike other coffee chains, which in the 1990s stuck with plain packaging for their takeout cups, Starbucks opted to brand everything, putting its logo and business name on takeout cups for its coffee to fuel organic publicity.

As a result, whenever you see a celebrity photographed out in public getting coffee or simply walk past a person drinking a cup of coffee on the go, you notice a familiar green logo, brand name, and cup design. In short, the custom coffee cup acts as a form of free advertising.

Custom ice cream cups are no different. By acting as a free, mobile advertisement for your ice cream brand, custom ice cream cups can attract the attention of the public and promote your brand for you, all at no extra cost to your business.

While it might not turn your business into the next Starbucks, the publicity is valuable -- often, valuable enough to bring in new customers, produce new relationships and help your business grow organically.

Custom Branding Brings Back Repeat Customers

Another advantage of custom ice cream cup branding is that it brings repeat customers -- the people who’ve already purchased your product -- back into your store for repeat visits and new sales.

One of the most common B2B marketing strategies is giving out branded office accessories -- items like notepads, pens, coffee mugs and other small, inexpensive products that sit around the office, serving as a constant reminder of a specific brand.

Ice cream cups serve a similar purpose. When an existing customer (or the friend, partner or colleague of an existing customer) sees your ice cream cup sitting on a countertop or desk, it creates an instant reaction, making them think of your brand and product.

This can often be enough to create an impulse purchase or at the very least plant the idea of your ice cream in their mind long enough for them to pop in later in the day to pick up a serving of their own.

In short, not only does custom branding on your ice cream cups promote your brand to the world at no cost -- it can also, in many cases, cause people to take immediate action to visit your ice cream store and purchase your product.

With Custom Ice Cream Cups, You Present a Professional Image

Beyond the direct marketing benefits of custom ice cream cups, adding custom branding to your takeout cups also has benefits for your brand image.

When you buy a serving of food -- whether it’s a dessert food like ice cream or a fast food item such as a burger -- and receive it in generic, unbranded packaging, do you associate it with a professional brand or a small business?

Often, the answer is the second -- when you use generic packaging for your products, people wrongly associate them with a cheap, inferior operation. This can have a significant impact on the perceived quality of your product, affecting everything from feedback to return business.

Not only does custom branding set your product apart from the competition and generate free publicity for your business -- it also gives your ice cream business a sleek, professional image that can help strengthen the perceived quality of your product.

This effect can be significant, especially amongst customers who’ve tried offerings from your competitors. Often, the right image can be all it takes to set your product apart from the crowd and make your ice cream brand the one people return to in the future.

Beautifully Designed Cups Contribute to a Premium Brand

Is your ice cream a mid-priced, mid-quality product, or a high-end, premium brand? If it’s the latter, it’s essential that your branding -- everything from the design of your store to the look of your cups -- projects an image of quality.

As well as differentiating your ice cream from the competition, custom takeout cups can also help you present a premium, high-end brand image.

From bold colors to stylish, modern typefaces, using custom cups instead of generic ones lets you add your style and flair to every cup of ice cream you sell, setting your business apart as a premium offering that’s a step above its competitors.

This doesn’t just let you sell more ice cream -- it also lets you charge a premium price for your product. With the right combination of quality and stylish, effective branding, you can charge a premium for your ice cream and set your brand apart as the top offering within its field.

Custom Cups Let You State Your Ice Cream’s Benefits

Finally, custom ice cream cups let you continually market the benefits of your ice cream to your customers.

If your ice cream is a low-fat, low-sugar, health-focused option, make sure you mention this on your packaging. Often, a one-sentence reminder is all it takes to make your ice cream look and feel more appealing, both to repeat customers and to potential customers.

If your ice cream is made using all-natural ingredients, mention this benefit on your custom ice cream cups. If it’s rated #1 by taste testers, state this benefit loud and clear. In short, use your custom ice cream cups as a platform for letting customers know why your ice cream is worth it.

While this might seem like a minor aspect of marketing, it’s an important one. By promoting the benefits of your ice cream through your product packaging, you’ll set your brand apart from the competition and build a valuable, benefits-focused relationship with your customers.

View Our Range of Custom Carry Out Supplies

Searching for a dependable supplier of customized ice cream cups for your business? From ice cream to coffee, we manufacture a complete range of custom takeout supplies for businesses of all types and sizes.

For more information, view our range of ice cream cups and containers online or contact us via email or phone to talk to a member of our team.