Does your company have a pickle pin?

H.J. Heinz, of the Heinz 57 empire, has been deemed one of the founders of what we know today as public relations.  His unique branding, ability to keep his company in the public eye and the beginning of corporate give-aways with his signature “Pickle Pin” are only a few reasons why his company has stayed on top for over a century. 

During the 1853 World’s Fair in Chicago, H.J. Heinz was disappointed with his company’s poor location and the unbearable heat did not help.   Heinz hired half a dozen boys to scatter specialty printed tags across the fair grounds. 

 When patrons bent down to pick up a tag it simply said, “Come to the second floor of the agricultural building to get a FREE prize.”  In 1953 the word “FREE” was not nearly as over used as it is today, there were no gimmicks or conditions, free was free and patrons flocked to the Heinz location to get their prize.  What was the prize? It was a lapel pin in the shape of a pickle. The pickle pin was born.

That week the Heinz company gave away 1 million pickle pins and 50 million in the first year.   The pickle pin has been continuously offered for over a century making it one of the longest running and most successful promotions in history. 

What’s your company’s signature?  Is it in the hands of your customers?  

Facts from “The Kings of Ketchup” CNBC