If you’re not familiar with a lanyard, it’s simply a piece of nylon, cotton, polyester, or other material that is woven into a long piece to wear around your neck or on your wrist. We see them all the time, but they are kind of second nature, so you don’t really know it unless someone tells you.

For instance, if you walk into a hospital you will see doctors, nurses, and other staff with ID badges around their necks. Guess what is holding them in place? Yep, it’s a lanyard. However, there are several different uses behind lanyards. You can find them at schools, given away as gifts, used on keychains, and a variety of other uses.

However, there is one reason why they are extremely popular in today’s world and it’s because they’re a great promotional tool. Companies love the fact that lanyards are inexpensive. You can also purchase them at bigger discounts if you’re willing to buy in bulk. The end result is a lot of long-term advertising for a minuscule amount of money.

Brand name clothing lines like Tommy Hilfiger, Guess, as well as many others utilize this simplicity to continue branding themselves in the world as we know it. Keep in mind; it’s not always the big name companies that take this course of action either. A prime example of this would be a local school that is having a fundraiser.

Schools are the perfect platform to sell lanyards, because kids want to support their team’s colors at games or just during school hours. Parents do as well, which means it’s an inexpensive way to create money for the school. Our local school offers lanyards with the name of the high school and the colors for $5.

It’s one of the cheapest items to purchase, which makes it a steal for most parents on a tight budget. Since the actual cost isn’t even close to $5 the school is creating additional revenue.

Another arena that has made lanyards popular is professional sports. Just head to the local apparel shop and you’re bound to find sports team names and colors on lanyards. They are usually right at the checkout counter. These can be anywhere from $10 to $15 depending on where you purchase it. The point is; professional and collegiate sports teams know how big of a money maker this type of industry can be.

Over the years there have been several reasons why lanyards became popular. They were once used around swords, knives, and pistols. Later on people took advantage of them to keep their ID badges handy. Now they are more of a decorative choice, but can help keep your ID, keys, or even your camera more secure.

If you haven’t ever owned a lanyard we definitely recommend one. It can be a great conversation piece with friends, family, co-workers, or even someone admiring it from afar.