How to ask permission to feature customer logos?
I have a product with a few well-known companies using it. I'd love to be able to showcase these customer's logos on the website but am unsure how to ask permission to do so. I've asked a couple large companies via support tickets but received a "no" each time.
If you feature customer logos on your website, what process did you use to get there?
Hey Greg, In my experience in agency land working with big clients, there's three ways you can do it that I can think of ..
write it into your contract terms that any work you do with client x you are entitled to use logos, case studies etc on your own internal marketing material. Most clients skim over this clause and only notice it once seeing the logo on your site at which point most wont kick up a fuss.
give them a reason to want to be on your site .. write an article detailing the amazing work they've done with your product and why it makes them industry leading etc etc .. take a look at all the stories and logos here https://www.facebook.com/business/success
call someone and chat on the phone instead of going via support ticket ..
good luck
Love the advice to talk to someone on the phone. In the age of email and text messages people underestimate how much more powerful it is to actually talk to someone.
I endorse this approach.
I always figured this was one of those situations where you ask for forgiveness, not permission. I mean, I very much doubt any brand would ever say yes.
Commenting cause I've always wondered this and want to know the answer :)
I used to worry the same... it's easiest to ask for forgiveness, in these situations. My advice: just go for it.
I've worked at a large company. We got requests from vendors for this too... we went through PR, legal, etc, and there's no upside for the company at all. So invariably we said no.
But then we had a few vendors actually use logos without asking. We invariably wouldn't do anything either.
Now, case studies are a different deal, obviously. But for logos, I don't think that's a big deal, and I've been involved w/ several start-ups, too, where we used the logos... and nothing happened.
Always had the same question. Can the permission to use the customer logo be worked into the site Terms of Service?
I have the same problem: super huge customers, but I have zero negotiation power to obtain logo usage permissions.
So here is what I'm doing starting today :
The privacy package is basically lifting a paragraph in the EULA that (by default) allows me to use their logo in the website and advertising material.
Maybe I don't get any more logos, but at least I get paid more.
We've always asked permission of our customers, who we've formed relatively close relationships with. They've almost always been happy as it's generally mutually beneficial.
We don't deal with anyone huge like a Coca Cola or Toyota - if we did and wanted to feature them, then I reckon we'd write it into our terms.
in the words of shia LaBeouf:
just do it
With larger orgs I know it's negotiated through things like partnership agreements, preferred client contracts (unlimited licenses for a discount price + use of your logo), etc... I was always told, if you want something, offer a carrot first.
But for small shops, I don't know and I've love to know the answer too.
I like the idea of offering something in return, but my product is 100% self-serve (no custom contracts) so it's difficult to add that step. Because of this, it's also usually a low-level employee signup up for the service, meaning they don't have authority to say "yes" anyway.