How to Use Your ISO 9001 Certification In Promotional Material

Did you know that ISO 9001 is a quality management certification? Plus there is not just one ISO 9001 certification – there are many variations specific to the industry. For example, this one ISO/IEC/IEEE 90003:2018 is for computer software services, including development, sales, support, etc.

For businesses and consultants getting the ISO 9001 is a proud moment. It may have taken six months or more, and it requires two assessments.

Your paperwork needs to adhere to standards and that it reflects what you do – that’s the first assessment. Then the auditor will check that it’s being applied in the operations of your business. It’s one thing to say what you do and another to do it!

Now you’ve jumped through these hurdles, you’ll want to use it as a USP in your marketing, as a way of differentiating yourself from your competitors and proving to customers you’re professionals adhering to quality management standards.

Accepting the ISO 9001 certification also requires you to agree to follow the guidelines when it comes to marketing and promotion.

The good news is you can promote your 9001 certifications:

• at your brick-and-mortar location
• on your company vehicles
• on your advertisements
• and even on billboards

ISO 9001 Marketing Guidelines

There are guidelines for using your newly minted certification so in this business blog we look at how you can use your ISO 9001 including:

• Logo
• Designations
• Coverage
• Products

Product certifications

When you are certified through ISO it may seem like a great idea to announce to the world that your products and services are all certified. This is not something that is allowed, though, because they do not cover any products or services.

The certification is all about the management system you have installed and will be using, or have been using, according to their guidelines.

You can tell the world that your management systems are certified and helping your products or services, but it cannot confuse the customers. This means that you may not want to add any information on your products because the consumer may think that your product is held to that higher ISO standard.

Certification coverage

This is another aspect of your ISO 9001 certification that may be a little confusing.

This guideline basically says that you can only advertise about the section of the company that was actually certified. This means that if you have a couple different management systems in your company, you can only put the stamp of approval on the system that was actually certified.

If you want all your management systems to be included, you will have to have them certified one at a time.

Correct designations

When showing that you are registered, you cannot simply put that you are ISO 9001 certified. Instead, you must add the system number that you were certified for after the designation. Otherwise, it is a violation of their rules.

Your advertisements and bulletins should look like this “ISO 9001/2015 certified.” It may seem like a trivial step, but it is an important guideline that they insist on having you follow.

Logo

Another thing that may seem a little stringent is the use of their logo. When advertising, it would be great to show your pride in the certification by displaying the ISO logo with everything you promote. That is not allowed by them.

You cannot use their logo for any type of advertising, promotion, or even on the bulletin board in the breakroom. Their logo is their logo, and you cannot use it.

Final Thoughts

Achieving industry-related certifications and standards gives your customers, partners, and suppliers confidence in your business.

You need to follow terms of use and rules when creating the logo and using the standard in marketing material. Other than that, you can incorporate that you are certified into any of your marketing plans. The sky’s the limit if you stay within the guidelines set by ISO.

Can your business achieve more sales with ISO 9001? As the standard, itself focuses on continuous improvement of your record-keeping, processes, and systems, Arguably yes.

Winning tenders, especially Government contracts, depends on holding ISO certifications. Plus, the consistency of service and support is a winner for staff morale and customer satisfaction.