Balloon Columns, Stacks, Pillar's and Towers... so what is in a Name?

How much does a name matter? It has recently reached my notice that the designs that I would call Balloon Columns are being referred to by other artists as Stacks, Pillars and Towers. So to help me to clarify all the different names a little bit more, I asked members of the QBN Facebook group what they called theirs, and if they felt that the name was important?

Almost all those who responded said that they use the term Columns like I do. This isn't surprising, as they have all completed the QBN program and that is the term that they were taught and used within the program, and also it is the name that has been used forever by the balloon industry. However, some of the response from group members explained that all the different names are often used by their customers, and therefore for marketing and promotional purposes they also use them all to ensure that they do not miss out on any opportunities to promote their designs.

I have looked back through all the different resources that I received as part of the QBN program, and it actually clarifies that a Column is a straight, vertical line of balloon garland which to be fair does not represent the vast types and styles of decor that would come under the heading of a column today! Balloon décor styles have changed considerably over the years, and today there are new trends and styles of décor that were not shown or taught when many of us studied the QBN program. So, I decided to delve a little deeper to see if I can relate a name to a style of decor.

Instagram was the perfect go-to resource to assist me with my research, as I was able to see the types and styles of decor that are posted under each of the hashtags.

#ballooncolumns - 136,087 posts (3rd February 2021)

#ballooncolumn37,120 posts

The designs featured under the hashtags "Balloons Columns" and "Balloon Column" on Instagram are a complete mixture of styles and types of balloon structures, ranging from what I would call a traditional column to smaller air-filled arrangements, that I have now discovered are often called Balloon Stacks - see below! 


This was a design that I made for a corporate event, I had a hard time giving it a name, but once I found it, it made total sense - Elegant Sculptured Column

Elegant Sculptured Column by Sue Bowler


#balloontowers - 11,264 posts (3rd February 2021)

#balloontower - 11.4 posts

The definition of the word "tower" is a "structure typically higher than its diameter," - therefore it is much the same as a column.

A lot of the designs featured on Instagram are pretty much the same as Balloon Columns, but with a real mix of styles and types of balloon structures.




Design by Dominic Cassidy and Keith Stirman  - The Boys of Q Corner

Pillars are often known as "a usually ornamental column", and it too has a close relationship to the term "column" and in fact describes the term well.

#balloonpillars - 8,567 (3rd February 2021)

#balloonpillar - 6,271 posts




Bright Bubble Column
Designer name: Tina Giunta, CBA, Shivoo Balloons 


#balloonstack - 5,410 (3rd February 2021)

The term "Balloon Stack" is a style of design that is predominantly an air-filled balloon arrangement that often features a number as topper, or has a focal balloon that is on the base of maybe 2 or 3 clusters of balloons. This is a style of decor that has grown in popularity over the past few years, and I love all the accent details that are often added to the designs!




I love this design by The Luxe Event Company NW Ltd, in Skelmersdale, England. This is a perfect example of a beautiful Balloon Stack!  

Design by 


From what I've observed, Balloon Columns, Towers and Pillars pretty much describe the same  styles of balloon décor and it would be very easy to see why people would use all three names to relate to this style. The only one that stands out as being a little different are Balloon Stacks, as this name is typically applied to smaller air-filled arrangements that are on a cluster-style base.

Does the name that we use matter? From a marketing point of view, I would contest that all the terms being used are relevant, especially to a client base. When it comes to hashtags, why not use all three?  You might find that customers relate to different names! For me personally, a Balloon Column will always be a column, especially because it's a term that I used when I first started working with balloons and it is a recognised name within the industry! However, I am certainly not opposed to anyone that uses any of the other names, as each of the definitions prove that they are all very relevant! 

A big thank you to all the QBN members who helped me with my original question, it all makes perfect sense now 😄

Happy Ballooning! 

Sue

www.suebowler.com

Follow me @suebowler













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