When a product you ordered from Amazon is mailed to you, it’s mailed in an Amazon box. To anyone who has ever seen an Amazon box before, you know right away that it’s an Amazon box.

When Zipcar members check out a Zipcar for the day, the car is branded. It has the Zipcar logo plastered right on the side of it.

Fashion brands from Old Navy to Michael Kors prominently display their logo on nearly everything they design.

All of these are examples of a company using its products to market themselves.

Someone in my office gets the Amazon box delivered, and I see it. Someone drives past me on the street in a Zipcar, and I see it. Someone sitting across from me on the train has a Michael Kors bag, and I see it.

It may not feel like marketing or advertising, but I am being exposed to the brand. It’s just another reason why product design is so important, and why marketers should absolutely involve themselves in product development.

How can you turn your company’s products into ads for your business?