The growing signs of success

Drue Townsend is senior vice president of marketing for FASTSIGNS International Inc. Today she offers some insight on creating effective signs.

Companies from major corporations to small individually-owned businesses are trying to create attention for their products and services by using every media available. With all the competition for consumers’ attention, how does a company stand out? Signage has proved to be one of the best uses of a company’s advertising dollars and helps even the smallest business gain attention.

Signs and graphics have three general purposes: to inform, direct and sell. The initial impression a person has about a business is often through the signage that it utilizes. Many consumer stops are made on impulse, partly prompted by a business’ sign and how well it reinforces what the consumer may or may not already know about the business.

Technology is constantly evolving and new products are being introduced to the sign and graphics market. There are advances to increase production speed, create a more lifelike and full-color realistic product representation and provide a variety of placement opportunities to sign buyers.

The basic banner has changed thanks in part to infinite color combinations, distinctive typestyles and the use of colorful digital photographic images. It’s commonplace to see a vehicle on the road “wrapped” to create a rolling billboard for a company or product. In retail locations, signs are not only external; they can also cover the windows, the ground, the aisles and even the ceiling.

Well-designed signs and graphics can create a good image for a business while poorly designed signs are more likely to be overlooked—or if noticed, make a poor impression and potentially even turn prospective customers away.

There are many factors to consider when designing and ordering signs. To begin the planning process, you must first determine your signage needs. By being prepared and collaborating with a sign and graphics professional, your business’ signs and graphics can reflect your desired image, create awareness for your location and products, and provide you with an affordable, changeable and effective advertising medium.

Some basic questions to consider are:

• How long will the signs be used?
• What image do you want to project—casual, more contemporary?
• What is the viewing distance for each sign?
• How much time does a viewer have to read each sign?
• For indoor signage, what is the viewing environment—is the room dark, are there a lot of windows or clutter that could block the view?
• What kind of mounting device will be needed for the sign—will it be mounted to a wall, hung from the ceiling or placed on an easel?
• Are there local sign ordinances or restrictions that would prevent you from displaying certain types of signs?
• When do you need the signs?
• What is your budget?

While every business is unique, sign industry research indicates that the return on investment for signs is strong. Your sign is your voice—communicating with potential customers who could do business with you and become a customer for life.

-- Drue Townsend

FASTSIGNS sign and graphics centers use innovation and technology to make the sign buying process simple by offering wide-format full color graphics, banners, window and vehicle graphics, floor graphics, safety and identification signage, trade show displays, point-of-purchase signs and exterior signage. There are over 530 centers located in the United States, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, the United Kingdom and Australia (where locations operate under the SIGNWAVE name). For more information, visit www.fastsigns.com.