Signs and banners do much more than communicate information to the public. To manage a successful business, an expertly managed marketing campaign of your brand, products and services, is absolutely crucial.
Discerning customers critically judge a business by its memorable logo, popular catchphrase and the quality of its signage. An attractive, eye-catching welcome board does a lot for consumer appreciation and lasting patronage. Signposts may be installed to promote safety, to enforce regulations, to educate the public or to give directions to far-flung, exotic locations.
Signage utilizes a wide variety of complicated symbols, intricate graphics and lettered content to transmit a particular message to a targeted audience. The acronym AIDA, coined late in the nineteenth century, explains the actual aim of advertising: drawing attention to what is on offer, creating a keen interest to know more, and spurring potential customers into action with the desire to purchase the specified product.
Modern businesses need up to date strategies to keep up with the shifting trends in marketing and fluctuating consumer demands. Reputable advertising companies work in close collaboration with the client to provide excellent design ideas, attention to detail and reliable project management.
THE HISTORY OF SIGNAGE
Some of the earliest presentation signs were designed to point out affiliation to specific beliefs or religious systems and groups. For example, while the ichthys or fish denoted an affinity toward Christianity, the sun and moon were symbols of a more paganistic conviction. Military officers still proudly exhibit a selection of insignia on their shoulders to indicate their rank, their notable achievements and their battle experience.
Roman merchants presented their trademarks on terracotta or stone slabs as well as on albums (outer wall areas painted starkly in white), to broadcast important information and to distribute public communications. Similarly, the late fourteenth century saw English innkeepers and hoteliers required by law to display a panel announcing their intent to sell home-brewed ale to the general populace.
Early indications of product endorsement could be seen in the use of heraldry attached to noble households, as well as in the distinctive coats-of-arms and royal insignia in evidence in bazaars, marketplaces and other goods outlets. Privilege signs granted selected traders exclusive rights and permission to trade in products from a particular brand or supplier.
The earliest notification signs generally communicated wayfinding information and guidelines. Other modes of advertising and marketing included rough hand-painted banners, wall-mounted exhibition frames, A-framed sidewalk signs and bulky pylon displays designed to catch the attention of weary travelers.
The Roaring Twenties, known for the prohibition of alcohol and the public’s blatant disregard of law and order, saw the first colorful neon signs on show as an indication of the beginning of a new era of economic prosperity, consumerism and high living.
A few old-fashioned trade signs, such as the distinctive red-and-white barber pole and the unique three-ball symbol, indicating a pawnbroker shop, have survived the passage of time and are still used by tradespeople today. Similarly, establishments such as jewelers, grocers and medical practices are still readily recognizable by the signs on display.
MODERN APPLICATION
Nowadays, business owners can obtain and install an assorted collection of modern signage products. Merchandise is used according to what the customer requires and the desired outcomes to be attained. Digital or electronic merchandise utilizes LCD or LED technology together with projection screens to create visually attractive, creative graphic art displays. This is done in order to promote brands and to reinforce the company’s image. Specialized companies such as Think apply this groundbreaking technology and offer their clients customized content creation options to engage and draw prospective consumers.
Projection screen technology is very practical to use. Projections appear professional and businesslike and are perfect for displaying information, or for running trademark presentations. Screens can be installed and put into service in public areas such as restaurants, shopping centers and airports, to target consumers in a fast-paced, competitive race for brand supremacy.
LCD
Liquid Crystal Display technology, also known as LCD, uses liquid crystals to block or allow light to pass through them. A bright backlight and polarization of the light enable different colors to combine into a sharp, clear image on a flat paneled display screen. This technology has also successfully been adapted for use in video game monitors, DVD players and timepieces.
LED
LED technology employs light emitting diodes, as the smallest of picture elements or pixels, on a flat screen video display. The resultant color presentation is bright and suitable for indoor or outdoor application. LED technology is used on store fronts, billboards, and more recently on public transport informational displays, to show updated destination details.
MARKETING EVOLUTION
The fundamental principle of trade is customer demand versus the availability of a sought-after product or service. Advertising proposals attempt to provide customers with emotive, seemingly rational reasons to procure a specific item. Once a basic need is established, marketing teams leap into action to create the opportunity for commercial activity.
Marketing and product advertising campaigns may be designed to be comparative, purposely naming a competitor in order to point out the inadequacy of their merchandise. Alternatively, a competitive promotion highlights the superior qualities in a product, when compared to another supplier’s contribution. On the other hand, pioneering marketing relies on proclaiming a better, never-seen-before alternative to an existing article.
Traditional Marketing
Traditional, old-school marketing practices used intricate, laborious advertising campaigns to find out information about potential buyers. Who were they? What did they prefer to purchase and why? Where did they usually spend their hard-earned money?
Customarily, market research focused on publicizing one particular brand across all available outlets and relied on the customer to form an emotional, sentimental attachment to a particular product in order for them to commit themselves to the purchase thereof. All marketing efforts were focused on promoting the product. The advertising campaign was set in stone as dictated by company management. Creative input from other sources was not needed or wanted.
Old-school campaigns saw the launch of special offers and promotions to drive sales and profit margins, while consumer satisfaction and experiences remained an unexplored source of data.
Modern Marketing Strategies
Modern marketing techniques are continuously expanding and being refined to include customers’ experiences with brands, products and amenities. The focus of present-day advertising is on the feedback received from satisfied clientele. Collected data is analyzed and absorbed into marketing strategies and processes.
In stark contrast to traditional advertising customs, modern marketing practice allows for fully cooperative brainstorming from all members of the team. A multitude of ideas are shared and fine-tuned on a collaborative, continuous, evolving basis.
Contemporary promotional strategies do not strictly differentiate between trademarking activities, campaign content creation or the stages of commercial application during a campaign. Collected data is scrutinized and interpreted and unilaterally shared across all digital and traditional channels, in order to create a unified, comprehensive, knowledgeable crew with a shared vision and goal. Learn more about modern digital marketing in this article.
BENEFITS OF DIGITAL SIGNAGE FOR YOUR BUSINESS
Improved Exposure and Brand Reinforcement
Imaginative, visually appealing imaging in advertising can make or break a product. Publicity of the brand or product can be attained by including attractive, digital corporate logos and a creative, colorful layout of catchphrases and other informational content. This catches the attention of potential buyers and makes the merchandise more authentic and relatable, improving exposure and reinforcing the corporate trademark.
User Friendly
The application of modern marketing signage in busy commercial areas is guaranteed to boost sales and on-the-spot impulse buying. Fortunately, media involvement and support do not require complicated negotiations anymore, as was true in the past. Additionally, digital and social media platforms are more easily and widely accessible, reaching more potential customers all over the world.
A selection of the signage products available on the market, allow for instantaneous, remote editing and updating of the content of exhibits. This is particularly useful for revising restaurant menus or publicizing seemingly unplanned sales and special offers. Using this feature is not only cost effective, but also convenient and sympathetic to a tight budget.
Versatile
Contemporary electronic signage merchandise may be used in a variety of display configurations and convenient styles. Some products are effortlessly movable and facilitate the easy broadcasting of company trademarks and interesting, interactive corporate presentations at trade fairs, business seminars, school functions or the little deli on the corner.
Satisfied Customers
Employing digital signage in a busy urban neighborhood or bustling city center, increases the value of an actual, physical business location. Customers feel less pressured and more willing to interface with product information on their own terms. Seemingly shorter time spent waiting in queues, means that customers can more readily connect and react on special deals and promotions, resulting in increased sales figures and profit.
A satisfied customer is a loyal customer. Providing a customer with the best possible shopping experience, gives a company the competitive edge they need to succeed. Electronic signage is undoubtably the way to achieve it.
