Despite the rise of the Internet and e-mail, physical signs and posters still have a lot of power to communicate messages in modern life. Everything from a custom foam board display to eco friendly banners (those made with recycled materials) to posters in a grocery store are highly potent. A lot of money and time is spent every year to research new marketing strategies for signs, billboards, posters, and more. Surveys and studies show that signs are still plenty effective today, and many people are going out and about and will see these signs. A related field is the arena of shelf price tags and product packaging in a store, designed to entice buyers. Real estate signs, political ad signs made from custom foam boards, golf tournament signs, and more can do a lot of work. What do the studies show about signs’ advertising power? And where are certain sign types used?
Custom Signs and Billboards
Even with the Internet and e-mail, most people go outside for business, leisure, or anything else, and out there, they may look at signs. In fact, it has been determined that a well-placed sign can expose customers to a brand around 50-60 times per month. It has also been found that around 85% of a business’ customers live within a five-mile radius of its building, so signs in that area can expose people to that brand name quite often and to great effect. The value of on-site signage may be close to that of 24 full-page newspaper ads per year, which can add up fast. Signs may be posted in the middle of the sidewalk, on top of a building’s roof, over the building’s door, or even on the side of the road. By the highway, for example, billboards may be effective since they are large and there may not be much else to look at out there. Billboards may often advertise local shops, attractions, or political candidates.
The sign’s own nature counts as well. A sign is not just a piece of wood with a name painted on it. Rather, a sign’s quality can impact a consumer’s first impression, and this can make all the difference. Many surveyed consumers have reported that a sign’s quality and contents will reflect the personality and value of the company who made it, so a good impression with that sign can bring in customers easily. By contrast, a cheap, ugly, or confusing sign may discourage customers, who may think that any business which can’t even bother with a good sign must be a poor establishment.
Types of Signs
There is more than one type of sign, and they come in various sizes and materials alike. Some may even be electric. One example of today’s signs may be a custom foam board, which can have all sorts of visuals printed onto it. These signs are large but sturdy and very light, making them ideal for placing on an easel or taping onto a wall. Such signs may be used for a conference or award show, for example, and a company can get a custom foam board printed by a print shop before the event. A custom foam board may be used for an award banquet, a convention, or even a table top game tournament. These custom foam boards may have an endless variety of images printed on them.
In other cases, a sign may be electronic. These signs will add to a company’s electric bill, but they have their own perks to offer. These signs are easy to see even in rain or at night, and they can be programmed to show all sorts of static or animated images alike. This allows them to easily draw many people’s attention. Schools or houses of worship may use scrolling marquees, on a related note, to share information with interested parties. Upcoming worship sessions, guest speakers, high school football games, and more can be announced with these marquees.
Banners or signs may also be used not just for advertising, but for events such as at a sports game or a charity event. Schools, houses or worship, offices, and more are known for hosting charity events like outdoor races, concerts, or meals, and signs and banners can help make these events more noticeable and festive.