While you may not have the budget to do a complete signage overhaul, there are several cost-conscious ways to boost your business’s visual communications strategy in 2012. Consider these creative and innovative ideas:
1) Wall Decals and Graphics. Wall decals can transform a space from boring to impressive. Consider the merchandising possibilities for placing goods on a giant image; sell more sleeping bags with a beautiful outdoor scene, more guitars with a picture of a raging arena crowd, or more basketball shoes with intense dunking imagery.
2) Floor Decals and Graphics. Floor graphics can serve two important purposes: promoting a message or providing helpful directions. Place messaging for a sale or special event underfoot, and it will be hard to ignore once it catches a customer’s peripheral vision. Color-coded lines or section numbers on the ground provide direction and free up wall space for other messages. Floor graphics are safe, durable and removable.
3) Window Decals and Graphics. Window decals allow you to use more of the customer-facing real estate available in many places. Consider vinyl decals for seasonal messaging instead of messy paint jobs.
4) Digital Signage. Digital signage is the ultimate long-term signage investment. There is an up-front cost for the display unit and software to manage the content, but over time it saves money and time in printing and re-printing materials. Digital signage is dynamic and easy to change, making it ideal for places that frequently change messages. There are many options available, from single units that run on flash drives to thousands of screens with content managed through a central location.
5) Go Green with Solar Powered Signs. Solar powered signs help save money and the earth. Installing solar power cells and a battery on an exterior sign allows it to use natural resources rather than electricity. Advances in technology have made these units smaller and less noticeable. A solar power unit can keep your sign illuminated 24 hours a day, or it can be programmed to turn on and off with business hours.
Drue Townsend is the Senior VP of Marketing for FASTSIGNS® International, Inc, a visual communications services provider with more than 530 locations around the world.