Are Your Signs Sufficient for Your Business
After 15 years in the sign business, I can usually tell which new business will fail within minutes of meeting with the client. I can tell when I hear what percentage of their total budget has been set aside for signage. I can also tell when they show me that they have more interest in getting a low price than getting a sign with a design that is compelling enough to draw people into their place of business.
I want to ask them, “Is a $1000 sign really cheaper than a $10,000 sign”. When they say “Yes, it is”. I want to explain to them that if their business fails because of poor signage choices, then how much did they really save on that $1,000 sign? On the other hand, if their business succeeds beyond their wildest expectations and it is due in part to their clever and effective sign content, then wasn’t they extra $9k the best decision they could have made? It pays for itself and then makes them money if it helps keep them from “going under”.
Signs are best looked at as “advertising”. It is arguably the most effective and most important advertising purchase a new business owner will make. IF you purchase a $10,000 neon sign or a $10,000 electronic scrolling LED message board sign and you get 10 years out of it; you just paid $83.84 per-month (plus any upkeep needed or electricity used) for that point-of-sale advertising. How does that compare to what your business spends on other forms of advertising like the “yellow pages” or Radio or NewsPaper advertisements?
The final point I would like to make about giving your business sufficient signs is that you should continue the branding thought your business. Don’t stop at one large entry sign. Put signs on every side of your business that is exposed to traffic if your local sign code allows it. If your town allows sidewalk signs, then put out a “sidewalk sign stand” to get the attention of the foot traffic. Be sure to put logos on each parking sign and a vinyl or etched logo on your front door and put some branding on the custom printed “welcome mat” that your customers wipe their feet on. I don’t know how many times I have heard a customer say “we just had our best month ever” on the very month proceeding the upgrade of their poorly designed and insufficient signs. There are many sign advertising opportunities available and the best decisions will be made with the help of a sign design professional. When in doubt, just look at the size and quality of the “complete sign package” that you see at the biggest retail chains. Look at both the interior and exterior signs and ask yourself if you are as well represented with your signage. You can be sure that their accountants have researched this to death before approving such a large sign budget. So, if it wasn’t “good for business” to have an extensive and complete sign package, then you would see very small sign packages with just one or two “low end plywood signs” at most of your top retailers ….and you just don’t see that happening very often.
My name is Tom Dalton. I spent 10 years as the primary sign designer for a commercial sign company in Normal, Illinois. I am now part of Signs Direct, Inc.. SignsDirect’s web page is at http://www.signsdirect.com and we specializing in mail order delivery of both retail advertising signs and DOT approved traffic signs. SignsDirect has been doing business online since 2000. We also sell products other than signs; such as sign hardware and sign stands and sign installation tools.
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Non Products Exist in this World
“Both the market and the distributive channel are often more crucial than the product. Products are within the business as the accountants define it. They are within its legal boundaries. Economically the other two areas are as much part of business.”
- Peter Drucker, Managing for Results.
According to Peter Drucker product actually does not exist at all, economically speaking, except within a market, bought by a customer for an end-use, and brought to him through a distributive channel. Markets as well as distributive channel do exist, however, independently of any one product. They are primary, the product is secondary.
Product management is a sub-section of management. But market and distributive channel exists outside of management control. They are the most crucial and along with that most difficult part of business to understand and dominate.
A product needs to find its niche market. And to reach this niche market, it needs a niche distributive channel. The whole supply chain should be friction free for smooth functioning of product profitability. According to Nirmalya Kumar, marketing consultant, brand owner of yesterday world are still thinking themselves an emperor. But in reality they are barely standing in nude. Distributive channels, Wal-Mart, Tesco, Aldi, etc, have found their place in the sun.
Market logic is very simple. These retailers use to act as a link between customer and the product manufacturer. But sooner than never, this distributive channel recognized their power. They are lot efficient than the product brand owner. They know their customer much better than brand owners. So they can mould their strategy in a very swift speed.
Apart from that manufacturer use to made their product for in east in China, Indonesia etc. This global supply chain has shown a remarkable efficiency in last decade of 20th century. All the best brands on 20th century use to get their product manufacturer in low labour countries. Now distributive channel want to replace brand owner to dominate the supply chain. According to data from market, 80-90% of American consumers buy from Wal-Mart, target etc. 50% of all sale of brand number one and two are recorded by these biggies channels.
These biggies have now started copying these manufacturer products. Given the advantage of 10-15% saving in advertising, 5% in sales force and 5% in R&D, these distributive channels are cutting the brand owner throat by reducing the prices at rock bottom. Wal-Mart knows how to discount lowest and still be profitable to thwart any competition. Marketers at these distributive channels know very well that brands are pass
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Magnetic Signs Where Do They Work Best
Recently, a woman called to ask about replacing a magnetic sign she had purchased from another company. Her original sign had actually blown off the side of her car. I had visions of the sign flailing around in the wind and striking some poor motorist behind her or worse yet, some fellow on a motorcycle. I inquired as to whether she had tried to get her money back. But it seems the company refused to refund her money and worse yet, claimed it was her fault. Appallingly, they accused her of placing the sign on a dirty car surface.
Although surfaces should always be cleaned before any type of sinage is placed on them, rarely should a magnetic sign “blow” off, if ever. The sign company that sold her the original magnetic probably made two glaring errors. 1) They used an inexpensive magnetic material not meant for vehicles, especially moving ones. The sign business is intensely competitive and some disreputable companies turn to cheap material for an edge. 2) They cut corners and I mean literally! They cut square corners instead of rounded corners. Rounded corners prevent the wind from “catching” an edge.
In fairness to the company, maybe they didn’t know any better. There are tricks of the trade that can come only with experience. But that does not help the woman that lost her sign. And even though these companies don’t last long because they loose repeat business, it agitates me to see a customer have a bad experience buying a sign.
So if you are off to buy a magnetic sign, concentrate on getting the right material. Make sure you ask for 30 mil thickness with rounded corners. And don’t let them charge you for the rounding. It should be a standard!
Written by: Tony Nagy
Email: info@designasign.biz
To learn more about Magnetic signs and other types of signs please visit http://designasign.blogspot.com/ to purchase Magnets, Vinyl and just about every type of sign imaginable visit http://www.designasign.biz