Making The Best Choices In Signage For Your Commercial Building in Ohio

Before choosing a sign company in Ohio, there are certain things to keep in mind regarding signage for a commercial building. Branding and advertising have always been a thing, and considering the amount of advertising that there is out there, things can seem rather intimidating. However, with the proper strategy, signage could break through the noise and stand out in a crowd.

The Message Behind The Sign

Before ink goes to paper, one of the main priorities when it comes to branding and advertising is defining a company’s message. Generally speaking, people’s attention span is fairly short, which means that the message has to be simple in order to quickly capture the attention of individuals. The trick here is to find a balance, because while them message itself should be simple, the design appointed to drive that message home has to make an impact.

Design – Are there any rules?

The design has to complement the message. While the message of the company might be a strong one, and the design very impressive, if the two are not connected then the chances of making an impact decrease. Once again, given that companies have a limited time to make an impression on people, the design has to stand out. One way to increase the success odds of signage is to avoid interferences.

For example, writing the word ‘red’ in green color can be considered an interference, due to the fact that, according to The Stroop Effect Test, it splits people’s attention, which in turn causes a delay. Given that the time to make an impression is limited, avoiding this interference could be major. There are, of course, exceptions to this rule of thumb. In some cases, this sort of interferences could end up breaking through to the individual and gain their attention. That’s what makes signage a difficult thing to balance.

Having a Theme

Besides complementing the message aimed at potential customers, signs should also keep up with the theme of the respective business. For example, the sign should follow the color theme of the company’s website (and vice versa). Having a color scheme creates familiarity, and will make things seem like a tight unit. The fonts used should also be eligible, and the overall design should be laid out in a way that it’s easy to read and understand.

Placement

Once companies know their target, have established the message they want to communicate, and have finished a design, the placement step is the next one. Signage on a commercial building can result in a lot of eyes. It’s important for the area to have a high traffic volume, however, this is not a guarantee that once a sign is put together, the sign will translate into being effective.

Besides being in an area that is populated and has a lot of traffic such as downtown Cincinnati, it’s important to be in an area that aligns with the company’s demographic. For example, if the commercial building is located in an area with a lot of senior citizens, but the message is aimed at people between the ages of 18 and 50, then it might not garner a lot of attention. Moreover, it should go without saying, but it’s important for signage to be accessible, easy to read, and in a spot where the most amount of people can see it.

Depending on the location of the commercial building, companies will also have to decide between a static signage or a dynamic one. Static signage work well when it comes to area that have a low view-time – for example, if they are at the side of the road. If they are static, cars that drive by will have enough time to see it without difficulty. However, if the sign is in a busy area, a dynamic one could be appropriate. Deciding on this factor can be important, because while companies want to gain the attention of potential customers, there is a balance that needs to be found in order to not frustrate them with over the top sign that are difficult to decipher due to them being poorly timed.

Purpose

On the surface, the purpose of signage is self-evident, however, there are many purposes behind it. The most obvious one is the purpose of marketing. A well-designed, well-placed sign can entice potential customers, which in turn means that the sign itself was successful. There is also the idea of creating or enhancing a brand, which signage is capable of doing. Besides being able to get potential customers curious about the company, the signs themselves could work to push the company to the next level. For example, think of the most popular logos out there, ones that are immersed in pop-culture. Not only did they manage to attract customers, but the signs are icons themselves, and are associated with the company.

Why Is Signage So Important

It’s important to note that signage does not guarantee the success of a company, but it has many benefits, and can be very effective. Understanding the purpose and the effectiveness of signage could help you make the best possible choices when it comes to signage for your commercial building.

One of the main benefits of signage (and in turn something that deserves attention) is their relevance to the customer. In order to be effective, signs have to convey the company message, be shown to the right crowd, and at the right time. This has turned into a trend when it comes to digital signage, as companies aim to show their ads to the people that are most likely to be interested in the product, but this philosophy still stands when it comes to old-fashion advertising.

Flexibility

Signage from a Cincinnati sign company is also effective due to the fact that it’s flexible. While there are certain rules when it comes to designing things, and also certain paths that one should follow in order to increase the signs effectiveness, at the end of the day, signage is a blank canvas. Companies can go as wild or as tamed as they want to when it comes to designing them. That flexibility and ability to personalize them in order to not only align with the company’s message but also align with the customer’s preferences makes signage a great way to advertise.

As mentioned before, certain signs are associated with the companies they advertise for, and that in turn creates not only brand recognition but also helps build the personality of the brand. A successful sign will manage to reach a level of fame that will sip into the mainstream – which means that customers will instantly recognize the signage and the company behind it without giving it a second look. Since we mentioned the limited attention span, this could be a big advantage.

Cost Effectiveness

This is a major advantage when it comes to signage. While it might not seem like it, signage for commercial buildings could be a more cost-effective approach to advertising than other marketing mediums. When we’re talking about online and TV ads, those are usually shown for a limited amount of time, and require constant pay in order to be shown. When we’re talking about physical materials, such as flyers, they can be thrown out quickly. Meanwhile commercial signage doesn’t require as much “maintenance” (in terms of the amount of money being put into them), they will advertise to the right crowd (if placed correctly) and not only that, but it will provide advertising to the company every hour of the day and every day of the week.

Published by Kidal Delonix (1196 Posts)

Kidal Delonix is a contributor to Mr. Hoffman's blog. The views and opinions are entirely his/her own and may not reflect Mr Hoffman's views.

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