Get More Than You Bargained For… At the Same Price

I was talking to the owner of another sign shop recently and he was telling me how he charges much more for a full-colour, printed banner, than a single colour vinyl-on-banner model.  He was shocked that some sign shops charge the same amount for either process.  I didn’t offer my opinion.  I just smiled as enigmatically as I could.

Yes, the perceived value of a full-colour printed banner is much higher.  It’s more exciting, can be vibrant and eye-catching compared to a plain old one-colour-of-vinyl-on-a-white-background banner.  But the truth is, it costs about the same amount to produce either banner.

I was a bit surprised by this fact but I ran the numbers several times and after taking into consideration the labour cost for processing the vinyl and applying it to the banner, we can produce a full-colour banner for the same price!  That’s why we only have one price for banners whether they be full colour or spot colour.  In fact, if there is more than one colour on a banner, we would print it anyway.

I’ve spoken of the advances of technology before and how they’ve allowed us to offer better products for the same or less.   In fact, looking back over the last 20 years, here at ICSigns, our prices have held quite steady.

What other industry can boast that fact ? !

Ten years ago, we produced most of our signs on computer-cut vinyl, laying one colour down at a time, only deferring to the large format printer if too many colours were involved.   Now the reverse is true.  Over 90% of the signs we produce are printed.  One reason for this is that designers are aware of the capabilities of sign makers who have the right equipment.  They send us files that are choc-full of colour, knowing we can reproduce them with a level of accuracy not possible 10 years ago.

We get excited about the signs we produce.  Just this week we made a huge banner for a customer that we thought was exceptional in design.  A picture of it is here at the top of the post.  It sits on a wall outside his boutique and looks dynamic.  You can’t help but notice this banner if you are in the area. It’s a lifestyle image and the colours are spectacular!  And the cost was very reasonable compared to the alternative of layers of coloured vinyl on a white background.   It’s a far superior product at a very reasonable price!

The full-colour print extends to most other signs we produce as well.  We now have materials that we can use on back-lit signs, POP signs, awnings, even parking signs (ever wish you could have a reserved parking spot for your customers with your logo or a life-style picture on it?  You CAN!). The possibilities are endless and it doesn’t have to cost any more.

I would love to hear about your experiences and  get your comments.  Here on my blog, you’ll get commentluv. That’s great for you bloggers out there. By leaving a comment, you can leave a link back to your own blog. But you don’t have to be a blogger to leave a comment. I’d like to hear from all of you!

Happy signing,

Drew.

Pylon Signs Help Drive Business To Your Door

That monument, ground or pylon sign standing outside your building should be a reflection of your image and brand.  I once read, “A business without a sign is a sign of no business”.  True enough.  Not many businesses can survive without a sign to direct traffic to their doors unless they are a web-based company that relies on other methods.  Not so the larger retail companies we recognize regularly.  Shell, Esso, MacDonalds as well as The Bay, Sears, Canadian Tire and other bastions of retail excellence.  Their pylon signs are not the only things that bring customers to their doors but it is an important part of the corporate strategy.  It reflects the brand and broadcasts for blocks, where you should turn in.

Not every company can afford a huge pylon sign like the major corporations.  But it still must be a part of the corporate strategy.  Many companies share space on a pylon sign with other tenants or condo owners.  While your space may be limited, don’t give up on making the most of what is available to you.  This means maximizing the available space.  Let’s say you are negotiating a lease for a building in which you share space on a pylon sign.  Try to negotiate with the landlord to increase the number of places or size of space available on the sign. If part of the sign is vacant, you might be able to negotiate using that space until the vacant space is required.  There are benefits to both parties here.  You gain extra signage for the beginning of the lease (when it is most important for customers to find you) and the landlord’s property will appear fully occupied (which benefits all the tenants since prosperity begets prosperity).  I remember my days in the gas station business when, if a station had no customers, we advised the managers to park a car or two at the pumps. You’d be surprised how this technique brought customers onto the lot!  An empty lot looks deserted and forbidding.  But a lot with cars on it attracts other customers.

How much information should go on a pylon sign?  As little as possible!  Remember my mantra: “The best sign says the least.”  Certainly the name and logo of the company must be the largest and most prominent items displayed.  After that, any further information will only detract from the main message.  The pylon sign is there to broadcast who you are and where you are, not give out a lot of information about your company.  There are other vehicles for that.

Let’s talk about the layout of the logo and company name on the pylon.  Sometimes, the configuration of the sign does not allow you to lay out the name and/or logo in the normal fashion.  Unless you are designing and building a pylon sign for your own purpose, be prepared to re-configure the layout to maximize the available space.  For example, your logo may quite square but the available space is long and thin.  If you don’t allow the designer to change the layout of the logo/name, it will be very small and very hard to see from a distance. That’s a short-sighted policy.  I’ve seen this happen in many instances where a corporation, with strict rules on how the name and logo can be displayed, moves into a rented property. The head office refuses to bend on the  layout of the sign.  The result is a smaller than expected presence on the sign and an ineffective sign.

Here at ICSigns, we can help you design and install a great pylon sign for your business. We have the expertise and experience to help you drive business to your door!

In summary:

• Be prepared to negotiate additional space for a short period of time
• Be flexible on the layout so that you maximize the space available
• Only put the essential information on the sign – name and logo

Please feel free to leave comments and suggestions here on our blog.  And here on this blog, we offer comment luv. That’s great for all you bloggers out there.  When you leave a comment, you can add a link back to your own Blog! That’s great for Search Engine Optimization. But you don’t have to be a blogger to leave a comment. We want to hear from everyone!

Happy Signing,

Drew

Signs, Signs, everywhere is signs…

Blocking out the scenery, breaking my mind…

And so the song goes.   Sure, signs can block out the scenery but they can also carry a message beneficial to the audience and hopefully, profitable for the advertiser.   Signs are a great way to advertise your product or service but, like anything else, if improperly executed, things can go horribly wrong.    Have you ever wondered what goes into a really great sign and how to get the biggest bang for your buck?

Hi, I’m Drew Brims.  Welcome to my blog! I am the owner of Instant Custom Signs in Brampton, Ontario.
IC Signs has been operating since 1992 and we are passionate about our business and our customers.  I look forward to sharing lots of ideas with you with respect to signage.

The way I see it, there are two basic categories of signs:

1. Signs that are designed to attract attention,
2. Signs that are designed to inform.

The first should be used to create or build brand awareness (perhaps a billboard), create interest in your product or service or draw attention to your location (as in a storefront sign). These signs are usually only able to catch the audience’s attention for a second or two.

The second category is located where the audience has more time to review and digest the information. This might be a menu of items on sale with price points or discounts, a Restaurant menu or perhaps a list of services available at a particular place of business.

Since the layout of the second category is not as critical as the first, let’s deal with the first – Attention grabbing signs. Any sign that does not convey the message it was designed to, is a waste of space and money.

Here are 3 helpful tips to remember when designing your sign!

Brevity :

TMI (Too Much Information) is not just part of the modern vernacular, it’s relevant to our discussion on signs. My mantra is, ‘the best sign says the least’.   If your audience is driving past your sign, how much time do people have to read and digest the information? A second or two? Ten seconds? Perhaps more if your sign is located where traffic is stopped for traffic lights or a stop sign.   If not, the main message of the sign should scream out one or two words at the  most:

The object of the sign is to get customers to visit your business in person or visit your website or call you on the phone), not to list products and services. That’s the job of sign category two.    Take a look up above at the Instant Custom Signs logo, you will see that ”SIGNS” is the largest word in the logo.  No confusion over what we sell.  It makes our job a lot easier when designing signs for ourselves.  We have the name, the logo and what we do all in one package, ready to go.

Clarity :

Some signs have such powerful background designs that the main message is overpowered and lost. Technology exists today that allows us to efficiently decorate a space on screen that looks very beautiful. Then we add the message (company name or product or service) and think we have a terrific-looking sign.   Beware!  What looks good on the screen does not always make for a readable sign.   Background colors and patterns can add zip to the sign but too much can overpower the message.  There has to be a balance.

Layout :

When sitting down to design a sign, rather than starting with the background, try starting with the message.    This is the most important information on the sign.  Remember – one or two words.   Brevity is our friend!  It should be the largest and most noticeable element on the sign.   After locating it in the most prominent position, we can add contact information, preferably only one. It can either be location, phone number or web address but definitely not all three.

Finally, we can add in the background.  It’s important to take a critical look at the entire sign to ensure it is balanced, conveys the message you want and can be read and digested in a very short period of time.

Of course, size matters.   The bigger the sign, the more effective the message and the wider the audience. In a future blogs, I will get into these items in more detail and talk about the visibility of different sizes of letters from a distance.

I’m looking forward to your feedback!