I attended a marketing seminar yesterday where they were discussing effective direct mail campaigns. They mentioned you have one second to affect the decision of a potential customer as they look at your mail piece with their hand over the trash can. That means you really have to pay attention to detail as you design your marketing piece: Is it the right color? Should it be a postcard or an envelope or a flyer? Is it saying the right thing? How about the font being used? Should you use photos or illustrations?
Now, consider what potential customers think
about your business as they drive by on the roadway. They have basically the
same amount of time as the guy looking at his mail. That guy had a handful of letters all crying,
“Read me! Read me!” The people passing
your store have rows of stores all competing for their attention. So shouldn’t your signs receive the same or
even greater attention in planning and design as a direct mail piece? Are the
letters big enough to read from the road?
Are the signs really branding the business? Are the colors right? Do the signs grab attention both day and
night? Would message boards help attract
interest?
Take a look at your signs and how others
view your store from the road. Take a
good, hard look to make sure you are pulling in every car you can from the
highway as new customers, and retaining the ones you have. And good signs will not only increase
quantity of business, but improve quality of business. The branding statement you make through your
signs will attract the type of clients you want to focus on. Signs are one of the most important elements
of branding, so make sure yours answer the most important question: “Would I do
business with myself if I was passing by?”
Mark Hackley is an Account Executive
with Holiday Signs of Chester, VA
