Are signs TRULY an important element in YOUR Marketing Mix?

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In this modern, connected world of INTERNET, SOCIAL MEDIA, SMS MARKETING and FAST CHANGE is an OLD FASHIONED, STATIC sign still important.

The simple answer is a RESOUNDING YES.

While I understand this is a generalization and may not be as relevant for EVERY business, it IS important for ANY BUSINESS THAT WANTS TO BE SEEN and VISITED.

On Thursday I went to take advantage of a sale at a local butcher. I had previously received the MASS SMS informing me that they had ‘moved’. From a marketing perspective the sms was poorly worded in that it simply stated that they had relocated and gave the new address – no special offer, no call to action, simply an informative sms – which I figured was an error. They were a landmark where they were, and they had moved into a totally different area, so my thinking was they were advising of a new branch opening. It was only when I went past the ‘old’ premises that I realised they HAD MOVED – and I had deleted the ‘relocation’ sms days before my visit.

So the search began. I was eventually advised where they had moved to, and off I went. When I got to the location that I was told of, there was nothing to alert me to the fact that this was the new premises. I then called ‘info’, got the old number, had to dial it to get the ‘new’ number, then called that number to get directions, only to be told that they were where I was told they were.

At this point I figured I would pay more and go elsewhere. The saving was NOT WORTH the irritation. It was at that point that I drove past the shop – AGAIN, but this time with the attendant standing outside waving!

While inside I asked why they didn’t have signs up and was informed that they had been ordered and were ‘on their way’. (They were up two days later).

When I gave it some thought, this move had to have been planned weeks before I went there – I received the initial sms 10 days before my excursion. So WHY were there no signs up? Surely it should have been on top of the marketing persons list. Did they ever calculate the cost of NO SIGNS? How many people would felt just what I did, never to return as they are certainly not the cheapest supplier and are also not the only supplier within easy access. A simple banner (if the signs were running late) could have made a huge difference.

So YES. Signs are an important . As long as YOU EXPECT and / or WANT people to VISIT YOUR PREMISES, you would be well advised to make sure that VISIBLE SIGNS form part of your marketing mix!

If you are in the market for professional looking signs, or would like marketing advice, including on how best to project your business’s image, please contact the writer at arnold@signforce.co.za and use the subject line: ADVICE PLEASE and we will get back to you ASAP.  For more information visit http://www.signforce.co.za

The Importance of CONTRAST and it’s use in signs

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Why is ‘contrast’ important when it comes to signs and visibility?

I was recently putting together a video blog, and in order to make the video more interesting, I began playing with various backgrounds.

WOW, what an eye opener!.

I ALWAYS advise my sign clients that it is the contrast between the message and the background of a sign that makes the message stand out – or get lost, and this video shows how this works. Check out the video at youtu.be/JTTeyQJH1dI

I am a firm believer that ANY MONEY spent on signs MUST be an INVESTMENT – that is, there MUST be a measurable return on investment. For this to happen the sign MUST have a purpose and MUST be VISIBLE. If either element is missing, the sign will not achieve it’s objective. Contrast is one of the MAJOR contributors to a sign being visible and successful or getting lost in the noise that the background can be.

In case you think that I am making a mountain of a mole hill, check out this video youtu.be/JTTeyQJH1dI . It is THE SAME sign with different borders, and notice how some borders are so BOLD that you almost forget to look at the sign.

Should you require any signs or advice on signs, or if there is any specific sign related topic you would like me to cover please email SignForce now on arnold@signforce.co.za or call the office on +27 11 444 3331 to see how we can serve you.

Arnold N. Pollak

arnold@signforce.co.za

http://www.signforce.co.za

 

 

Carpe Diem – Seize the Day

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Monday morning as I was rushing on the way to a VERY important meeting – with my doctor – I noticed a sign which got me laughing, because of the unintended message of the design, and gave me some material for a – this – blog article.

Being in a RUSH I never thought to stop the car and take a photo. I did however tell the doc about the sign. On Tuesday morning I figured I would go past and take a photo to share with everyone, with the point being to explain WHY, when it comes to signage, not every designer is equal. [Signs generally SHOULD be designed by people who understand signs, as what you see on paper and what you see when it is BLOWN UP for a sign, what you see may, and often does, differ drastically.]

Tuesday came and went before I had a chance to get the photo, and I was not in the area on Wednesday, so I made a plan to make a specific trip on Thursday, and lo and behold, when I arrived the sign in question was no longer there. DAMN!

OK, so my thinking on the blog topic had to change – as it has had to on many issues this year, especially with reference to making money – and the change was the ‘topic’ to HOW DID I MISS IT!. An the then it dawned on me, I did not seize the day.

Research has shown that, especially when we are busy or distracted, we do not take the time to LIVE life. We get so caught up in our daily lives that we forget to LIVE them.

Like I found I need to, I am suggesting you SLOW down folks. Take the time to smell the roses, and enjoy life. Before you look around the sign will be moved and the opportunity lost.

This is summed up brilliantly by the honorable Dalai Lama.

Should you require any signs or advice on signs, or if there is any specific sign related topic you would like me to cover please email SignForce now on arnold@signforce.co.za or call the office on +27 11 444 3331 to see how we can serve you.

Some clarity on SANRAL and E-TAGS

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Hi All.

This post is a ‘public interest’ post for all South African’s.

Attached is what I believe to be the best, objective view of the e-tag system I have seen to date. It is written by Deon Botha of Botha Attorneys, and arrived via email.  I am using it without prior authorization.

Personally I do not believe in buying into ANYTHING that has to be SOLD so hard. Also wonder who is paying for all the SANRAL costs.  The attached article states that SANRAL is STATE OWNED, but then how is it that the shares are held in Austria, as has been published.

My advice – DO NOT REGISTER.

To read now click on this link etolls

Getting a sign ‘HEARD’ above all other ‘NOISE’

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Each one of us is supposedly bombarded by millions of stimuli on a daily basis, much of which is ‘lost‘ through a wonderful feature known as ‘FILTERING’, which removes information that we do not ‘see’ as immediately relevant or beneficial.

Signs often fall into this category, as unless the viewer is looking for your product, service or store, their filters will delegate your visual advertising to file 13.

There are two thoughts as to how to overcome filters. One is constant change. The other is simplicity.

Constant change requires that the sign colour, shape and message change on a regular basis – which today can be achieved by using flat screen monitors on a shop front as a sign.

The other, possibly more effective from both a cost and memory perspective, is simplicity.

A simple sign means that the message is clear and there is a large contrast between the background and the message. The larger the contrast, and the clearer the message, meaning the greater the possibility that the sign will be seen and remembered amongst all the ‘noise’.

Should you require any signs or advice on signs, or if there is any specific sign related topic you would like me to cover please email SignForce now on arnold@signforce.co.za or call the office on +27 11 444 3331 to see how we can serve you.

Three objectives of a successful sign

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What do Education, Insurance and Signs have in common?

Other than the fact I am involved in selling two of the three, they are ALL intangibles when it comes to the sale. Not true you may counter, because once you get the sign you can see and feel it – making it tangible, however during sales process, the picture that you see almost always does not tell the entire story.

More importantly, measuring the SUCCESS of the sign is not so simple, making it almost intangible.

To date the best measure of a sign’s success came when a shop was about to close down due to low turnover. They were relocating to a new venue in six months but decided it was not worth running at a loss before they occupied the new premises that were still being built. The store management requested SignForce to refurbish their main street front sign so they would be more visible for the closing down sale. We refurbished the sign and the store remained open for the remainder of the lease. In this case the only change made was the refurbish signage, so the turnaround can be attributed to the refurbished sign.  

In real life this seldom the case as you would have multiple marketing tools working together with your signs, creating too many influencing factors to calculate how much of the business you receive can be attributed directly to your sign. Because it is so difficult to measure the SUCCESS of your sign it is IMPORTANT to decide beforehand – that is before you purchase the sign – what you expect the sign to accomplish.

It is the opinion of SignForce that a successful sign should achieve three objectives.

  1. A successful sign should direct people to your business. In other words a successful sign will act as a silent salesperson, encouraging or enticing people to come into your store.
  2. A successful sign will clearly display the image of your business and portray your business in a true and professional manner.
  3. A successful sign MUST BE an investment – that is, the cost of the sign, both in terms of initial cost and maintenance, should be low relative to the income that sign will help generate.

In the near future I’ll be discussing each of these three issues as well as how to measure the success of the sign. I will also be giving information about letter height, visibility, distance and speed with relation to signs.

Should you require any signs or advice on signs, or if there is any specific sign re;lated topic you would like me to cover please email SignForce now on arnold@signforce.co.za or call the office on +27 11 444 3331 to see how we can serve you.

How do I know that the sign supplier I choose will be able to deliver on their promises?

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This question was recently highlighted when Mr. Brian Neshan Adams, (a petty thief, who when he was found to be a petty thief became a FORMER employee of SignForce (Pty) LTD), made off with R30,000 (less than US$4,500) of a client’s money, on the pretence that his ‘company’ called Blow Marketing would get the work done by SignForce but at a discount because of the volume that he (as an employee of SignForce) and his ‘company’ were feeding to SignForce.

ALWAYS keep in mind the old adage: ‘LET THE BUYER BEWARE’! 

  1. Look for the obvious. If a business has a registration number, check it out to make sure the business IS REGISRERED. Doing a simple check will also advise if the registration number is correct for the business type? If you find any errors, BE SUSPICIOUS!

     

  2. In South Africa, do the directors (for Companies) or members (for Close Corporations) (a) have a track record and (b) have any criminal or other negative record. I do believe that most people should get a second chance, but better to be forewarned than sorry.

     

  3. Is the offer made by the business seem legitimate and logical, or are they ‘too good to be true’? 


  1. Can they produce ‘live’ samples and references that YOU CAN CONTACT?

     

  2. Do their claims seem TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE?

     

  3. What is their email address? It is not about being a snob, one does get a different impression of a business that uses their own URL (web address) on email’s instead of a @google.com or a @yahoo.com or a @hotmail.com. While some VERY large companies (for example sinosteel) do have @google.com accounts, most established businesses will have their own URL.


Also be aware of any picture’s that are being used. Are the pictures artist’s impressions (and if so, does it say so) or are the pictures they are purporting to be ‘installed’ signs are in fact generally ‘artwork’ for a client. 

 

Once again it cannot be stressed enough. Even though finances might be tight. You are better off paying more for a well manufactured, guaranteed sign than paying ANY money over to a company that simply takes your money and RUNS.

 

Should you require any signs or advice on signs, please email SignForce now on arnold@signforce.co.za or call the office on +27 (0)11 444 3331 to see how we can serve you.

Can my business save money by applying our own vinyl sticker signs?

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A great example of how a poorly applied vinyl sticker sign can detract from the intended message by creating a poor first impression.

Poor First Impression

Can my business save money by applying my own vinyl sticker sign?

The short answer is YES, a business MAY initially save money by applying their own vinyl sticker sign, however I believe that the correct question is “What is the cost to my business if my vinyl sticker sign (or any sign for that matter) projects an unprofessional image?”

Even with all the progress around us we humans still tend to be a visual bunch of animals. I’m sure you’ve heard the sayings “don’t judge a book by its cover” or have even been told that ”you only get one chance to create a first impression” - and that impression will be made within the first 15 seconds of meeting a person. The same applies to signage, and the viewers perception of your business.

The attached picture (thanks Tharina) shows how an unprofessionally applied vinyl sticker sign can do more harm than good about making that FIRST IMPRESSION as to HOW your business does what it does.

Yes, the sticker in the photo does give the name of the business and has contact details on it, which is positive, however the sticker is so poorly applied that the first perception a person gets is that this is a really low cost operation, (detracting from the beauty of the vehicle and the layout of the sign), and may be turning away the exact same professional people you wanted the sign to attract.

I was once asked if I would allow a surgeon to defend me in court, or have a lawyer perform open heart surgery on me, and while I’m not talking about law or medicine, the same concept applies. It is often better to allow people who apply vinyl sticker signs day in and day out, and are thus bound to be more proficient at it, to do the job in projecting your image in the best way possible, even if it the initial costs is a little more, because it is important to think about the unmeasurable cost of poor advertising and poor image projection.

Keep in mind that you only get one chance at creating that first impression, and if that first impression is negative, you may have lost the one and only chance you shall ever get to generate that lead and allow the sign to do it’s work of creating potential new clients.

If you are in the market for professional looking vinyl sticker – or any other signs, or would like advice on how best to project your business’s image, please contact the writer at arnold@signforce.co.za or tharina@signforce.co.za and use the subject line: ADVICE PLEASE and we will get back to you.