Trade Show Displays - the latest Buzz

The latest buzz in marketing department all round the world is this new trend – the ‘Trade Show Displays’. Essentially, these displays are graphic tools or devices used in trade fairs or shows. The idea is to popularize your brand by attracting visitors at these display booths where sales representatives can then pitch in, handing out brochures or interacting with visitors.  

Imagine strolling into a trade fair and a big banner stands out with vibrant colors and intriguing caption images. Submissive to our senses, as we all are, we automatically get drawn to it, thus fulfilling the purpose of these displays.

Diversity in Display:

The displays are of variant types. They vary in terms of designs, materials, complexity, cost, graphics but all for the sole purpose of visually representing a particular brand. Usually these come in vivid and bold colors, striking images and catchy phrases that are enticing and charming to human senses.

• Pop-up & Back wall Displays

These are lightweight, portable displays that can be set up on site without much effort. They have flexible graphic panels that are pulled up along the support of a spring loaded roller. These are also popular as wall murals and even often used for designing home or office interiors. At trade fairs, these are commonly used as individual stands or in side by side series. 

• Banner Stand Displays

These are similar to pop up displays but contain single free standing panel. They are mostly one large graphic in a standing or roll-up frame panels. There can be outdoor banners, motorized banners, X-banner or retractable stands and framed tension fabrics as well.

• Tabletop Displays

These are probably some of the easiest and hassle free displays. The tables come with rented tents or booths at the place of exhibit. Only some handy metal framework and graphic panels need to be carried. The graphics are attached to the frameworks via mechanical fasteners, hooks and loops, magnets, etc. It involves little carrying effort and minimal manual intervention while setting up. 

• Table Cover Displays

If Tabletop displays appeared to be easy and effective, Table Cover display is sure to top that. Here, the exteriors of the tables are simply draped with custom covers, graphic images turning the otherwise bland cover to a branding opportunity. 

• Modular exhibits

These are standardized structures constituting of panels and frameworks and also pipes and drapes in many cases. Some of these are made up of aluminium extrusions or thin metal frameworks that are moulded to suit the exhibitor’s requirements. These are similar to pop up displays but while pop-ups are primarily background exhibits, modular displays consume an entire space. They are re-used and often rented or sold to many interested parties. 

• Truss Displays

These are heavy-duty displays that are often seen as backdrops in television shows or entertainment platforms. These are of robust quality with interchangeable and customizable graphics and durable constructions.  

Display Materials:

There are no mandates when it comes to what kind of materials to be used for construction and preparation of different types of displays. 

• For graphic images, compatible fabrics and substrates are used. These substrates can be rigid and semi-rigid depending on the forms of plastic and acrylics used. 
• For frameworks and panels, light metals are often used. Aluminium sleets are one of the most commonly used material for constructing pipes and poles. 
• Another trend is to utilize various building materials like fabric, laminate, metal, etc. in one display. These are called ‘custom modular hybrid displays’.
• A recent design technique to reduce weight and setup or dismantle time is to use dye sublimation for printing, tension fabrics, etc. 
• Eco-friendly troops often opt for bamboo shoots. They give a natural and different look to their displays. These are typically called ‘bamboo displays’.

 Display Configurations:

Statistically speaking, rental realities demand that trade show displays should fall under one of the below mentioned categories:

• Linear configuration – The exhibit is lined up with displays on either side and/or back of the exhibit space.
• Peninsula configuration – The exhibit forms a peninsula with aisles converging from three sides.
• Split island configuration – The exhibit, in this case, shares a common wall, back to back with a peninsula exhibit.
• Island configuration – The exhibit is exposed with aisles on four sides. 
• End-cap configuration – The exhibit, in this case, is composed of two booths and exposed with aisles from three sides.

 Budding Industry around Trade Show Displays:

The design and sale of trade show displays have helped bloom an entire industry around it. Some companies have exhibit showrooms in cities, while some operate online. They are primarily involved in–

• Custom designs
• Branding strategies
• Material estimates
• Manufacture and deliver the displays as contracted 

They also indulge themselves in buy and sell of used exhibits and/or materials. 

In some areas like South America, Asia and Europe, this industry revolves around ‘build and burn’ strategy mainly. The exhibits here are set up for one show and then dismantled. 

However, in some places like North America, it is more common to rent or purchase and re-use the once fabricated exhibits across locations for different shows. 

Why Trade Show Displays:

Last but not the least, how these trade show displays are important. To sum up the advantages that are already mentioned above and few more, trade show displays are spreading epidemically because of – 

• Convenience – The displays are lightweights, quick designs, and handy portables and provide easy installations.
• Business branding – At trade shows, the first things that attendees see are the exhibits. This automatically creates the first impact and sets the tone thereafter.
• Flexibility – The modular and portable accessories can adapt to ever changing needs. Moreover, graphics are more or less interchangeable, adding to its flexibility.
• Rent/Sell-out option – The exhibits are often available for rent, which takes away a lot of inception effort. Again if you do not want to rent, then selling them out to many interested companies is also another inviting option now. 

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How to Use Signs in Your Retail Space

You know how important signs are in getting your customers to the checkout counters of your store. That is why you have ensured that they say what you want. But is that really what you need? Isn’t it more important that your signs tell customers what they want? The aim of a sign is to provide information and motivate purchases. To do that effectively, it must be customer friendly, not store management friendly. Here are a few tips on making your retail signs more effective and communicative.

Keep to the Point

We live in the age of Twitter where everything has to be conveyed in 140 characters. Novels are being written in texting language. Attention spans are getting shorter all the time. Customers are often in a hurry, and they want information as quickly and concisely as possible. Respect that and use signs to give them the information they want in the way they want it.

Make It Easy To Read

Ornate fonts with curly-cues and flourishes may look attractive and sophisticated. But you don’t want a customer to say “That’s a nice sign” and move on. The first objective is always to convey information that leads to a purchase: fancy lettering and colors can be distractive. Add extra touches to your signs only if these do not affect the main objective.

Give Reasons to Buy

Every purchase has a reason behind it. It could be a grooming aid to improve appearance. It may be a gift for an important date to please, or a reward for a child who got good grades. You know your business and you know your customers. Make it easier for them to buy by giving them compelling reasons  - for example “Get the latest look with this!”

Relate To Your Customers

A customer buys after visualizing how they would be using the product. Consider these two signs:

• Straighten curly hair with XXXX.
• Use XXXX to straighten your curly hair.

Which one relates more to the customer? Which one makes him think about how using the product will benefit him? It is the second one. Use expressions like “you”, “your”, “for you and your family” and so on, directly engaging them.

Use Images

Texting and social media like Twitter have made the use of emoticons an integral part of modern communication. A picture may not be worth a thousand words, but it is worth a dozen. With limited space on your signs and customer’s attention span itself limited, use effective images to convey emotions. Your sign could say “Buying XXXX will make you happy.” Or you could use instead a smiley face. Which one saves space and has a more positive impact?

The best way to get signs that work for you is to use the services of a signage professional. Tell him what you need the sign to do. Give him the specialized inputs about your business and customers that only you have. He can then combine his skills with your knowledge to give you the right signs that will work, and keep your checkout counters always busy.

Vehicle Graphics and Lettering

The old saying “Word of Mouth is the easiest way to advertise,” couldn’t be less true these days. With the ability to have vehicles customized, this now presents businesses with a faster and more convenient way to advertise with little to no effort on their part. If for example, you are a repair service you can now not only place your company logo on your company vehicles, but advertise your services. It’s almost impossible to go somewhere and not see a company vehicle that displays the name, contact information, location and the services they offer on the side. This is a cost-effective way in which you can advertise.

For businesses that are located in high traffic area’s this is especially beneficial for a few primary reasons.

• Stop lights- Any time a vehicle is stuck for a prolonged period at a stop light, the driver’s attention off wonders to the things around them devoting their full attention. Therefore, when they see a vehicle with writing on it, they’re more likely to read it—sometimes more than once.
• Traffic Jams- Much like a stop light, for anyone who has been involved in a traffic jam knows that they’re not going anywhere for a while and there is little that can be done about it. It’s only natural when a vehicle pulls up in front of you or beside you that you’ll find yourself remembering and reading the information out of pure boredom. While some may think this isn’t too important, it’s not only attracted a possible consumer’s attention, but allowed them to sublimely commit that information to brain for possible future use.
• Children- It goes without saying that children are like sponges, they absorb information easily and can retain it for long periods of time. Therefore, it’s only natural if they see a vehicle with an advertisement not only are they going to read it, but if it’s something they realize you have a need for or they have a desire for, they’re going to approach their parents with the information.
• No extra training require- Not only can you advertise on your own vehicles, but this type of advertisement won’t cost you any extra money in which you have to train someone or pay them do what you’ve got a car or truck doing for you anyway. This means big savings!

If you’re uncomfortable with the thought of having a semi-permanent design or logo placed on your personal vehicles there are other options available. For example, they now make car magnets which prevent you from having to deal with the permanent lettering placed on the vehicle. By ordering and using a magnet you can still have all of your information placed on it which can be easily attached to basically any metal surfaces. Allow the company to print whatever information you want on the magnet, then attach it to your desired location on the vehicle. Later on if you no longer need it, you can easily remove it.

Why use Signs

Signs have been an age old marketing technique, and as a business owner, you may be wondering in a technological age such as ours, “Are signs worth it?” The truth remains that signage is still one of the most effective marketing strategies to this day. And here is why.

First off, signs are so widespread that consumers seemingly don’t notice them. It is almost as though they don’t notice them unless they are seeking out a particular business. However, this is a reason why signage is so effective. Consumers don’t consciously recognize that they are noticing and reading all these signs when as a matter of fact, the messages on these signs are tucking themselves away in their back of the minds, waiting for the right moment to be recalled. Plus, it is proven that almost everyone reads signs including small children.

Additionally, signs act as guideposts to your business. Some people will see it as they are driving or walking by and be drawn into your business on a whim. While new people in the area or visitors will want to a taste of local life and seek out small businesses such as yours while they are driving around. If placed in the right place, your sign will attract new customers frequently. Good places include high traffic and visual places, as well as large community events. This is especially beneficial if you are located in a building that is tucked away from major streets, since your business sign should effectively convey your business’s image, product or service, name, and location. Think of the large billboards located prior to freeway exits indicating that their restaurants or gas stations are located in the next few exits. Travelers’ often take note and make the stop. Your sign could do the same.

Signs automatically reach your target consumer population. Your sign may narrow its audience through design aspects, such as choices of color or typeface. The reason they automatically reach your target consumers is based on location. Only locals or people within the area who would be capable of visiting your business will see the sign, therefore you are not wasting money that might not reach the correct population.

Speaking of money, signs are a cost effective way of marketing. They are cost effective and with the correct strategic placement offer almost guaranteed results. On top of that, signs provide constant advertisement, twenty-four hours a day and seven days a week to your target audience.

So when looking into marketing for your business, put signage on your list. Now that you have been convinced, it is time to design your sign. Ensure that it represents your business well and conveys everything you need to about your business. Then make it to appealing to the eyes, check out previous blog posts, and you’re on your way to more and more business!

Designing a Sign: 5 Effective Attention Getters You Should Know

You have great products or services to offer. You spend considerable money on signage to promote your business. You expect your signs to bring in customers.  But for some reason you are not getting the footfalls you expected. That means your signs are not getting the attention they should. Consider starting all over again. When you do so, keep these critical attention-getting factors in mind.

 

Conceptualizing

Spend time conceptualizing your sign. Go around your locality (and beyond if possible) looking at billboards, marketing ads, movies posters and business signs. Remember the design and presentation features that appeal to you and are relevant for your business market. Spend time looking at the signs your competitors use. What can you learn from them in terms of design, presentation, size and location? What modifications will make these ideas more relevant to your business? Even if you can’t draw, try sketching out ideas on paper. It helps to clarify your thoughts and to decide on what you can use and what you cannot.

Grabbing Eyeballs

A sign must not just communicate information. It must present it in a manner that it stays in the mind of the reader. Some people may come to you on the spur of the moment, but others may plan to visit later. If your sign is not memorable enough, they will forget and never get around to coming to you. Creating visual interest is the key to grabbing eyeballs and mind space.

Find the Right Size

Keep the size of the sign and the design in mind. Cram too much information in a small sign and reading it becomes a tedious effort that people will not be interested inmaking. A great design and color scheme stuffed into a small space loses its appeal. It becomes an unwanted distraction. Limit the content of the sign to only what is essential. Use colors and designs to support, not to detract from the message. Remember, ‘big’ is not always best: a small sign that stands out from all the big ones around will catch the eye simply because it is different.

Choosing Colors

Visual impact is greatly influenced by color. A bright colorful sign will attract attention. However, that does not mean your sign should look like a rainbow on steroids. Colors are most effective when they are used in unexpected ways. A picture of a black sky with a white sun will attract more attention than one with the usual blue sky and yellow sun. Remember that minimal color use and monochrome can also be very effective.

Finding the Right Typeface

Use a typeface that is relevant to your business. A “Ye Olde” look will not work if you are selling computers. And play with type sizes to highlight important words with stronger/larger typefaces.

Your signs shoud get the attention worth the investment you make. A professional signage company will have the experience and expertise to make effective signs that will bring in customers and add to your bottom line.

Using the right colors for your Signs

“I found I could say things with color and shapes that I couldn't say any other way - things I had no words for.” - Georgia O'Keeffe.

Do you know why inkblots, colors, shapes and sounds play such an important role in psychology? It’s because the human mind reacts instinctively to them and this subconscious reaction affects conscious decisions, choices and actions. Colors can influence a potential customer’s purchase decisions because they are influenced by the colors they see in advertising promotions. That is why large corporations spend vast amounts of money researching how they can use colors to increase their sales. As a small business, you can’t afford to do this. But following a few basic rules in the choice of colors used in your signage can make your business or retail establishment more appealing to the people who see it.

Use the right combinations

The key element of an effective sign is visibility. Using the right color combinations can enhance this. Using contrasting colors – a light colored font on a dark background or vice versa – will make the sign stand out and catch the eye. Keep the background simple and go easy on the graphics – these may look nice but they can distract from the message that the sign is meant to convey. Keep the fonts simple and legible and do not try to cram too much information in a limited space. If reading a sign becomes an effort, people will stop reading before they finish absorbing the information on it.

Choose the colors carefully

You may have color combinations you are partial to or those that are associated with your business. These may be the ones that you want to use on your signs. While doing this, keep the following common psychological reactions to colors in mind and modify your color usage accordingly:-

• Warm colors tend to make people feel more relaxed. If you want customers to spend more time in your office, shop or restaurant, use a palette of colors that includes reds, oranges and yellows.
• If you want your sign to immediately attract eyeballs, yellow is among the best options.
• The signature color for your business that you use in your signage should be appropriate for the commercial activity you are engaged in. For example hot pink will not work for a hardware store. That being said, electric greens, strong reds, bright pinks and blues are among the most attention grabbing colors.
• If your sign aims to convey professionalism and elegance, black on white is always a good option.

Colors that Corporates use

• Yellow is associated with “happy feelings.” That is why McDonalds uses it.
• Blue is associated with confidence. That is why IBM uses it.
• Pink is a feminine color which is why Victoria’s Secret uses it.
• Orange denotes joy so Dunkin Donuts uses it.
• Purple is for fun, mystery and wisdom so Hallmark uses it to indicate what their cards convey.
• Green is associated with health so many health related companies use this color.

While colors are important, so too are the type of signs used for a specific application - the size, the materials, the fonts, locations, etc. You know your business best, but signage is a specialized field where you may not have the knowledge required to ensure that your signs are as effective as possible. The right way to maximize the effectiveness of your signs is to have them made by a professional signage company that will understand the complexities and combine their expertise with your inputs and preferences to create signs that work for you.