Many of us can immediately conjure up an image synonymous with a particular iconic brand. You only have to mention golden arches and the name of a world-famous burger brand pops straight into your head. Brand awareness on a worldwide scale costs more money than many businesses will make in a lifetime of trading, but that is not to say that you cannot apply the same principles when trying to put your best business foot forward.
First impressions
Many of us know that first impressions count when it comes to meeting someone for the first time, and it is just as important that your business is presented in the best possible light each time a potential new customer comes across your business. The use of corporate signs to advertise and promote your business is a very important aspect of creating the right image and impression that you want customers to have of your company and will often be regarded as an indication of the standards of service they can expect to receive.
Think smart
If you are running a retail business, signage is especially important as it can be used outside your premises to attract and draw customers inside. If you already have some signage outside that looks a bit weather-beaten, or perhaps some of the bulbs are no longer working on the lighting used to illuminate the signs you have up, then you are not doing your business any favors. Sometimes, we become so familiar with our surroundings that we don’t always notice when something looks wrong. Take a moment on a regular basis to step back and take a look at your premises with a fresh pair of eyes, try to imagine that you are a new customer who has stumbled upon the business, what does it say?
Would you want to enter a shop with a crumbling sign with flickering lights?
Corporate image
Keeping the place looking smart and inviting is certainly important, but as we know, brand awareness, brand image, and brand recognition are the key drivers to getting regular and new customers coming through the door. When you are designing your corporate logo and signs, think carefully about which colors work best and are most appropriate to the type of business you are running. Color does make a huge difference as we are all affected and influenced by color in some way, including on a subliminal level. Using pink with neon signage would hardly work if you were running a funeral parlor, but on a much more subtle level, it is always worth getting some other opinions, including asking a graphic designer to come up with some ideas that might make your business stand out, but in a good way.
Examples for inspiration
If you are looking for some useful clues about what good signage looks like, consider, for example, American Airlines, which uses an instantly recognizable red and blue capital A’s with an eagle between the two letters. The signage uses the colors of the national flag and a symbol of Americanism with the eagle, which also signifies flight, so it’s a winning design all around with clever use of symbolic images and colors.
IBM is another interesting example of a good corporate image from which you can take inspiration. Three simple letters in steel written in an industrial style with a contrasting color background are simple and effective in conveying professionalism with a corporate/industrial image that seems to convey that the company has a good degree of self-assurance and has some subtle subliminal undertones to it as well.
Office signage
Very often, a company that trades from an office does not consider the importance of good signage in order to project the right corporate image. Retail is detail for sure, but if you have customers who are turning up at your office for meetings or any other regular visitors, then how you present your company is equally as important as if you were running a shop. Smart signs that incorporate a design-sized logo at the front of the building, plus other relevant corporate signage, all help to project a professional image and give the message that you care about how your business is perceived and like to run it well.
Whilst the vast majority of us will only have a budget that is a fraction of some of the corporate giants, who sometimes spend billions in developing brand awareness, you can still make a big difference by keeping your signage looking smart and relevant, and if you also manage to achieve recognition as well then you know you are doing it right.
Robert M. Smyth is a business consultant. He showing companies how to put their best foot forward and his articles mainly appear on business marketing blogs. Visit the corporate signs link for more ideas.
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