DRIVING BRAND IMPACT WITH CUSTOM SIGNAGE DESIGNS

"A small coffee shop in a sleepy corner of Delhi, India, was about to close its doors forever."

The owners, Sagar and Nupur, had tried everything to make their cafe work. From flyers and social media ads to loyalty cards and interesting offers, they were not able to boost the foot traffic at their store. They had lost hope and were on the verge of ending things completely. However, things took a turn when one day they decided to hire a retail design company and opted for their custom signage services in order to get their storefront redesigned.

The newly implemented signboard was minimalist and warm. It displayed their brand's message: "Fresh Brews. Local Beans. Warm Conversations." Surprisingly, it took less than a week for people to notice it. Curious pedestrians always stopped by. A few clicked pictures, whereas most of them decided to try their coffee. Within a month, Sagar and Nupur's cafe gained a lot of visibility and started trending on social media platforms. Also, the overall sales doubled in just three months. So, what changed? Neither the coffee nor the service nor the service provider. Just the sign.

This simple story clearly indicates the incredible, often underestimated power of custom signage services in driving brand impact. No doubt, digitalization is taking over everything. But even in this scenario, physical signage remains one of the most effective and immediate tools that allows and promotes brand communication.

Why Does Signage Still Matter in a Digital Age?

Signage is not an outdated concept. It is just in a stage of evolution. In fact, a storefront accounts for a significant portion of a customer's first impression. According to a 2022 study by FedEx, more than 68% of consumers believe that a business' signage has the ability to shape customers' perception as it reflects the quality of its products or services. Also, the same study found that 60% of customers will not prefer entering a store that has poor signage.  

Unlike digital ads that can be skipped, blocked, or scrolled past by the customers, retail signage is ever present. Irrespective of whether your target audience is walking past your store, waiting at a traffic light, or standing in a queue, it meets them where they are. And when designed and implemented in a strategic manner, a custom signage can adequately and instantly communicate your brand's personality, promise, and purpose.

What Makes Custom Signage More Powerful Than Generic?

Generic signs say, "We're here."
Custom signage says, "This is who we are."

Billboards and storefronts should be tailored specifically to your brand. Well, this is exactly where branding and signage companies enter the play. These firms will customize a sign according to your colors, tone, audience, and messaging. This will directly transform a traditional billboard into a strategic asset for communicating brand messages.

Mentioned below are a few points that underline how custom signs create brand impact:

1. Tells Your Unique Brand Story

Irrespective of whether it is a cheeky tagline or a sleek logo, custom store signs design will take a few seconds to tell your brand's story. The first impression might not be the last impression in many cases; however, they do matter at places that involve trust. Hence, brands that belong to the retail, hospitality, or healthcare sector should implement signage that shapes customer perception and builds trust.

For example, Lush Cosmetics, the handmade cosmetics brand, utilizes chalk board style signage with handwritten fonts and witty texts. Well, this is an authentic idea that emphasizes their "handmade, fresh" identity and perfectly matches their brand ethos.  

2. Boosts Brand Recall

Do you know color increases brand recognition by up to 80%? This was found in a study by the University of Loyola, Maryland. Also, various studies conducted by Sign Research and Foundation have shown that custom signage has the ability to increase brand recognition by 75%. Specific fonts, colors, shapes, and lighting all contribute to memory retention. And clearly, customers only return when they remember you.

3. Improves Foot Traffic and Sales

Various retail studies have suggested that more than 35% of customers discover local businesses through signage. This fact clearly indicates that a well designed and strategically implemented signage can actually appeal to interested users who weren't even aware of the fact that they exactly needed what you offer. 

For example, one of the franchises of Firehouse Subs in Florida reported a 16% boost in their in store sales within 30 days of changing their exterior signage design.

Well, Firehouse Subs isn't the only brand that observed this. Instead, according to a study by  the International Sign Association (ISA), it was discovered that exterior signs alone can actually boost the revenue by 10 to 15%.

Design Principles That Power Effective Custom Signage

Creating impact is not just about the message that your signage and overall store layout design and holds. Instead, it is more about the way it communicates that message to the viewers. Mentioned below are five core principles behind impactful signage:

1. Clarity Over Cleverness: The fact that creativity and innovation matter a lot in the case of signboards is completely undeniable. However, we cannot ignore that the primary goal is to actually facilitate clear communication. Hence, brands should instruct their signage design company to use simple, easy to understand language, readable fonts, and high contrast.

2. Consistency With Brand Identity: From colors and the font used to tone and imagery, signage, irrespective of whether it is for exterior or interior, should be perfectly aligned with a brand's overall brand language. This will directly improve perceived professionalism and brand coherence.

3. Location Based Design: No doubt, a brand needs to maintain consistency across different store formats and different locations. However, it is also crucial for signage to reflect the respective environment. Reputed branding and signage companies have experience in delivering location based designs that ensure consistency as well as environment specific messaging.

4. Material Matters: Selecting the material for signage is indeed one of the most crucial and influential decisions that significantly shape customers' perception about the brand. Unfortunately, brands often ignore this step while opting for custom signage services and allow the hired firm to utilize the material of their choice. However, they need to understand that the selected signage material tells a lot about their brand.

For example, a rustic cafe may opt for wood and chalkboard textures, while a luxury brand may prefer backlit acrylics or brushed metal. On the other hand, a brand that wishes to pass the message of sustainability might opt for recycled material. In all these cases, the sign material actually becomes a part of the message.