Every year, a lot of money and time is spent to research the newest and most cutting-edge marketing techniques for just about any business or industry out there, and some trends have emerged. It should be pointed out that even today, in the age of the internet, physical outdoor signs such as school marquees, outdoor LED signs for schools, and other digital signs are far from obsolete. These and other types of signs can easily promote a brand or business name in a city or town, and the same is true of not just school marquees but also billboards, plastic and metal signs over business front doors, and even posters. Now, just how effective are these outdoor LED displays for attracting customers, and how can a school marquee be useful?
The Advertising Power of Signs
Businesses would only make the effort to erect signs if they were useful, and the numbers show that they certainly are. Yes, nearly everyone now uses the internet (shopping, news, entertainment, etc), but people still go out and about for commuting and leisure. While out there, these people are going to see signs by the road, over the front doors of buildings, and even on the aides of taxis or buses, and this is effective advertising. Statistics show that on-site signage has the same advertising power as 24 full-page newspaper ads per year, and 71% of people say that they look at roadside signs, both digital and traditional billboards. What is more, 59% of poll respondents say that they learned about an interesting event from a billboard, and the same is true for finding good restaurants to visit.
Meanwhile, other studies show that for a typical business, 85% of its intended consumers live within a five-mile radius of that business’s location, meaning that signs in that area are going to spread the message efficiently to the right eyes. A person in that area may see that business’s particular brand about 50-60 times per week, which is plenty of exposure by many standards. A sign can advertise anything from a new business’s presence to a temporary sale to a unique event, and many new businesses draw in new customers not just through social media work, but by placing signs nearby for people to see.
Of course, these signs should look their best. Many surveyed consumers agree that an attractive and well-built sign is encouraging, and suggests that the business will be worth visiting. Often, consumers believe that a business’s personality will match that of their sign. Conversely, a shoddy, confusing, or ugly sign will probably drive most customers away and make a poor first impression.
Digital and Plastic Signs
Many signs are made of wood, metal, and plastic, and they have plastic fronts that can be lit up with light bulbs inside for nighttime viewing. Such signs are often placed right over a business’s front door, such as in a strip mall. Meanwhile, a larger sign or a billboard can be placed on the business’s roof for maximum exposure, and some signs are found atop a tall pole, such as those for auto shops or fast food restaurants.
Meanwhile, digital signs will cost electricity to run, but in exchange, they are easy to see even at night, like neon signs, and they can present animated visuals to catch the eye or show a whole series of images, thus acting as many signs in one. Such digital signs can be propped up in a store’s window for display, or attached via suction cups. Just about any message or image can be programmed into them, and some might even have speakers built in.
High schools and houses of worship make use of free-standing digital signs on their front grounds, which can be programmed to share messages to interested parties. A school marquee sign, for example, will stand on the front grounds of the campus near a road, and share information about class schedules, upcoming sports events, and more. Often, these signs also have flower beds and/or low brick walls around them for good looks, and a church, synagogue, or mosque may do something similar for attendees. Some of these signs may instead be old-fashioned models, which require users to place plastic letters onto a board to spell messages.