Can Lacklustre Signage Let Your Brand Down?
Signage is often the first thing customers will see of your brand
For a business to properly run and attract customers, one of the most important aspects is the business’s branding.
Signage is often the first thing customers will see of your brand and is therefore crucial. Prospective customers will not be attracted by a lacklustre sign. When the signage of the business isn’t up to scratch, it is letting the brand down.
Here are a few things to consider.
Materials
World renowned department store Harrod’s will ensure that their signage matches their brand and image. In other words, their signage evokes class, luxury and style – exactly what everyone expects to see. To create this image Harrod’s uses the finest materials in their signs.
Colour
Arguably one of the most recognisable aspects of a brand is the colour. However, colour matching is often overlooked.
When colour has not been a priority in signage production the result is obvious. We’ve seen signs sitting next to each other on the same building with several different attempts at the same colour. This is definitely a bad reflection on the brand!
How can you prevent this? Providing a colour reference (Pantone, RAL, British Standard) gives the production team a standard to match, and allows brand colour matching across different mediums (stationery, signage, wallpapers, clothing).
Size
Bigger is better, right? Not always. The required positioning of the sign can have a large impact on the recommended overall size. For example, on a high street a small classy sign well illuminated within a large space can be incredibly powerful. However, the same sign on the side of a motorway would be completely lost and lacklustre!
Maintenance
Does your sign still have its original conviction? A point that is often overlooked is signage maintenance! Ensuring your signs are well looked after is paramount to keeping your original messaging intact. For example, a sign that is covered in moss shows a lack of care and attention to detail which will start to reflect in your own brand’s persona. This can sometimes be an incredibly easy fix by just using a bucket of water, soap and a sponge!
Clarity
The sign needs to tell the customer precisely the information they need. Too much can be overwhelming, and too little can be confusing. The signage needs to be direct and to the point. How often do you really copy down an email address from a sign?
Font
We talk about the importance of fonts in other articles on our site. Fonts are highly important in brand design and can influence customer thinking.
It is important to ensure that the published brand guidelines are adhered to when a sign family is created. Divergence from the brand fonts can create a disconnect, and leave you with that “could be better” feeling.
In Conclusion
With signs, it is crucial to understand that yes, lacklustre signage can let your brand down. All of the above will affect your sales, popularity and overall performance.
Why not get in touch with our signage specialists to see how we can improve your brands performance.
