SIGNAGE SELLS…Inside and Out
EB’s monthly look at tips and trends to build business and your image
Editor: Stephanie K. De Long
APRIL 2015 |
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Welcome to the April issue of The LOOK. This month we focus on signage, indoor and out—tips on how to create them and make sure they send the right message. Considerations need to include size, placement, color, and even type treatment.
TALK TO US Send us pix of problem areas, solutions you’re proud of, or questions about everything from store windows and internal merchandising to signage. We’ll be happy to ask the experts to address your challenges. You can reach me on Facebook or email. Just let us know how we can help. |
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 Watch out for mixed messages |
| TIPS & TRICKS |
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Does your signage really work? Here’s what retail consultant Paco Underhill says. CONTAINER: When we’re talking signs, it’s no longer a store. It’s a walk-in container for words and thoughts, messages and ideas. ZONES: Every store is a collection of zones. Walk around, asking: Where will their eyes be focused when they stand here? LOCATION: For maximum exposure, a sign should interrupt the existing natural sight lines in any given area. FAST: An effective sign can be read in an instant. Just two or three words. [They’ll] get, on average, less than two seconds of exposure per customer. HOT: The area behind the register is almost always the hottest signage real estate. — Paco Underhill, author and retail guru |
 Billboards can sell |
 Sophia Loren |
| HOW TO... | |
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She knew how to roll out the red carpet. Until her passing at age 90 in December, customers sometimes called optician par excellence Juanita Moman by another name, Sophia, as in legendary screen star Sophia Loren.
It's not because the owner of Moman's Eyecare looked like the star. It's because the residents of tiny Gadsden, Ala., remember Moman’s amazing billboards. In the late 1970s, she created several billboards with Loren’s likeness on one side and her own face on the other to promote Sophia Loren Eyewear from Zyloware (seen above in M253). In doing so, she became the talk of the town. Moman was so successful at selling Loren's eyewear that the actress invited Juanita to visit her in Paris. "I went to her apartment, and we chatted for about an hour. I was so excited and you better believe I let all the media in surrounding towns back home know about it,"
— Amy MacMillan |
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SILHOUETTE SOLUTIONS “Logo placement is an important part of making a strong brand statement and supporting visibility. Consider adding a custom die-cut logo, like the Silhouette one in this display, to brand your wall space. And, be sure to read future issues of The LOOK for more tips on ways to make your displays grab the customer’s attention.”— Kristen McLaughlin, Silhouette Optical, Ltd. |
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EXPERT ADVICE Q: What should I consider when creating internal signage?DO: …keep sign holders and risers neutral so the eye goes to the merchandise first. …put signs in holders (acrylic, glass, metal or wood). This keeps them in place and shows you care about presentation. …if visible from outside, check how signage looks in all lights and at all angles. DON’T: …overdo it. If there are too many signs, the eye will ignore them. …use signage to promote the cost of full-priced eyewear. Use it for pricing or product that’s special. …forget there’s a big difference between pricing labels and signage. The latter should never be smaller than 5.5”x7”. …display handwritten signs. That creates a flea market image and consumers will expect low prices. …get too creative and place signs at odd angles or hang them from fish line. They’ll more likely look off-kilter than cool. — Travis J. Reed, Creative Visionary Inc. |
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