Reverse Channel

Lightboxes are widely recognized as one of the most effective advertising mediums available. Promotional posters which utilize the combination of illumination and color are far more likely to catch a potential consumer’s eye than a non-illuminated poster can. 

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

How do you know lightboxes are so effective?

Market research shows that illuminated advertising attracts higher customer footfall and sales compared to non-illuminated advertising.

Some examples: i) a leading European bank had a financial product they wished to promote, they utilized double-sided Katana lightboxes in some of their windows to illuminate the promotional poster and non-illuminated poster frames in the others. Their market research highlighted that the banks with illuminated displays had an increase of over 30% sales of the advertised product in comparison to banks with non-illuminated posters. ii) Boots reduced the time that customers spent at their digital photo counters by replacing non-illuminated signage displaying services and prices with bespoke illuminated lightbox displays. iii) Bacardi market research has shown that the majority of people in a nightclub environment were not sure of what they were going to order when going to the bar. When their promotion was illuminated the increase in sales of the specific promoted drink increased by over 100%.

Where are lightboxes used most effectively?

Lightboxes are perfect for various illuminated sign applications including: retail point of sale displays, airports, train stations, nightclubs, pubs, bars, restaurants, ferries, offices and exhibitions; as they are proven to be an extremely effective advertising tool. Double-sided lightboxes will maximize your advertising capabilities and is perfect for shop window displays.

Effective signage will advertise the company name, provide information about goods or services, and increase sales.

Types of Signage

Signage can be placed into three categories: building-mounted signs, freestanding signs and interior signs. Building-mounted signs and freestanding signs are exterior signage, while interior signage refers to signs that help direct customers to a certain area such as an office, restroom or clothing department.

Visibility

The Small Business Association stresses the importance having an on-site visible sign that is easily readable. The SBA says when Frenchy’s Bistro of Southern California invested approximately $10,000 installing a larger and more visible sign, revenues increased 16 percent in the first year and 32 percent in the second year; growing from $279,000 to $427,000.

Changing Signage

Effective signs must be visible and conspicuously call attention to the business. The SBA says Southern California’s Belmont Auto Spa had a large brightly color on-site signage, but it failed to attract customers. A new sign was constructed using vibrant graphics, contrasting colors and easily readable type. Although the square footage of the new sign was the same as the old sign, revenues in the first year increased $135,000.

Provide Information

Signage helps companies provide specific information about the company, such as hours of operation or upcoming sales. It can also help build relationships with customers, by highlighting special information such as community involvement.

Considerations

Signage is considered a protected “speech” in the United States, but local laws may have restrictions on the type of graphics or size of signage.

By Diane E. Burdick

eHow Contributing Writer

I am amazed every day I drive down the street and look at the same outdoor advertising graphic design mistakes repeated over and over.

Business owners trying to make a living with a street-side presence that barley commands attention.

Here are some key design elements that I have learned over 20 years in the outdoor advertising industry and can be applied in principle to any fixed advertising sign, banner or vehicle.

1. Remember that potential customers of all backgrounds and ages are looking at your business from a moving vehicle, in traffic, day and night. They must be able to see and read your outdoor advertising easily. Don’t attempt to sell them with information on the sign – save that information until they are in your business.
2. The correct design and layout of your sign is critical to its effectiveness. Crowding the sign with too much text makes it impossible to read from a car, or at a distance. Therefore, the fewer words the better. Use the age-old adage – K.I.S.S. method – Keep It Simple, Son.
3. Understand the concept of “First Read.” There should be a focal point located on the sign that will have impact and command attention. Ideally, the first read should incorporate Branding elements like a large graphic, or your company logo.
4. Your sign is your “first impression” with the mobile market, and first impressions are lasting impressions. Your outdoor advertising must project the positive image you want the public to have of your business. Potential customers will judge the inside of your business by how it looks on the outside.
5. Many owners mistakenly think of a sign as merely a device that identifies the business. What they fail to realize is that over half of all new retail sales are a result of impulse buys. People see, shop and buy. If your outdoor advertising is ineffective, it will cost much more in lost sales then the entire cost of a good sign.
6. Your outdoor advertising must have visual impact. It must make your products or services, and your location, easy to remember.
7. Make sure the colors are used in contrasting patterns. Green on blue is not readable, whereas black on white is extremely visible.
8. If you have several colors in a graphic, stay away from multi-colored lines of text or words (they will compete with the colors in your graphic). Black text is better.
9. Ideally, the design and the colors of your location or building should reinforce the design and colors of your sign (or vice versa). Color is probably the easiest and most cost-effective device for this coordination of design for business identification.
10. “White-space”. This is the surface area of a sign’s face that is left uncovered by either text or graphics. The proper amount of white-space is just as important for quick readability as are graphics, text and colors. In fact, 30% to 40% of the sign’s face area should be left as white-space for optimal readability.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=David_Evarts

LED lighting with its lower power consumption, longer lifespan and low heat output, has been widely accepted as the new type of environment friendly lamp for illumination and decoration.
Using LED lighting can save you up to 90% energy compared with traditional fluro / cold cathode lighting sources. It does not contain detrimental materials like mercury or phosphor, and can be recycled  ‘cleanly.

LED lamps have already been widely used in city lighting, engineering, advertisement signs, building outlines, stage, background lighting, garden and so on.

LED products available via Gigantic Signs

• LED ‘RGB’ modules creating varying color outputs,
• LED Bulb replacements for incandescent bulbs,
• LED Spot lamp – high intensity,
• LED Display lighting for POP displays etc,
• LED High power flood lamps for light ‘wall washing’ applications.

With the recent breakthroughs in LED technology and manufacturing techniques, LED lighting is now considered to have many advantages over neon and fluro lighting.

LED benefits over Neon & Fluorescent lighting

• Greater reliability of performance
• Longevity of the unit 50 -100,000 hours
• Huge savings on costly ongoing maintenance
• Dramatically reduced running costs, based on KW consumed
• Reduced Installation costs saving electrical trades costs
• Lower cost of associated equipment
• Fully programmable both cable and wireless

Other benefits of LED over fluro and neon lighting include…

• Another factor to consider is the insignificant amount of heat generated with LEDs compared to heat generated by fluro ballast. The costs of added power consumption to help cool  a building being heated by fluro ballast, cannot be ignored.
• Size, shape and configuration of the backlit area can restrict the use of fluros due to their size whereas LED modules can fit in almost anywhere.
• In areas that are prone to moisture from water, washing, cleaning, humidity etc, 12volt LED is a much safer alternative to 240volt fluro lighting and certainly better than up to 15,000volt neon! Gigantic Signs only recommends and uses ‘waterproof  LED modules.
• The options of different solid colors and RGB color change via fading / animation is another benefit of LED over fluro & neon.

A lot of thanks to Ledsignsupplies.com