Studies show that you have less than three seconds to attract and deliver. Consumers are inundated with an average of 3000 messages each day from various marketing channels, from print to mobile to online content. The good news is that approximately 80% of purchasing decisions are still made in-store, so it’s crucial to to pay attention to your Point of Purchase marketing (POP), the large format graphics which support direct sales in stores.
After forty years of printing display graphics, we’ve seen a lot when it come to marketing graphics. Some things obviously work better than others, but what are the key elements of effective signage to cut through the competition and increase sales?
Make Your Advertising Attention-Grabbing
First thing’s first: Your marketing graphics need to engage a consumer’s attention, and do it with impact. Successful displays provide this impact through emotional connections via the simple use of color, imagery, and meaningful content. Effective marketing displays drive impulse decisions by jolting consumers out of ‘autopilot mode’.
While emotional appeal will depend on your target audience, using bright, contrasting colors demands attention. Color is hugely influential when it comes to conveying emotions and can be tailored to the product you wish to promote.
It’s important to consider where you are going to place the signage, as this will determine size and shape. Studies suggest that visually, shoppers can only take in a 4-6ft at a time.
Make Sure Your Product Message Is Clear
Once you have the attention of the consumer, the next part of the process is to convey the information you wish them to know. Remember: you only have a few seconds to get your message across!
Keeping things simple makes it easy to read, and draws your consumers’ attention to the most important aspects of the graphics. Be sure that your message is succinct, individual, and instantly recognizable.
Boost Your Brand with a Clear Vision
Brand consistency is a huge aspect of any marketing decision, and retail display graphics are no exception. Matching colors and style to your brand helps to quickly tie in your company’s vision, and gives consumers a feeling of familiarity.
It’s true that consumers are more likely to purchase from a brand they already know, and if you’re fortunate enough to have an existing customer base, play to that strength.
Ensure Brand Relevance with Consistency
Developing trust is also built from relevant visuals that are timely and up to date. If consumers are attracted by a display only to find out the offer is no longer available, they will lose interest and trust in your brand.
Equally, if consumers see the same visuals in the same place, they become invisible or they feel no urgency or special reason to buy. Use POP marketing displays to introduce something new or different, or highlight a specific item. Changing the display regularly helps to keep audience attention, and can influence sales greatly.
Recruit Quality Commercial Printing Services
Paying attention to the print quality means getting the most out of your investment. You want your display to exude the same quality and class of your product and brand. High quality graphics equate high quality products in the minds of prospective consumers.
While video screens are a trend in certain environments (like menu boards), printed graphics are still the preference, and leave the greatest impact. Presenting a high quality image with clear resolution and solid color absolutely helps to generate a sense of trust from consumer.
Utilize Environmentally Sustainable Materials
Green initiatives are not only the most responsible choice for our environment, but they also make good business sense. These days consumers are more aware (and concerned) about the ethics and practices of the companies they purchase from.
There are now more choices which help companies make better choices when it comes to printed visuals and packaging. For example, Light-Works has recently joined forces with another New England company, Visual Magnetics, in order to create magnetic advertising signage that is environmentally friendly to produce, ship and use.
Another new trend in environmental sustainability is the use of fabric and SEG (silicone edge graphics). This method uses recycled materials, is much easier to transport, and frames can be reused multiple times, helping to lower carbon footprints.
Choose a Large-Scale Printer You Can Trust
Like our customers, we expect only the finest in environmentally-sustainable products. For Light-Works, sustainable advertising is at the forefront of all of our processes and business practices. This is evident with our decades-long partnership with Ben & Jerry’s, who reflects our own “values-led supplier” mentality. By keeping current with changes in our industry and staying on top of our social responsibilities, we will help make the world a better – and more beautiful – place.