Branding & Signage—A Happy Marriage for Your Business

by Kevin Kelly | Mar 19, 2017

Your Brand Identity Matters

How do you distinguish one brand from another? Are you a McDonald’s French fry connoisseur, or do you prefer Burger King fries? Do you take your car to Jiffy Lube, or do you prefer Valvoline? To keep your brand top-of-mind, your brand must have a clear identity.

Brand Creation and Management

It starts with perception. The perceived quality of the brand forms the basis of your customer’s or prospective customer’s opinion. Is your brand trustworthy, cost-effective, reliable, high quality, popular, etc.? As a brand owner the answer is, of course, “yes,” but what do your customers think?

From franchise owners and property managers to marketing directors and CEOs, you have a responsibility to create, nurture, and manage your brand. And, brand management starts with brand creation and the fundamentals.

Position statement
Mission and goals
Audience
Color palette
Logo
Trademarks
Brand guidelines
Nomenclature guidelines
Tag lines and slogans
Calls to action

Once established, it’s time to take your brand to the marketplace, and that’s where brand management gets exciting.

Brand Visibility at Your Location

A major factor that’s often forgotten or overlooked is signage. Let’s say you’re a franchise—retail, fast food, healthcare, service, etc.—signage is the face of your business.

If you have second rate, uninspiring signage, what does that say to possible consumers about your brand? What does that say about your business practices, products, or services? Every second of every interaction between your franchise and your customer should be a pleasurable one. Don’t let bad signage be a buzz-kill.

Consistency is also paramount. With its ability to be impactful and inspiring, signage helps reinforce your brand and goes a long way toward providing a consistent customer experience.

If consumers perceive your location to be less than what it is, that perception of your brand becomes their reality. From the highway to the street, from the parking lot to the front door, and to the lobby or the counter, nothing has the ability to increase recognition or interest better than well-designed signage.

Location, Location, Location…

What location provides the best foot traffic, the best parking, and the most opportunity for success? These questions also apply to signage.

Where should the signage be located to provide the most visibility or to attract the most customers? Wayfinding signage is key in alleviating stress or doubt in getting the customer from their car to your door. Once inside your door, interior signage, in the way of company or product logos, large-format printed vinyl or wallcoverings, and interior wayfinding signage, continue to reinforce the brand.

Every piece of signage plays a role. You only get one opportunity to make a first impression. Make it count.