Tips for Buying Business Signs: Some Things Never Change

I recently came across an article that was published more than a decade ago in Entrepreneur magazine, titled “Tips for Buying Business Signs.” Often we focus so much on how things have changed in business that it’s easy to overlook how much they’ve stayed the same.

Indoor signage communicates
a more personalized message,
like building employee morale

As the article quickly points out, signs are used indoors as often as outdoors, whether they’re hung from ceilings, attached to walls, or applied directly to surfaces. While outdoor signs are often more marketing oriented, indoor signs can do things like direct guests, communicate a more personalized message (like at a trade show) or even boost morale.

The materials used for a sign are an important consideration. As the article says, it usually comes down to lettering and types of substrate materials. At the time the article was written, painted signs were already on their way out. Today they’re nearly obsolete, having been replaced by vinyl, raised or engraved lettering.  Signs themselves can be made from materials as diverse as metal, wood, plastic and foam core, depending on the need and location.

A sign company needs to be able to
deliver what you need, on time and on
budget, no matter the challenge

Where the rubber meets the road, as the saying goes, is the design of a sign and how to choose a company that can deliver exactly what you need. In addition to color combinations, the article points out that “factors such as sign height, lighting and time of day can affect how easily the sign can be viewed.”

The article also emphasizes the importance of a sign company being able to provide the sign materials you desire, offer expertise in the planning and placement of signage, and give you the design and creative background necessary to help you achieve maximum impact with your project. Of course, being able to deliver those services at the right price can make all the difference.

Overall, the points made in the article still hold true. It’s important to trust your signs and displays to professionals who can get the job done right, do it on time, and work within your budget. Those are the keys to doing business that will never change.

You can read the entire article in the Entrepreneur article archive.

MIKE BOYD is president of Creative Source. Clients looking for sign companies in Canton, Ohio

and the surrounding region look to Mike and his staff for creative marketing solutions.

The Color of Money: The Relationship of Color to Marketing Success

Have you ever noticed the colors on the McDonald’s sign? Wendy’s? Burger King? KFC? Or countless other fast food restaurants?

On each of those examples, the dominant colors are red and yellow. And there’s a reason. Years of research about the effect of color on consumers has confirmed that red stimulates the appetite, while yellow is associated with cheerfulness. That’s exactly the combination of emotions those fast-food giants want their customers to experience.

The impact of color cannot be underestimated, particularly as it relates to conveying an effective marketing message.

Think about how some of the world’s other top brands use color. Coca-Cola is the prime example. A brand leader for more than a century, Coca-Cola and red are synonymous. The link to energy, appetite, passion and activity make red the perfect choice for Coke.

Likewise, John Deere and green are an ideal match, not only because of green’s association with nature, but also because it has come to represent care and concern for the environment. John Deere does more than make tractors and mowers and other tools; it helps us take care of the great outdoors.

And then there’s Google, with its understated, multi-color logo. That’s exactly what you want when you represent all things to all people. No matter what you’re looking for, or what you’re in the mood for, Google can help. Its representation of the rainbow in its logo helps convey that.

How about you? Have you ever considered how color affects the relationship consumers have with your brand?

Whether you’re creating a logo, interior or exterior signage, a banner, or a display, the colors you select—and how you incorporate them into your design—can make all the difference between being noticed and being just another voice in a noisy world.

The research I referred to earlier uncovered all sorts of fascinating information. For example, 85 percent of consumers cite color as the primary reason why they buy. Whether it’s a car, a dress, lawn furniture or just the design of an advertisement, color makes a huge difference.

Men and women have different tastes when it comes to color. Men overwhelmingly prefer blue. Women like it, too, but they also favor purple nearly as much. That’s why a lot of perfumes and cosmetics use purple in branding and packaging, while power tool manufacturers don’t.

There’s much more, of course, but the examples I’ve cited illustrate how the proper use of color can heighten awareness among your target customers and help your brand stand out.

Once you’ve decided on a primary color or colors, it’s important to use them on all of your branding materials: Logos, business cards, stationary, brochures, your website, your Facebook page, specialty items like pens and mugs, and anything else where your brand will appear. That includes signs, banners and displays—items we deal with on a daily basis in our industry.

Color is a powerful thing. It changed movies, the television industry and even our daily newspapers. Once upon a time, the world was largely a black-and-white place. Color made it come alive.

Used correctly, it can do the same thing for your company, and your brand. 

MIKE BOYD is president of Creative Source. Clients looking for sign companies in Canton, Ohio

and the surrounding region look to Mike and his staff for creative marketing solutions.

See the Possibilities, Not the Problems, and Stand Out from the Competition

Are you ready for anything?

It’s a question worth asking. More often than not, “anything” comes along when we least expect it.

Recently a client of ours was faced with that reality. His company had struck a deal with a national distributor to place product displays in the stores of a major chain. At the eleventh hour, despite a thorough process of testing, and having had input on the design, the distributor cited an unexpected concern and backed out of the deal.

The effect could have been devastating. My colleague’s company had changed the dimensions of their display specifically to suit the store chain’s requirements. They had thousands of displays already completed and ready to go—but nowhere to place them. They were facing the prospect of a severe financial loss.

Then along came another national store chain—this time, with no distributor in the middle. They loved the displays and said the new dimensions were perfect for their shelves. The two parties came to an agreement, and my colleague’s company had an even better deal than before.

Too often, we look at a negative event as if the window of opportunity has been forever closed. The reality, however, is that most of the time when one door closes another opens, and a new opportunity is born. Many times, that new opportunity is better than the one that came before.

I’ve mentioned before how Dave Hess and I were both designers when we started Creative Source. As the business grew, client demands created tighter and tighter deadlines, and we found it increasingly difficult to get things printed on time. So we invested in our own printing equipment. And that led to a change in our business; today, we work with some of the leading advertising agencies and corporate marketing departments in the region, helping their designers by printing and installing the signs, displays, decals and other graphic productions they create.

Today, our business is much different than the one Dave and I began with almost two decades ago, but it’s also a much better one.

Have you experienced what you thought was a major setback? Lost a customer? Watched as a deal fell apart right before your eyes?

Put it behind you. Look for the opportunities that lie in the road just ahead. What you choose to do in the face of adversity will make a profound difference, and may just help you stand out from your competition in ways you never expected.

MIKE BOYD is president of Creative Source. Clients looking for sign companies in Canton, Ohio

and the surrounding region look to Mike and his staff for creative marketing solutions.

Floor Your Customers with the Right Graphics in the Right Place

The key to more sales may be right under your feet. And everybody else’s.

I’m talking about floor decals, and here’s why.

I recently read about a new phenomenon that doctors are calling “iSlouch.” No kidding; people are hunched over so much, looking at their smart phones and other electronic devices, that it’s leading to back and neck problems.

Doctors are also warning their patients that so much time spent looking down at their techno-gadgets can shorten the neck muscles, increase the gravitational pull on the jowl area, and result in a drooping jawline—what’s being called a “smartphone face.”

Now, I’m not here to prescribe medical solutions for millions of Americans who are exhibiting these habits. What I am here to suggest is that this phenomenon represents an opportunity. If people are looking down so much, why not put your message where they’ll see it?

Floor decals are an often-overlooked method of displaying a name, logo, brand or message. They’re made of durable, slip- and scuff-resistant vinyl that holds up well under foot traffic and prominently displays your message right where people are looking: Down. They’re colorful and creative and can be made in a variety of sizes and shapes.

No, I’m not trying to add another new condition (decal droop, perhaps?) to the list. But the fact is, people are looking down more. Why not put your message there?

Next time you’re out, look at the people all around you, and see for yourself why floor decals could be just the thing to help you stand out in the marketplace.

‘Everywhere a Sign’ – So Make Yours Stand Out

Banners, signs and displays are everywhere—but are people getting the message?

Have you ever been driving down the road and spotted a sign with so many words on it that you don’t know where to begin reading?

You glance over, decide “I can’t read all that!” and turn your attention back to the road in front of you.

The sign might have been colorful, or contained a strong visual—maybe a photo, or a logo. But, because it tried to do too much, the message got lost.

We see it all the time in our business.

It’s been estimated that we’re bombarded with 2,000 images a day. In larger cities like New York, that number jumps to as many as 5,000. Sides of buses. Floors. Windows. Pens. Receipts. Websites. Shopping bags. You name it—if there’s space available, it probably has a sign or an image or an advertisement on it.

We’re battling sensory overload. That’s why, when it comes to your banners, signs and displays, it’s important to communicate quickly and clearly.

On one hand, the “tricks of the trade” aren’t tricks at all. They’re common sense. Shape, size, color and location all affect visibility. Ignore any one of them, and you’ve got problems.

Likewise, the font you choose, and the size you make it, affect readability.

On the other hand, you’d be surprised at the number of companies that take a do-it-yourself approach when it comes to graphically displaying their message. Knowing what message you want to convey is one thing; knowing how to do it effectively is another.

At Creative Source, we pride ourselves in being experts in the creation and printing of banners, signs and displays that cut through the clutter and reach your intended audience. We’ve been in the business for 30 years and know what works and why.

Standing out and getting your message noticed doesn’t have to be a mystery. It just has to be done right.

With so many messages competing for our attention every day, that can make all the difference.

MIKE BOYD is president of Creative Source. Clients looking for sign companies in Canton, Ohio

and the surrounding region look to Mike and his staff for creative marketing solutions.

To Thine Own Self Be True

I turn down work all the time.

Sound crazy? It’s not, and it shouldn’t be for you, either.

At Creative Source, we do certain things very well: Banners. Displays. Graphics.

We do them professionally, accurately and quickly. Clients looking for sign companies in Canton, Ohio and the surrounding region come to us for visual marketing solutions. These include shopping malls, banks, hospitals, schools, doctors, dentists, lawyers, manufacturers and more.

Dave Hess and I broke into the business two decades ago at Camelot Music, in the marketing and advertising department.  A big part of our job was to design and produce signs, displays and banners for more than 400 retail stores nationwide.

Along the way we learned that more than 90 percent of communication is non-verbal. What’s more, we humans process visuals 60,000 times faster than text. How many times have you heard people say, “I’ll believe it when I see it?” That’s not just a saying; it’s the truth.

We capitalize on that fact by producing great graphics for our clients.

So why do I turn down work? Because sometimes people ask me if we produce advertising campaigns. Or radio commercials. Or websites. And I tell them no.

Could we? Maybe. Probably. But that’s not who we are.

At Creative Source, we’ve found that the key to standout performance is to know what we do, and do it better than anyone else.

Banners. Displays. Graphics. We’re a one-stop shop for creative visual solutions.

Is your brand clearly defined? If not, identify the key products or services that propel your business forward, and focus on those.

We can’t be all things to all people. But if we’re the right things to the right people, we have a better chance of standing out and being a success.

MIKE BOYD is president of Creative Source. Clients looking for sign companies in Canton, Ohio

and the surrounding region come to Mike and his staff for creative marketing solutions.

At Golf Outings, Low Scores Aren't the Only Way to Stand Out

I played in a golf outing recently, and was reminded that sometimes, in order to stand out, you have to fit in.

It was a beautiful day on a beautiful course that is the centerpiece of a prestigious country club. Teams representing businesses and organizations from Ohio and beyond assembled early in the morning to shake off the cobwebs, warm up, and embark on a day of fun, food, and fellowship.

My company sponsored a foursome, and it included colleagues from the sales training, web design, and public relations fields. Other foursomes included the usual list of suspects: bankers, attorneys, accountants, contractors, craftsmen, corporate executives, salespeople, union representatives and more.

Golf outings are held to raise money and awareness. You end up spending most of the day with your group, which makes it easy to miss the big picture. Because outings provide remarkable opportunities for networking, learning and listening.

How many times a year do you have the opportunity to cross paths with so many fellow professionals in such a relaxed, intimate setting? To be honest, golf was the last thing on my mind. I enjoy the game, but I’m no PGA pro. What interested me most was the opportunity to meet and converse with a diverse group of business professionals.

Those opportunities were seemingly few and far between: early in the morning as players arrived; during a lunch break on the turn; in the clubhouse for drinks after our round; and at the dinner that concluded the event. In truth, however, those moments provided me with the chance to interact with others and find out more about their businesses.

It’s not the time for blatant sales pitches. Networking never is. But it’s a great place to meet people, learn about them, and let them know you’re interested.

And that’s the key—showing interest in others. You can’t do that if you’re always off on your own, or hiding in the shadows somewhere, keeping to yourself.  Standout performance is about more than just showing up. It’s important to put yourself right in the middle of the crowd, where you can meet people and truly interact in a social setting.

I’ve written before about how I had to learn to get out into the community and spread the message about Creative Source and our brand. I had to get out of my comfort zone and literally learn to fit in with others.

Golf outings aren’t the only way to do that, but they’re definitely one of the best. If you’re trying to build your brand, look for ways to do it with more than just your work. Participate in community activities, events, and organizations. Look for opportunities to interact with people in the business community on a personal level. In addition to helping others through your participation, you’ll stand out in the minds of your business partners and prospects.

MIKE BOYD is president of Creative Source,

a marketing solutions company in Canton, Ohio. Click here to visit them online.