You own a business, so we don’t have to tell you how important it is to connect with your customers at every possible avenue. Every touchpoint, every single interaction you have with your customers, is another opportunity to make sure that they love you and your brand.
Generally speaking, it’s the spoken touchpoints that get the most attention. The sales process, online advertising, or, in the case of retail, the products themselves.
But if you’re about to hit up an event and you need to stand out from tens (or even hundreds) of competitors on the same floor, then the biggest tool in your belt is your promotional signage. It’s what catches your customer’s eye, sets the tone, and gets them thinking, ”Oh yeah, this is what I’ve been looking for”.
You are unlikely to make your promotional signage from scratch. However, you will work with a signage studio to produce your event marketing materials. To facilitate that process and make sure your signage gets noticed – for all of the right reasons – we’ve put together a quick guide on ideating and briefing promotional signage for your next event run.
1. Always start with your purpose, not your product.
It’s tempting to get tied up in what you do or how you do it. But the first and most important thing that your customers will connect with comes down to one question: why? Consider the action you want your customers to take immediately upon seeing your signage, and how that relates to the problem you solve for them.
For example, if you’re launching a new product that solves a problem for your customer, you’ll need to do two things:
- Communicate how your product is the best solution to their problem among all others on the floor that day.
- Prompt them to come and talk to you about securing said product.
With these two goals clear in your mind, you’ll know that eye-level product imagery with a clear call to action – paired with wayfinding signage to guide their way once they reach your booth – is the way to go.
This is true across the board. A well-defined goal for your promotional signage makes design decisions much easier. The earlier you can communicate this intent to your signwriters, the better.
2. Design for distance and environment.
Unlike a mall floor or a quiet street, an even space is a whole different beast. Promotional signage design that will get your products noticed lives and dies by how well your ideal customers can pick it out of a crowd. So, our second tip is to consider the environment in which the event is being held.
You want your signage to achieve two things:
- Clarity at a distance.
- Appeal in a crowded room.
Part of that is down to how well your messaging connects with your customers in the first place. But for the most part, nailing this balance comes down to trimming your copy and language to its most essential pieces, and leaning into clear, bold designs for visual impact. Cluttered visuals or over-complicated copy will have your customers’ eyes skating over your business before you can even get a foothold on their attention.
Chances are you want promotional signage that can work across multiple events, so try to generalise where you can while briefing your signwriters. If you’re creating signage for just one event, though, this same principle applies.
3. Think in layers.
If you are gearing up for an event (or multiple events), you are most likely going to bring more than one piece of promotional signage. This is because each accomplishes different things. Thus, it’s vital to think in layers rather than individually brief each piece of signage.
Think of it like creating a user journey through your website. If customers arrive on your homepage, you want them to take a certain action, such as clicking a ‘Contact’ button to get in touch with you. They might take that action straight away, or you might need to pique their interest with more information, interactive elements, or – for retailers out there – a clear description of your product.
All of these things are vital steps in a ‘user journey’ that are also reflected on the event floor. If your customer spots a large promotional banner from far away and steps up to your booth, what is the next thing you want them to do? And if they don’t do that straight away, what do you want to direct them to as a backup to keep them interested?
Thinking like this helps to establish layers of interaction. Instead of screeds of repeated information, each sign – no matter its type – can serve as a stop on your ideal customer’s journey from ‘Interested’ to ‘Converted’.
4. Finally, brief your signwriter.
The earlier you involve your signage company, the better your results will be. The three steps above will help you clarify your brief and intention, which experienced designers can use to help you choose the right materials, plan installation logistics, and create the signage in a way that suits your needs.
An excellent brief will help you love your results, so when you can, make sure to include a few details when you get in touch:
- Sketches or an early copy of the signs you have in mind.
- Signage examples you’ve liked in the past.
- Indications of your branding, colour scheme, ideal sizes, and budget (though let your signwriters know if you’re unsure about any of these, and we can help!).
- A summary of the types of signage you’d like, as part of your event ecosystem.
- Any notes about intent or further usage of the signs.
With these ingredients to build a strong brief and the right signage team on hand to make it happen, you’ll be fending off customers on that event floor in no time.
Heading to an event? Pull people in with Langham Signs.
At Langham Signs, we help businesses just like yours design and produce event signage that gets results. If you have an upcoming event, please get in touch with us to bring your promotional signage concept to life.
