In-store signs for wayfinding and branding

by Matthew | 1 May 2012 8:30 am

By Danny Schneider
Point-of-purchase (POP) or point-of-sale (POS) signage is, by definition, posted in places where shoppers make decisions about goods and services offered for sale, such as supermarket aisles, or where their transactions occur, such as cashier counters. In these locations, displays can be used to advertise regular items or special promotions.

While consumers are already well-accustomed to seeing POP displays on a daily basis, they may not realize how much the medium has grown in recent years. Stores have even been redesigned to allow for as many displays as possible, with retailers aligning them in a well-thought-out fashion to help motivate shoppers to buy more during their visit.

In turn, signmakers, display specialists and graphic designers have focused their efforts on preparing POP displays that make shoppers feel good about new products they may not have planned to buy before arriving at the store. They and their retail clients need to consider such factors as material selection, fabrication methods, colour selection, marketing campaign strategies, locations and expected lifespan, among others.

Store-wide systems
When shoppers happen to see POP signs in a store, they are either looking for a particular destination within that environment—i.e. a department, section or specific product shelf—or attempting to follow a specific route through the store—e.g. when winding through grocery aisles.

Wayfinding signage should inspire trust, helping them feel confident and at ease in the retail environment, knowing they can reach their destination without a problem. These signs need to be conspicuous to help users complete their tasks. They also need to be clear, easily recognizable and consistent in style and messaging.

It is not just wayfinding signage, however, that needs to be adequate. More and more signs are being introduced to assert the presence of promoted brand names, which in turn compete with others, to attract customers’ attention. These too need to be conspicuous, contrasting with the surrounding environment and representing their individual brands at shopper’s eye level.

Both types of displays need to be simple, flexible and adaptable, but also sturdy enough to withstand ‘shopper abuse’ in a busy store. To some degree, they fill a gap between modular systems and custom-designed one-offs, as they must be compatible with store fixtures while also supporting specific branding for both the store and its products.

A well-designed system can incorporate both types of signs with a consistent look and feel for the entire retail facility, enabling marketers to promote a brand either with a single display or in multiple locations. Above all, it needs to be modular to allow graphics to be changed or moved easily and cost-effectively, particularly given the fluidity of today’s retail industry.

Material matters
As mentioned, material selection is one of the primary considerations when working with POP display designs. Most frequently, the decision will be based on longevity, cost efficiency and sustainability. As such, many POP display fabricators seek to use recycled and/or recyclable materials that are long-lasting to support several different marketing campaigns, thus helping ensure a positive return on investment (ROI).

For signmakers expanding into the POP graphics business, it is a good idea to work with a supplier who has experience and can assist in the planning and design processes. Asking the manufacturer for references can help.

Samples should be provided for free or at least at a greatly discounted price, so they can be considered by the signmaker and then presented to the client for approval, before fabricating an entire sign system.

Even with special attention and service in the early stages, the entire project should be feasible at an attractive price. The goal is to find one system that suits the entire store, rather than have to customize every display from the ground up.

One of the growing prerequisites these days is to meet retailers’ own ‘green’ policies, which support environmental sustainability and may also relate to health and safety issues. ‘Eco-resins,’ for example, are co-polyesters containing recycled content that form the basis of many green substrates, which can be integrated into modular signs, then later removed and returned to the manufacturer for recycling. The best of these materials are attractive, easy to maintain and long-lasting.

The supplier may offer not just the materials themselves, but also optional fabrication services. Sometimes, these are a more cost-effective option for some of the work than in-house production.

In any case, it is very important to work with a supplier who can be counted on to deliver as quoted. Being late can be very expensive.

Danny Schneider is vice-president (VP) of sales and business development for Vista System International, which provides modular flat and curved-frame technology for fabricating wayfinding and POP signs. For more information, visit www.vistasystem.ca[5].

Source URL: https://www.signmedia.ca/in-store-signs-for-wayfinding-and-branding/

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