Using Signage to Reintroduce Your Brand to Customers
Your signage says a lot about your brand and business. So if something changes in your brand and your business — your signage should change too. Adjusting your exterior signage helps you announce changes, reintroduce your brand to customers, and remind them that you are there to do business with them.
Let’s look at when you might need to reintroduce your brand to customers and how you can use signage to do it.
When Do You Need to Reintroduce Your Brand?
There are multiple situations when you might want to evaluate what your brand says to customers and consider changing it up. In today’s market, brands need to be adaptable. They may need to adjust to trends and switch positioning to enter new markets. Sometimes that requires brand change.
Here are a few times when you will need to reintroduce your brand to customers.
- You Rebranded: New look? Rebranded signage shouldn’t be relegated to optics alone. New signage serves to boost brand identity, enhance the customer experience, and increase interest, traffic, and even sales.
- You Made a Market Pivot: New message? New business approach? If your business positioning changes, you need to reflect that pivot in your signage. Changes to your signage can help create a strong corporate identity and also attract different target audiences and introduce your brand to new markets.
- Your Location or Operations Have Changed: You can’t control everything. A hurricane, fire, or national crisis could force you to close your doors for a few days or even months. Once you’re open again, or any time you open a new location, consider a fresh look that fits your new normal.
While these are a few examples of when a brand update is needed, each business and situation is different. Before you update your business, conduct a custom sign needs assessment to see where your brand weaknesses are and how you can work to improve them.
How to Update and Reimagine Your Signage
If you need to reintroduce your brand to customers, there are multiple signage elements you can work with to attract attention, signal the change, and improve your brand for the better.
1. Replace and Redesign Your Sign
Even the most classic brand designs and durable materials need to be changed over time. The signage you choose isn’t going to last forever. While some signs can last several years (and even more than a decade with the right LED bulbs and maintenance), your brand will change and your signage will as well.
Your exterior signage is constantly up against the elements. The sun, wind, and rain wear down your colors and bulbs, and your signage can easily look faded or dirty without the right care. Consider investing in long-lasting signage options with durable materials.
On the interior, your signage may change more often than on the exterior. Interior design trends are fickle, and you may need to update your lobby or entire interior with new materials and styles every few years.
Learn More: Signage Brand Development and Design
2. Add New Signage Elements
Updating your signage doesn’t always mean developing a dramatic rebranding. It doesn’t require a significant amount of change or a large budget. In fact, you can make a few small changes to your signage and exterior lighting to make it more effective.
Simply adding lights can improve your visibility and improve your overall branding. Consider the results when Volaris Apartment Homes in Odessa, Florida added backlighting to their signage. The dark letters contrasted against the tan apartments during the day and were backlit with yellow and white at night. This made the apartment complex more visible, helping with both wayfinding and attracting new residents.
Other signage options that you can incorporate include adding interactive elements that move and catch the eye, or adding architectural elements to create a landmark or make your brand more noticeable. These additions are popular amongst brands that want to attract foot traffic or car traffic on the road. The right design elements can bring in new customers who were curious about the signage they saw when they were just passing by.
Related: Using Statement Signage and Lighting to Create a Community Landmark
3. Add New Signage Features
Finally, the third option you have at your disposal is to add new signage features that otherwise hadn’t been there before. These include wayfinding (through signage and lights), environmental graphics, and interior accolade signage to better inform customers.
For example, we worked with All Aboard Florida’s Brightline in Miami, Florida to improve the branding at their stations. The exterior lighting is warm and welcoming, conveying a sense of safety and drawing riders in. Then, we improved the internal wayfinding to reduce confusion and create a better customer experience. The more people enjoy riding Brightline, the more people are likely to return to the public transit option on a regular basis.
Additionally, we updated the Junior Achievement Finance Park signage for their location in Tampa, Florida. This improved the overall branding and wayfinding in the building, while also providing the donor recognition that the company wanted. This makes each donor major donor feel valued and lets visitors know who supports the organization.
Let Us Reintroduce Your Brand to Customers
If you worry that your signage is sending the wrong message to your customers, let us help you reintroduce your brand.
We can convey the message you want to send, whether you’re telling customers about your new, modern approach or your reopening or new location.
We can create the right designs you need. Reach out to Creative Sign Designs today and ask about a rebranding. One of our design experts will be happy to talk about your options.
