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Today’s shopper is being bombarded with in-store graphics of all media as retailers reach out for her attention. As such, she enters a store expecting to be wowed.

“Special effects in signage are good,” says Jerry Gelsomino, vp of marketing and brand experience at Pratt Corp. (Indianapolis). “But gimmicks lose popularity and importance. Signage is not a gimmick; it’s an investment, and it should last.”

Dynamic electronic signage might be on the verge of dominating the in-store experience – motion, colors, sounds, textures and interactivity seem to be out-performing other modes of signage, popping up everywhere from grocery stores to big boxes.

But is that what shoppers need? And are retailers doing it right?

Bruce Dybvad, president of Design Forum (Dayton, Ohio), doesn’t think so. “Very few retailers have leveraged digital signage,” he says. “They’ve created pandemonium – it’s become just another piece of noise.” All this distraction, Dybvad believes, has taken away from the intent, which is to inform shoppers and make them comfortable about the in-store environment. And that has made it difficult for the consumer to care.

“Less is truly more,” Dybvad explains. “Dynamic media and traditional print should all work together.”

Gelsomino notes that new trends in print are making headway in this electronic-obsessed culture – trends like simpler, more concise messages. “We’re seeing a need to satisfy the local market,” he says. “Retailers are tailoring print messages to specific neighborhoods and better promoting product lines for each store.”

Specifically, says Gelsomino, there’s a need for multicultural language and graphics, a concept that reaches out to even more consumers. But that’s also a trend with its share of challenges.

Developments in technology have helped Pratt and other print producers generate lots of custom signs and distribute them to different regions. “Our new database enables us to look at the physical attributes of each store and create a signage plan unique to its needs,” he says. “It’s something clients are demanding.”

Electronic media are probably here to stay, but new trends are making printed graphics just as desirable. “Retailers are still figuring out the dollars and cents,” Dybvad says. “By layering print and electronic in a consistent fashion, signage can become a tangible tool to reinforce the brand.”

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