How to Use Signage to Effectively and Affordably Promote Your Startup

Signage is a powerful tool that can be effectively used to promote your startup business.  Well designed and executed signs effectively mark your business premises allowing your customers to find you, attract new customers to your business location and build brand identity by leaving a lasting impression.

Choosing the right type of Signage for your business

Choosing the right type of business signage largely depends on where your business is located. If your business is located in a high-rise business mall with two or more businesses on each floor, then you will need different signage in comparison to a business that is on the ground floor on a building in Nairobi CBD. Regardless of location however, below are the signs you will require to effectively brand your business.

Fascia canopy sign and under canopy signs

A fascia sign and under canopy sign mark your shop front and are the first and last signs that your customers and visitors will see. Even if you have other signs inside your shop that people can see from the outside, people will look up to the fascia and under canopy to see the shop name and again will do so when leaving your shop to make sure that they note the shop name. In addition, a business that greatly depends on people walking by will greatly benefit from these signs. Because of these, these two signs need to be quite large and very visible and legible even at night when it is dark and there are other competing signs. When it comes to fascia signs, there are various ways of making these signs to achieve the look and feel you want for your business.

Old-Style Illuminated Box sign for business

A few years ago, the most popular method of making fascia and under canopy signs was using back-lit flexi material with translucent vinyl graphics on a light box. This kind of sign would be seen on every shop front and it was very difficult for any one sign to stand out. These signs also used fluorescent tube lights, which consume a lot of power as compared to LED lights. Fluorescent Tube lights burn out easily necessitating the need for time consuming and expensive labor for their repair and replacement.  Flexi also becomes dirty and discolored after a few years and will need cleaning or complete replacement in case it is torn.

New Design Illuminated Box sign for business

For the above reasons, innovative sign makers in Nairobi started making fascia and under canopy signs that are different  from all the other signs on the street and require little power and time-consuming repair. Fascia signs and under canopy signs are now characterized by slim internally illuminated LED signs with 3D letters and graphics as compared to flat vinyl graphics. These signs are also made of Alucobond i.e ACM panels as compared to flexi and therefore, only light up in the areas where the graphics are located as compared to the whole sign lighting up, thus saving on power consumption. In addition, LED lights are only used for sections of the sign that light up conserving power in the long run. In a sea of fascia and under canopy light box signs, these modern signs stand out for their uniqueness.

Internally Illuminated 3D letters

If you are after a unique look for your unique brand, consider putting up internally illuminated individual 3D letters on your facade to mark your shop. This signage will stand out from the other signage on your street, building or neighboring shop. Internally Illuminated 3D letter signs are fabricated using various materials including metal and Perspex i.e Acrylic. These letters or logo are then fitted with LED lights and installed directly on the building facade. These letters will be finished in your brand colors, which strengthens your brand.

Office Reception signs

Reception signs are welcoming and let your visitors know that they have arrived at their destination especially when your office is one among several others in a high-rise commercial building. For this reason, you should strive to make your signage appealing by ensuring you make use of your company name and logo and your brand colors.

There are a number of materials used to make reception signs or lobby signs, as reception signs are sometimes known. Before your sign maker chooses an appropriate material for you, you need to determine whether your sign will be flat, 3 Dimensional, illuminated or non-illuminated. There are very many options when it comes to reception signs.

If you are looking for a flat non-illuminated sign, consider going for a sign made of Perspex, or Alucobond backing panels with vinyl graphics. If looking for a 3 Dimensional sign, which is usually more appealing than a flat sign, then consider a sign made of Individual 3 Dimensional text cut out of Perspex or PVC celuka materials. These letters are fitted onto a panel made of Perspex i.e Acrylic or Alucobond i.e ACM panels or fitted directly to the reception wall or counter using metal or plastic sign spacers or standoffs.

All of the above reception sign options can be either illuminated or none illuminated depending on preference, size and budget allocated for the signage. Obviously, illuminated signs are more expensive than non-illuminated ones because of the added cost of LED lights.

Branding of the office/shop walls with printed vinyl graphics.

Most internal office/shop walls are finished in a plain color that is boring and that does not appeal to the eye. For this reason, you can spruce up your office walls by use of colorful graphics that are printed onto water-resistant vinyl and stuck on your walls to enhance their look. Your branding company designer can come up with any number of high-resolution designs or photos that will be scaled to the size of your walls and then printed and installed to fit on your office/shop walls. Wall branding or murals as they are sometimes known, will surely enhance the look of your office.  Visitors will be impressed and dazzled when they enter your office/shop. Wall murals can also be used effectively to enhance your brand message especially when the design chosen incorporates your brand colors and even your company logo.

One-way perforated window graphics / printed film to the external glass panels.

Perforated one-way film is special window film that is printed with your chosen graphics or brand message and installed on your external window panels so that the people passing outside see the messaging and graphics printed on the film but cannot see inside the office while at the same time, the people inside the office/shop see outside very clearly.

This branding therefore serves two unique purposes. One, it prevents people outside from seeing inside your office and two it is used for advertising when a marketing message is printed on it.

Office Glass films

In an office partitioned with glass, the glass has to be marked to prevent users and visitors from hitting themselves on the glass, which is usually clear and not easily seen. There are various ways to mark the glass but the most popular method is use of vinyl or frosted window film. The film you use can either be decorative window film or just colored vinyl that matches your brand colors. To enhance and promote your brand, use printed vinyl or frosted window film with advertising messages or quotes depending on what brings out your brand’s story.

Printed Media backdrop banners and roll-up banners

Roll-up banners are best used outside in front of your shop or inside to announce a promotion or new product. Roll-up banners are very visible especially when designed in eye-catching colors and this makes them a very cost effective way to promote your business to people passing by and to those already inside your shop.

Printed media backdrop banners on the other hand, are very effective when used to announce your presence to potential clients especially in a crowded area like a trade show or press briefing event. Media banners are huge in size and  act as a backdrop to your stage and if printed with a marketing message or your logo, then lots of visitors will see it, which is perfect for your brand.

Both printed banners and roll-up banners are generally affordable to design and print as there are many large format-printing companies in Nairobi that will print your design at an affordable cost and also provide you with a stand for the banner.

A-frame snappers and black board signs

A frame signs are portable, affordable and effective advertising media especially when used on the sidewalk in front of your shop. You can easily attract customers passing by with a strategically placed A-frame snapper or blackboard with a hard to ignore special offer or deal.

A-frame snappers and blackboards are especially useful for the retail and hospitality industry.  They can be used to announce a new menu or chef special and highlight a promotion, a sale,a discount as well as a new product. A-frame signs are easy to use, for A-frame snappers, it is easy to change the poster when you are anouncing a new offer and for blackboard, you just need to erase the previous offer and chalk up a new offer. You can also experiment with different chalk colours to add visual interest.

Road signs in Kenya

Road signs are signage installed on the side of major highways or roads leading to a major town to direct traffic to your business or a commercial building. They are mostly metal fabricated with plotted or printed reflective vinyl graphics and are mostly double sided so they can be seen by both incoming and outgoing traffic. Road signs should include the exact location and phone number details of your business so that drivers will know exactly where to go and who to call for your services.

It is a good idea to make your road signs from reflective vinyl so that they will reflect back artificial light and be very visible even at night. Reflective vinyl is designed to be visible at night when hit by car headlights hence no need to use electric illumination. Many petrol stations and banks use branded road signs effectively to announce their presence in most major towns and direct traffic.

For assistance with branding your small business, please call us on 0715 095 968 and arrange a free site visit with one of our experienced technicians.