Author Archives: Doug

Embrace the feeling of warmth and renewal this spring!

Spring Marketing Ideas: Make Your Promotion Stand Out This Season

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Spring is on its way – bringing up the sensation of a fresh start. Many consumers use the changing of the season to undergo a bit of cleaning and sprucing up around the house, so why shouldn’t business owners follow suit? To attract customers who may be more inclined to shop now that the weather is less frightful, consider these spring promotion and marketing ideas to make your establishment more inviting this season.

Take It To The Streets
The coming of spring typically signals the start of warm weather. Even if it has yet to fully warm up in your area, bringing some of your business outside can be a nice way to signal that – if not now – the spring season has begun and soon enough it’ll be time for T-shirts and shorts. A small outdoor event can be a fun way to highlight the changing season, with an photo booth complete with a custom backdrop to encourage guests to take pictures of the promotion. Completed by offering warming drinks if the weather is still a bit chilly, bringing your event outside can help shake off the feeling of being cooped up all winter.

Embrace the Colors of Spring
In nature, spring has a very distinct aesthetic: fresh, light greens; clear blue skies; the budding pastel colors of new flowers. These colors evoke a sense of vibrancy and liveliness that are sure to attract customers looking to shake off the winter gloom.

“Spring is the perfect time for marketing, as people are full of energy and enthusiasm after a long winter,” Gary Shouldis of 3Bug Media told Small Business Trends. “Your messaging should match the season with vibrant colors and a theme of renewal and revitalization.”

Consider opting for signage that features soft, bright spring colors. Whether its a pastel-hued banner or powder blue accents on lettering, taking a look at your existing signage and ordering something more seasonally aligned can be a great way to make your shop more inviting.

‘Spring Cleaning’ Sales 
To harness the spirit of renewal that comes with spring, many shops host sales under the auspices of “spring cleaning” their inventory. Whether it’s selling off winter or fall items to make way for new warm weather goods, or simply a way to launch a new line, putting together signage showcasing a limited time sale can help make the changing of the season more of an event. Promotions like a “Spring Fling” sale can also help stores emphasize environment of warm feelings and renewal – encouraging your customers to fall in love with your latest products.

Get in on the ‘Madness’
Spring also brings the start of the NCAA championship. Stores looking to get in on the boost in excitement and promotional opportunities associated with the championship should consider hosting events and producing signage that evokes the tournament. However, since terms like “March Madness” and official, associated logos are legally the property of the NCAA, it’s important to tread lightly when it comes to committing these associations to promotional materials. Read our post on this topic here.

Tax Time
One thing that starts this time of year is tax filing season. On the one hand, tax season can mean more disposable income, with consumers getting their refunds. On the other, some consumers may be grumbling about having to pay back taxes. The best way to split the difference between these two groups is to offer a “Tax Time” sale, with steep discounts.

“Incentivize them by offering a coupon good for the weeks around the 15th to allow adequate time to use their refund,” Megan Totka, blogger and marketing director of ChamberofCommerce.com, told Small Business Trends. “If they have a lag time before receiving their refund that extends beyond the weeks of your promotion, tell them to bring in proof that taxes have been filed and let them buy the product at the discounted price.”

Similar to the spring cleaning promotion, emphasizing the value of what you have on offer can be enough to attract both flush and cash-strapped consumers.

If you are in need of all new signage to help embrace the spring season, contact Sign Art Etc today. We offer low rates and high quality service to those in need of banners, backdrops and more.

When designing NCAA championship signage, tread lightly.

March Madness Promotions: Avoiding Legal Pitfalls for Your Business

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It’s that time of year again: March 14 signals the start of The National Collegiate Athletic Association Division 1 Men’s Basketball Championship. Commonly known as “March Madness,” the tournament goes until April 3 and features 68 college teams going head-to-head.

The championship tournament is a proven boost for local and national businesses of all kinds looking to get in on the action. Whether it’s year-round college basketball fans or simply those who enjoy the seasonal competition, creating a marketing or ad campaign to go along with the championship can help bring in customers and attract attention. But making sure your promotion – as well as all the signage that goes along with it – navigates the legal landscape surrounding the championship and the NCAA can be trickier than it seems.

Why is the Championship So Important to Businesses?
To understand why the NCAA tournament is such big business, even for smaller enterprises, it helps to look at how ubiquitous it can be culturally. According to Ira Kalb, a professor at Marshall School of Business, the tournament is essentially a household brand name for sports fans and non-fans alike.

“With a penchant for alliteration, the NCAA has created brand identities for the entire tournament and interim playoffs by giving them names such as March Madness, Sweet Sixteen, Elite Eight and Final Four,” Kalb said. “Even non-fans hear these words from sportscasters, late-night TV hosts and comedians.”

The way the championship is set up fosters a culture of inclusion: Even if a person knows nothing about basketball – or even sports – they can take part in putting together a bracket, often to great success. Even the NCAA points out that a participant’s individual picks aren’t as important as the final four team standings, which, when combined with a points system, means that the entire tournament can be a fun and exciting game for consumers – even without ever watching an actual matchup.

This air of excitement and good, clean fun can be leveraged by businesses looking to create promotions, sales or events that are in the spirit of the tournament. However, depending on how promotional materials like signs are designed, this can land a business in legal hot water.

The Legal Challenge
The biggest obstacle when it comes to creating promotional materials associated with March Madness and the NCAA is the the NCAA Trademark Protection Program. This program spells out – in no uncertain terms – that use of “the NCAA’s name and trademarks (including the Final Four and March Madness) or any use of NCAA championship tickets in sweepstakes, promotions or contests” is strictly prohibited without the authorization or consent of the NCAA. This means that, when designing materials and signage that evoke the championship, businesses must avoid:

  • Terms like “March Madness,” “Big Dance,” “Elite Eight” and “Final Four,” which are all owned by the NCAA.
  • Any logos or images that are directly branded and trademarked by the NCAA.
  • Appropriating NCAA branded 32-for-32 brackets.

The NCAA is notoriously protective of its intellectual property, which has led to lawsuits over the improper promotional use of branded materials by non-partnered businesses.

Signage Best Practices
Even with these restrictions, business can still tie themselves to the championship in a way that is both legally acceptable and economically fruitful. While the aforementioned proper names may be the intellectual property of the NCAA, terms like “March,” “madness” and “basketball” are common words and cannot be trademarked. Here are few best practices to keep in mind when putting together your ad signage and promotions:

Keep It General
Rather than referring to the tournament by its full name – which can be too long – or by its trademarked name – which is illegal, save for authorized usage – opt for general descriptions in your signage. You can use terms like “championship,” “tournament,” “the big games,” “game day” or “the season” to make your audience think of the championship without mentioning it by name.

Soundalikes
​Another strategy is to use names and phrases that might sound like the trademarked terms without using the terms themselves. This can be particularly useful when coining the name of a seasonal promotion that is associated with a certain business. Examples include promotions named “March Radness” – excellent for use in a chic clothing store – or the “Final Pour” – a promotion name for a bar or restaurant.

Take the “Madness” out of March
The NCAA owns the use of “March Madness,” but once you separate the two words, all bets are off. You can create signage that advertises “Boot Madness” or “Ice Cream Madness,” highlighting a limited-time sale.

Brackets and Baskets
When it comes to your signage graphics, you don’t even need to use words to tie your promotion to the championship. While still avoiding NCAA branded logos, you can freely use images of baskets and hoops, generic basketball players and non-branded 32-for-32 brackets. Simply do a quick internet search for free-use images. One innovative idea for tournament signage is to put together your own vinyl banner bracket, pitting some of your most popular commercial items against each other in a fun “championship.”

Using a little imagination can help businesses successful navigate the legal hurdles. If your business needs low-cost, high-quality signage to help promote your game-day initiatives, contact Sign Art Etc today.

With all the noise of a convention, how do you make your exhibit booth display stand out?

Trade Show Checklist: What You’ll Need to Stand Out

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Are you bringing yourself and your wares to a local or national trade show? What about setting up a booth at a collector’s convention? Whether it’s an exhibit display, table or other kind of representation, it is vital that you put your best foot forward when it comes to your business. Sign Art Etc has put together this helpful trade show checklist, guiding you through why trade shows are a vital part of business and what you’ll need to succeed.

Why Trade Shows and Conventions are Important – and Difficult
If you are already a successful business owner in your local area, going to a trade show or convention may seem like a lot of work. However, these events are key opportunities to grow your business beyond it’s current level.

By taking part in the larger ecosystem of a show, a small business owner can:

  • Network with other entrepreneurs in a similar market space.
  • See the latest innovations within their chosen industry.
  • Get press coverage and expand their advertising footprint.
  • Connect with customers from disparate geographic areas.

Yet, even with this in mind, shows and conventions may seem particularly daunting for a small business owner. Even armed with the most innovative and desirable product or service, an entrepreneur arriving at a show with hundreds of similar vendors and thousands of spectators and consumers may still find themselves asking, How do I distinguish myself among all this competition?

One part of the answer may be surprisingly simple: Have the right signage for your booth or display. Read on…

Distinguishing yourself amid a trade show can be tricky.Distinguishing yourself amid a trade show can be tricky.

Backdrops
First and foremost, when you arrive at your booth, take a look at the areas right behind your table. You’ll be sitting in this booth for several days, and if the sign behind you is plain or uninspired – or simply nonexistent – this may not motivate possible customers to stop and check out what you have on display.

A simple way to create a more visually arresting booth is with a custom branded backdrop. It can help you stand out amid the the competition, hide other booths that may be behind you and give your booth a professional, more polished feel. Even better, any pictures taken of the booth or your wares is likely to capture the branding on the backdrop, creating an organic and discrete advertisement for your shop.

Banners
Banners are one of the most important elements of your trade show checklist. They act as a single point of focus, allowing passersby to quickly and easily identify who you are and get a taste for what you do. Make your banners simple, clean and easy to read. Materials like vinyl make ideal banners since they are glossy, resilient and easily washable.

If you are looking for the ultimate in banner convenience, a retractable banner display can be the perfect thing. Simply pull out the banner or retract it as needed. This way, your banner is kept protected and stored alongside the device you use to mount it.

Table Skirts
If you are renting a table at a convention, you may or may not be given a table skirt. Table skirts are an essential component to any booth display since they allow you to hide your feet or any extra merchandise you may need under the table, as well as simply conceal with may otherwise be a dingy or unattractive looking folding table. They also can act as a secondary canvas for advertising, though avoid making it the only place where your business name appears: They are typically below eye-level and can become wrinkled and hard to read.

Hop Up Displays
Looking for something a bit more visually engaging? Why not take your display to the next level with a Hop Up (sometimes called a “pop up”) display? These innovative graphic presentations feature a light-weight yet rugged frame that suspends a fabric graphic image. Hop Ups from Sign Art Etc come in a variety different shapes and sizes and features a frame with with webbing, a front graphic and a carrying bag.

Assembly and disassembly is quick and easy since the durable fabric graphic image stays attached to the aluminum frame. Full color fabric graphic stretches over an aluminum frame and can be left on the frame when packing and during shipping.

Do you still have questions about how to maximize your graphic presentation at your next industry trade show or convention? Contact Sign Art Etc today and we would be glad to assist you. 1.800.799.7436 or info@signartetc.com.

It'll take more than luck to make your St. Patrick's Day promotion a hit.

Banner Ideas for a St. Patrick’s Day Promotion

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Whether you’re Irish or simply Irish at heart, St. Patrick’s Day is a great early spring pastime that everyone can enjoy – particularly local businesses who host promotions. While bars and restaurants are typically the big winners on St. Patrick’s Day, almost every kind of establishment can see a distinct boost if they focus on hosting can’t-miss special events and getting their signage in order. Here are a few ways to create an unforgettable St. Patrick’s Day promotion.

Encourage Guests to Get Into the Spirit
This holiday is a joyful celebration of all things Irish, with people regularly dressing to the (green) nines. Encourage your guests to get all dolled up and visit your establishment by installing a photo booth. A custom St. Patrick’s Day banner in the booth is a great way to get people to take and share pictures of their outfits — and awarding prizes to the most elaborate costumes can help enhance the fun. EasyPromos suggests running a social media photo promotion where patrons submit photos with the caption “Why I Feel Lucky” to enter into a contest.

Go Green or Go Home
Come St. Patrick’s Day, most businesses and brands play with a variety of traditional Irish iconography: four leaf clovers, leprechauns, pots of gold, shamrocks and more. However, there is essentially one thing that unifies all St. Patrick’s day aesthetics – the color green. Green is overwhelmingly associated with the holiday, so much so that those not wearing green may find themselves playfully hassled by celebrants! To ensure that your clientele knows your establishment has gotten into the spirit, deck the halls with lush seasonal colors. Green signs, table clothes, napkins, even server uniforms are all encouraged. Any promotional materials – like a custom backdrop – should be printed in green and white to be in line with the holiday.

“Consider the St. Patrick’s Day stalwarts: Beer (often green), food and entertainment.”

Partner with Local Businesses
Consider the St. Patrick’s Day stalwarts: Beer (often green), Irish food and entertainment. While some restaurants and pubs may be able to cover all the bases, others may be able to offer only one of the elements. This is what makes St. Patrick’s Day an ideal time to partner with other local businesses to create a comprehensive event. Seek out local breweries, restaurants for catering and entertainment companies to combine forces with and make a single can’t-miss event.

Get an Early Start – or Give Guests a Place to Crash
Celebrants of the holiday often take the entire day to do a bar crawl and see the sights. This can be fun – but after several hours of walking and drinking beer, exhaustion can set in. To make sure your establishment isn’t skipped, consider starting your event early. Offering a hearty traditional Irish breakfast can attract customers before they set out on their adventures and give them the energy they need to go the distance. If you are looking to get some late-in-the-day traffic, consider tailoring your event to be a relaxing place to crash – with plenty of food, comfortable seating and Irish folk music to give weary patrons a break from the festivities.

Look for the Pot o’ Gold at the End of the Rainbow
One novel promotion idea is a scavenger hunt. As Aaron Allen and Associates points out, many establishments hosting holiday events encourage guests to search out hidden prizes like a (figurative) pot of gold. A custom designed sign can come in handy as a way to direct patron attention toward markers they need to find.

This St. Patrick’s Day, take the time to make sure your signage is on point. Working with an industry leader like Sign Art Etc is the perfect way to make sure your event stands out. Contact us today to get started.

It takes more than quinceañera backdrops to have a great party - but its a good place to start.

Quinceañera Backdrops & More: Make Her 15th Birthday Unforgettable!

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A quinceañera is a fundamental right of passage for many girls of Latin American descent — the celebration of their 15th birthday and symbolic transition from childhood to young adulthood.

Creating a fun and exciting party that pleases both the birthday girl and other guests can be tricky. You have to integrate aspects of religious tradition and cultural heritage with the contemporary fashions and activities modern teenagers adore.

There are staples of every quince (as it is often referred to) including customized quinceanera backdrops, entertainment and decorations, but within all these areas of focus there are nearly endless possibilities. With that in mind, here are a few tips to plan an unforgettable celebration.

Start Planning Early
Quinceanera.com has one piece of simple advice that holds true for almost any event: Begin the planning early – more than 4 months ahead of time if you can. There are a variety of moving parts associated with planning a quince, including booking the venue for the party (and mass) choosing a theme, sending out invitations, finding a caterer and hiring entertainment. As part of the site’s quince planning tips, they encourage families to hire a party planner or enlist a friend to help work within a budget and distribute some of the planning labor.

Think About Decorations

Since the guest list at a quince can be diverse and multi-generational, these parties need to have a broad appeal. This kind of consideration should go into the choosing of your theme, which in turn will help guide your decoration choices. Themes like “Hollywood glamour” or “high fashion” can appeal to the teenage girls in attendance (including the birthday girl herself) as well as be amenable to the family.

To make sure you’re getting the most out of the big day, set up backdrops for photos so your guests can show off their best party duds! Your backdrop can be customized with photos of the birthday girl, a special message or other images she would love. SignArtEtc has a professional design team that can do the layout — all you have to do is upload the graphics.

Choose the Waltz Music
The quinceanera waltz – a dance shared by the birthday girl and her father or grandfather – is an important part of the quinceanera tradition. Often, there is choreographed dancing and a ceremonial element that may need to be planned ahead of time. While there are more traditional song choices such as “El Vals de las Mariposas” and “Tiempo de Vals,” as Quinceanera.com points out, almost any sentimental song with an emotional meaning can be used for this dance.

Pick Your Damas and Chambelanes
Another traditional aspect of the party is the picking of the Corte de Honor. This is essentially an entourage traditionally composed of 14 girls (damas) and 14 boys (chambelanes) who are friends and family of the birthday girl. While 14 of each is recommended, as Q by Da Vinci points out, there are a few hard and fast rules governing how many there need to be and their specific role in the ceremony.

The Corte de Honor will often perform alongside the honoree for the quince waltz and other dances during the party. Since this group typically is comprised of close friends of the honoree, it’s important to gather the entire group together for photos and video – in front of the backdrop is a perfect spot!

The Last Doll
One of the more heartfelt and symbolic traditions that is part of a quinceanera is that of the “last doll.” This is a doll or toy, ceremonially gifted from the father figure to the birthday girl during the party, symbolizing the last remaining vestiges of childhood. The doll then takes on a role as part of the proceedings, pinned and wrapped with cápias – printed ribbons with the Quinceanera’s name and the date printed on them. The ribbons are then given to different family members throughout the party as a token of thanks. To cap the night, the last doll can be ceremonially gifted to a younger sibling or friend, symbolizing the transition to adulthood.

Sign Art Etc specializes in high-quality, low-cost custom banners and backdrops, perfect for any celebration. To learn more, contact Sign Art Etc today.