Your store’s brand is a composite of many factors – the products you sell, the way you present them to shoppers, the way you treat customers – it’s your reputation. And custom signs visually represent and reinforce your brand, often in ways nothing else can.

So how can you use custom signs to boost branding? It starts with external signage, where passerbys can first discover your brand. And continues inside, where shoppers decide your brand is answer they've been looking for.

Custom signage works inside your store, too, providing important visual continuity as well as functional benefits. That’s because they decorate as well as inform. They weave brand awareness into wayfinding, point-of-purchase displays, and advertising or special promotions. Even the simplest signs that identify your exit or restrooms can elevate your brand and subtly elevate customer experience at the same time.

Try going digital

Digital takes custom signs to a new level. In many types of retail stores, digital signage has become a staple for increasing brand awareness as well as stimulating customer engagement. You can go all out with audio and flash elements, but digital messages, posters, slideshows, and video add outstanding dimension to your store and individual displays.

Digital custom signs allow you to entertain customers as well as sell to them, creating a more memorable experience. You can even program some types to show different content at different times of day. If your clientele varies from one day part to another, this refined targeting can really boost brand awareness and reputation. 

Branding on the go

While digital signage offers one type of visual movement, any retailer that uses delivery vans, catering trucks, or other types of “identified” vehicles can take advantage of another type of moving sign: vehicle wraps. These can’t-miss signs give your vehicle 360-degree visibility every time it hits the road, carrying your name and logo along for the ride.

Vehicle wraps have grown in popularity because they’re versatile, boosting brand awareness and introducing your store to many potential customers who might not otherwise have known about you.

Inspire action

Branding is critical. But your goal is increased store traffic and sales. Thankfully, custom signs aren’t just “prettier faces” than their standard cousins, they have inspirational qualities as well. That is, if you use them correctly.

The most important detail? A call to action – telling your customer what to do. Wayfinding signs have an obvious call to action, since the reader is already looking for direction. But what about your other signage? The details can make the difference between making a ho-hum impression and stimulating product interest and interaction that lead to purchasing. 

For example, your sign might say “50% off.” It’s informative, but not inspiring. Change the text to “save 50%,” however, and you’re telling your customer what’s in it for them. When they take action, they’ll save money. It’s subtle, but now they associate your brand with personal value.

Consistently using custom signs from your exterior to your entryway, individual displays, and endcaps will help increase your brand awareness and inspire greater sales.