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Did you know that 80% of consumers forget branded content after just 3 days? We know, we were shocked too! It seems baffling that after spending so much time carefully crafting messages, designing graphics and pouring over every inch of your advertising, it could be so easily forgotten by the people it’s meant to captivate. But sadly, it’s very true.
Marketing and advertising are a daily battle in getting the attention of your customers, but many people forget the more important element of keeping that attention once you have it. Getting that message across in an effective way so that people process it and (hopefully) are influenced by it. Experts have been trying to crack this code for decades now, and one thing always pops up in their solutions – signage. Specifically, using signage solutions to increase the general awareness and recognition of a brand, so that the messages will stick. But does it really work?
Why People Forget Brands
Research done by Prezi and renowned cognitive neuroscientist Dr Carmen Simon found that there were three main reasons that consumers forget branded content after such a short amount of time – and none of them are down to the person’s memory. Instead, the reasons were:
- Irrelevancy (55%) – The content being presented wasn’t relevant to the consumer, and so it was not even passed into short-term memory, let alone long-term.
- A lack of motivation to remember it (35.7%) – The content might have been interesting, but there was no real driving reason for them to retain it once they had moved on with their day.
- Too much content to retain (30%) – There was simply too much information to take in, and so the brain takes in none of it. We’ve all done that at least once!
In other words, the problem is with the content and the medium, not the consumer. If there were a way for businesses to make sure information was relevant without being overwhelming, and enough to grab and keep a customer’s attention, then their marketing efforts would be much more effective.
5 Ways Signs Help Increase Brand Recognition
So how can brands get ahead of this, and make sure their customers actually remember who they are? Well, the first big step is to create a brand that is easily recognisable and identifiable, but hopefully, you’ve done that already! So instead, let’s focus on the practical things you can do.
Reinforce your brand foundations: It takes an average of 8 exposures to your brand before a prospect will convert to a customer. Depending on your business and target market, that can take a while! Signs in general, and external signs in particular, are a fantastic way to increase those touchpoints without the customer even realising it’s happening. Bold storefronts, A-frames, wayfinding signage, illuminated and hanging signs all showcase your brand to the outside world, allowing passersby to subconsciously take it in. If you have designed your signs well, then your colours, fonts and logo will all start to form part of their long-term subconscious – which means when they do see an advert of yours they are more likely to respond positively.
Catch lost leads: Focusing on brand awareness with your signage can also help you re-target clients who may have fallen through the cracks in your sales funnel. Surely, there’s been a time when a customer had intentions of purchasing your product, but failed to complete the transaction. Sometimes, it may be because the customer wants to come back later and think about their purchase, or there may have been technical difficulties during the transaction. No matter what the reason was, a good sign will help remind clients to come back to you and you’ll have the opportunity to reconnect with them and close the sale.
Showcase your values: Boosting brand awareness isn’t just about advertising your services, it’s about showcasing your values as a business and what you stand for. Adding signage that demonstrates this, like a business journey timeline, core values signage and inspiring pieces throughout your premises is a great way of engaging both staff and visitors. With the right internal branding, you can really impact how people see your brand, and whether it aligns with their own values.
Make your brand mobile: If you’re a business that doesn’t have a specific premises, you might struggle to build up the same awareness in the local community that the bricks and mortar businesses have. This is where some lateral thinking can really pay off. Vehicle wraps and vehicle branding signs are a great way to advertise your business on the go and build up that subconscious recognition of your brand. If a customer sees your branded vans on the road enough times, they will come to recognise the branding and your business, positioning you perfectly when they’re ready to buy.
Create a good first impression: A good sign will make a memorable first impression that entices potential customers to learn more about your business. Signs also reveal the quality of your product or service, even if you don’t realise it. If you invested in a cheap sign, passers-by may assume that your products or services are as well. However, a quality sign will make a great first impression. Make the best impression possible by including your products or services in the name of your business or tagline, so passersby can immediately decide whether or not they need you.
At Signwrite Studios we help businesses transform their space with eye-catching signage and visual brands. Our designers work closely with you to understand the reason behind each sign, helping to create the perfect products to increase brand recognition and awareness, whatever your business. If you would like to find out more, just get in touch with the team today.
For more information on Can Signage Really Increase Brand Recognition talk to Signwrite Studios Ltd