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Maximising your Marketing Budget – What to consider When Planning Retail Signage
Outdoor signage is arguably the most important kind of signage in physical retail because it’s what gets customers in the door. It is the beginning of a relationship. Exterior signage is the first impression customers have of your business.
These signs need to do more than simply announce who you are, they need to draw in customers and make them want something from you. Effective signage may encourage people who have passed your store many times before to try out your company.
Place signage where easy to see for drive-by traffic as well as people walking through the centre.
Your Outdoor signage in particular should be to convey the experience that they can expect inside the establishment.
Here are some tips for planning your retail signage.
Things to include. Be Specific. Give your address, what you do and contact details. I have often seen signage, but not had the time to visit the store, but if there is a contact number, I save it on my phone and call the retailer to ask for prices or get an appointment for my hair or nails or book a table.
Keep things simple. No one has the time to read through lots of info on your signage. People would see the main content within 5 seconds or you have lost them.
Write in headline text. It should be punchy and to the point. Please test the size of your text. Can the information be seen from a distance? A good rule of thumb is every 1 inch (2.54cm) of letter height provides 10 feet of readability with the best impact. For example, 3” tall letters make the best impact within 30’ (9.14 meters); however, they can still be seen and read from up to 100’ (30.48meters) away.
Consider your location. When designing your sign, consider how you will be using it, as well as how far away the readers you want to impact will be. For example, if you are placing a sales advertisement inside your retail store, your text only needs to be visible to the people in the store. 1-2” (2.54 to 5.08cm ) letters (or smaller) would work just fine. However, if you are hanging banners and want drivers on a nearby highway to be able to see them, design your letters at 3” (7.62 cm) or even larger.
Colour scheme. Another important factor is to use contrasting colours when designing your sign. Text colour with a contrasting background significantly increases the impact and visibility of your sign by making your text stand out more. On the other hand, using a background colour that is similar to the text colour can make your message almost impossible to see at any distance. Some of the most-visible text colours include black, red, and white, each of which can be seen the best with a contrasting background colour. Readable distance can vary 10% depending on various colour combinations.
Font Type: The font type that you choose can also impact the visibility of your text. Very thin fonts and script fonts can potentially decrease visibility. When choosing fonts, you should select a bold style that is easy to read and sufficient spacing between letters (kerning). Test this by typing your message in a computer program using different font styles, colors, and sizes. Printing the document out and post it against a wall. Stand back and view the message at different distances to see how font choice comes into play when choosing the proper lettering for your sign.
When you need to set up your retail store, we can help with a range of retail signage including Canvas prints, Contra vision, Fence wraps, Forex Signs, Hanging banners, In store correx signs, Indoor light boxes; PVC Banners, Vinyl Windows, flags, banners and gazebos.
For more information on retail signage contact us on info@belleregalo.co.za or call us on Office: 0115932450. Office Cell: 082 948 7461 and request a quotation for your retail signage.
The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author.
Maximising Your Marketing Budget: Gift and Goody Bags
By Kim Vermaak
12 July 2017
I love a beautifully wrapped parcel. But sometimes you just don’t have the time to get creative on every gift, especially when you have to hand out a few hundred of them. This is where printed gift bags can help you out.
Gift wrapping certainly heightens the participation of the recipient, which adds to the experience of getting a gift. At some level it brings out that inner child, which is why lucky packets are so popular with children. Adults call them goody bags and they remain a popular give away at events.
Printed laminated paper bags are a great marketing tool for any business. Whether you’re a chocolate shop selling to consumers on the local high street, or a corporate organisation making your mark at an industry trade show, printed bags will strengthen your branding.
Here are some helpful tips when preparing for your event and ordering goody bags.
BEFORE ORDERING
Make sure you order the correct size
We had a client who ordered bags from us, but not the gifts. When we got to the venue, their gifts did not fit and they had to remove the gifts from the supplied boxes to get them into the bag.
Ensure that you have high resolution images to send
If you are going for a full colour print, you want to have an excellent high quality image. The smaller the image the more blurry the print. You want a high impact bag that speaks of quality, so make sure your images convey that impression.
Know the minimum quantities
Litho printed bags require very large minimum quantities, starting off at 1000 units. However digitally printed or screen printed bags can have lower minimums.
Know the weight of the bag
Many stock item bags start with a weight of 135gsm. Heavier weighted bags are often custom made and require large quantities. If your gift is going to be very heavy, rather gift wrap and add a ribbon for flair.
Products added to goody bags, should be light enough not to put strain on the bag. You don’t want the handle of the bag slipping out and your client’s goodies falling out on the ground.
SETTING UP AT YOUR EVENT
Do the packaging on site.
Gift bags are supplied flat, which makes them easy to transport. If you pack in advance, the gifts will take up a lot of space and are more likely to get bent or damaged. So transporting them flat and packing at the venue, keeps them in pristine condition.
Bring a Team
Do remember to bring a team of people in to help you set up on the day. Conveyor belt style works. Get one person to open the bags and line them up. Get another person to add in the gifts and a final person to add the tissue paper.
Working on one task at a time, build momentum and you will finish up faster.
Add Tissue Paper
Tissue paper adds an element of mystery as recipients can’t see what is in the bag. It also finishes off the bag beautifully, with that added extra detail.
Plan when to hand out your goody bags
If the gift can be used at the event, hand them out at the registration desk. If the gift is going to be used at home, then hand out the goody bags when the delegates leave.
I attended a training event, where there were no notebooks, note pads or pens on the tables. I needed having to hand our promo pens to some of the delegates that I had happened to have on hand. When we left the event, we got a goody bag with a notebook and pen in it. The coordinator had lost the opportunity to have an impactful gift.
Whatever your business, B2B or B2C, if you’re hosting a special event, opening a new store, or launching a new product, goody bags are the ideal way to send the message of your company and your brand home with the visitors.
So go out and WOW your clients.
For more information on other promotional items contact us on info@belleregalo.co.za or 0115932450 or 082 948 7461 or visit us on http://belleregaloshop.bcgshop.co.za/
MaxiMImising Your Marketing Budget: Understanding Power Banks ©
By Kim Vermaak
For a mobile office connectivity is not just important, it is the life blood of your business. The timing of access to information is almost as critical as the information, itself. That is why you cannot afford to be without power. We are so grateful; for the invention of the power bank. A small is size, but hugely impactful corporate gift.
Not being a technical person, I have always only wanted to know if a product works and what are the benefits to me.
But in truth, with the power bank, not all power banks are created equal. So to get the best use from your power bank, you need to understand some of the basic jargon, so that you can choose the power bank best suited to your needs. For example, not all power banks can charge a tablet, so if you use a tablet for keeping in touch with your clients, you will be extremely frustrated if your power bank does not charge it.
Before you read this, it is important to know that it is a guide from one non-technical person to another. It is for marketers and communication managers trying to make sense of a product that is a useful gift, in a way that helps build you brand and not tarnish it, by choosing inferior products. So wrap your brain around these terms, so that you can make smarter choices, when using this corporate gifting option.
Another key factor to consider is that a power bank is one part of a relationship. That is a relationship between the power bank and your devise. So one person’s experience of the same power bank will be different from another person, because of the type of cell phone or tablet that they are using.
At the end of this article, we include a comparison of two power banks, to help you apply the terms explained in this article.
Power Bank Safety
Due to their increasing popularity some unscrupulous manufacturers are reducing costs by providing low grade batteries that not only provide a lower capacity and life span than stated, but could also be potentially dangerous and not fully tested.
So two power banks that look alike can have vastly different performance and functionality. So be cautious when choosing a power bank supplier. Certain power banks are certified by South Africans Standards Authorities, so do ask if the product that you are purchasing has been accredited.
Capacity
You will see mAh on your power bank. This is a unit of measure called a Milliamp hour.
This is the measurement of the amount of energy a battery can store. The higher the number, the larger the battery capacity.
As batteries inside smartphones, tablets and other mobile devises vary. The ability of the power bank to charge a devise will vary as well.
A 2600mAH power bank may fully charge an iPhone, but the same power bank may only charge an IPad up to 40% because the internal battery of an iPad is much larger than an iPhone.
Cycle Life
Basically this means how many times the power bank can recharge a devise before the power bank becomes useless.
Always choose batteries that have a true cycle rating of 300 cycles or more to ensure than your power bank will last beyond your campaign. The longer the life span of the power bank, the more mileage you will get from your marketing budget.
Efficiency
This measures how efficient the energy transfer is.
Power banks dramatically vary in energy transfer efficiency. This can range from 50% to 82% of the rated capacity. It is a sort of equation to see how well power banks of the same capacity (battery size) will perform against each other.
If you compare it to human beings one employee with the same age, education and background may perform better than another.
A power bank rated at 2600mAh with a 50% efficiency will only be able to give back a 1300mAh to your mobile devise. Whereas a 2000mAh with a 80% efficiency can give back 1600mAh to your mobile device.
So in this case a smaller battery capacity will outperform a larger capacity power bank.
Input Current
This shows how quickly a power bank can be recharged from a power source such as a USB port or plug at the wall.
This is often not a critical factor if you are charging the power bank overnight. But if you like me, forget to charge your devises until the last minute, then what you need to know is that the lower the input current number, the slower the power bank will recharge.
Bigger capacity power banks do need a larger time to recharge.
Output Current
This measures how quickly the power bank can recharge your devise.
The higher the number, the faster the power bank will charge your devise. But you have to combine this with what the manufacturer of your personal device will allow its battery to be recharged at. This is where the relationship aspect that we mentioned earlier comes into play.
Smaller smart phones like the iPhone 4 or Blackberry will only allow charging up to 800-900mAh per hour. Even if you plug them into the fastest adaptor, some smart phones have a circuitry in them that restricts how much power they can receive. Devices like the Galaxy note 3 or iPad will accept from 1400 – 180o mAh per hour.
So pay attention to your client base. If you are aiming at clients with a normal hand set, then you can go for a power bank with an output current of 800-900mAh. But if it is likely that your clients may be using more power hungry devises like an iPad, then you want to choose power banks with an output current of around 200mAh.
Please remember that the output current is NOT the same as the Capacity.
Discharge Time
This is the length of time that is takes for the power bank to drain out while charging another item.
Speed varies depending on which mobile devise you are charging, hence the greater than or equal to symbols that your will find in the product description are used to represent a variable figure.
Recharge Time
This is the length of time that a power bank requires to fully recharge itself at a power source, for example a USB port or a wall plug.
Speed varies depending on the USB power source that you attach to the charger. Power output can range widely from 350mA to 1000mA on most USB power sources. Therefore the greater than or equal to symbols your will find in the product description are used to represent a variable figure.
LED Indicators
Some power banks come with LED indicators that can that can help a customer to check on the battery level of the power bank.
Lithium Ion vs Lithium Polymer
There are two types of batteries commonly used in portable devises.
Lithium Ion battery keeps the electrolyte in an organic solvent.
Lithium Polymer holds its lithium-salt electrolyte in a solid polymer composite. A Lithium Polymer battery tends to be more stable, thinner and lighter than the Lithium Ion. It can also be transformed into almost any shape.
Simultaneous Recharging
Some power banks are able to charge more than one devise at the same time.
Price
The higher the capacity of the power bank, the higher the price. So decide in advance what product performance variances you want in comparison to what your budget allows.
Comparison Example
In this example, we are comparing two power banks.
The Vitality Power Bank vs the Dynamix Power Bank.
CAPASITY mAh: The capacity measurement of Power in the Dymamix (8000 mAh) far outweighs of the Vitality power bank. This means that the Dynamix can “store” far more power in its battery than the Vitality power bank.
Cycle Life: Both power banks can be used up to 500 times.
Input Current: The Vitality power bank recharges itself (DC 5V/800mA) at a slower rate than the Dynamix power bank (5V/1000mA).
Output Current: The Dymamix power bank (5V/1000mA-2100mA) recharges a devise at a slightly faster rate than the Vitality (5V/1000mA)
Recharge Time: Because of its large capacity of 8000mAh, the Dynamix takes 7 hours to charge. Whereas, the 2000mAh of the Vitality power bank only requires a recharge time of 3.5 hours.
Discharge Time: The Dynamix will take 3.5 hours before if lose all its power after recharging another devise, which is a better performance than the Vitality, which takes 1.5 hours before it loses its power and needs to be recharged.
Price: The Dymamix is a higher priced power bank.
We hope that this article will help you make more informed decisions on power banks for your marketing campaigns, so that you choose the best gifts to WOW your clients.
For more information on other outstanding corporate gifts and clothing contact us on info@belleregalo.co.za or 082 948 7461 or visit us on http://belleregaloshop.bcgshop.co.za/
Disclaimer: While every care was taken to provide corrcet information, the staff at Belle Regalo are not responsible for any losses or damages inclured while using this information.
Copywrite: Belle Regalo ©
Maximising Your Marketing Budget: Packaging: The Benefit of Gift Wrapping
By Kim Vermaak
I admit it, I am a packaging lover. For me a Christmas gift or birthday gift is not just about the gift, but the love and care that the giver has put into preparing the gift.
Whether you are a paper riper or you lovingly open up the packaging hoping to recycle it for another gift wrapping event, packaging does add to the experience of gift giving and receiving.
After a bit of research, I now realise that besides my personal feelings there is actually a science behind gift wrapping. As a marketer, trying to make your mark with perspective clients, you need to be aware of the benefits of gift wrap.
According to a study published in 1992 by Daniel Howard, professor of marketing at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, it appears recipients actually like gift-wrapped presents more than unwrapped gifts. To test this question, Dr Howard designed a series of experiments to test his basic hypothesis: a gift-wrapped item influences the recipient to have a more favourable attitude towards owning the gift item,
In this experiment, half of the subjects were given their bicycle cover in the manufacturer's plastic bag, whilst the other half received their gift wrapped in blue-and-white paper with a matching ribbon and bow. The subjects were then asked to rate their gift on three nine-point scales, ranging from undesirable to desirable, from bad to good and from foolish to wise. Those test subjects who received the gift wrapped bicycle seat cover gave it a higher overall approval rating (7.14) than those who received it unwrapped (6.06)
With this information, think on this. Your corporate packaging and presentation is an essential part of your marketing and brand communication strategy, an extension of your business, an opportunity to brand your business long after the item has left your offices, creating a definitive impression.
You can go a simple as a plain roll of paper in your corporate colours, with branded ribbon, and gift tags which is simple, yet effective. Or you can go for a more decorate approach with boxes, satin lining and layered ribbon.
So get creative and add the relationship building benefits to your gift giving with wrapping.
Source of Research: Howard, D. (1992). Gift-Wrapping Effects on Product Attitudes: A Mood-Biasing Explanation. Journal of Consumer Psychology, 1 (3), 197-223
How to Choose