Get the Most Out of Your Vehicle Wrap
You’ve made the decision to invest in one or more wraps for your fleet of work vehicles. Congratulations! Vehicle wraps are an excellent way to grab the attention of new customers and studies show that your vehicle could garner up to 70,000 impressions every day. That’s a lot of potential customers. While vehicle wraps are actually more affordable than you might expect, they’re still an investment for your business. It’s important to treat them as such by considering the following factors so that you get the most out of your vehicle wrap. Invest in your marketing plan A vehicle wrap is great, but how does it actually fit in with the rest of your marketing? How will the wrap help you meet your larger goals? For example, if your goal is to also grow your food truck’s social media following, make sure to prominently display your social logos on your wrap. If your home design and renovation company targets new homeowners, your messaging should include a thoughtful tagline to that effect. Invest in a quality design It’s not enough to just blast your logo across the side of your truck in black and white. You’ll want to consider image resolution, font type and size, color, placement, and more to avoid having a final product that looks grainy, distorted, or lacks visibility. To get the best results, work with an experienced designer to maximize your branding. Make sure to include a clear call to action that directs people to your website, phone number, or social media. Invest in your audience You’ve got a perfect design and it’s been flawlessly executed. Now what? Take your vehicle straight to your target market. If you’re a caterer, parking near grocery stores will inspire the interest of hungry clients. If you’re in home renovations, make sure that your route takes you through neighborhoods with lots of home sales. Invest in maintenance While keeping your new wrap bright and shiny isn’t difficult, it’s still important to keep it spotless. Handwashing is by far the best way to maintain your wrap. Just as important is investing in keeping your vehicles themselves in good repair – a new wrap won’t make much of an impression if your vehicles are in disrepair. Invest in a quality job We all loved to play with stickers when we were kids but installing a graphic vehicle wrap is a lot more complicated than putting on a big sticker. Research potential shops for your job and don’t be afraid to ask to see their portfolio. A reputable installer will always be excited to show off their stellar work. The time it takes to conceptualize, design, and install a vehicle wrap is an investment. However, when you consider the potential payoffs for your business – one of your most important investments – it’s an easy decision.
How Signage & Floor Wraps Will Enhance Your Event
While no two events are exactly the same, that doesn’t mean no one has cracked the code when it comes to planning the perfect one. Events come in all different shapes and sizes. From weddings to trade shows, there’s a special way to celebrate any occasion. There are staple components that every event needs to be a success and then there are things that can help you take the celebration to the next level. We’re talking about custom signage and floor wraps! Let’s walk you through how signage and floor wraps will enhance your special event. Signs At Your Event Signage most likely won’t be the central focus of your event. But sometimes, it’s easily forgotten. Without clear and concise signage directing your guests and attendees to help them find what they’re looking for, the occasion can quickly descend into chaos. Suddenly, guests will take note of the lack of signage. With proper signage, you can create positive event experiences for your guests to remember. As soon as you secure a venue, take a look at the floor plan and determine what kind of signs your event needs. For things like trade shows and festivals, attendees will need to know where to pick up their tickets, where the restrooms are or where they can find food and drinks. At a wedding, your guests should be directed where to sit, informed of the event’s hashtag, or told where to sign the guest book or pick up their party favors. The purpose of your signs should be to direct and inform your guests to alleviate any confusion. Once you’ve determined the necessary messages, it’s time to get creative. How you present the information is just as important as the information itself. With the right design, you can elevate the experience. If you’re hosting a corporate event or conference, it’s important to remember that each sign is a touchpoint and acts as an opportunity to impress your attendees. The more engaging your signage is, the better. You’ll open up new possibilities with attendees and sponsors alike. The Appeal Of Floor Graphics Like appealing signage, floor graphics are another way to engage with your attendees and guests. Recently, the most popular types of floor graphics have been dance floor wraps. At weddings or corporate events, a dance floor wrap is an ideal way to transform the reception space from floor to ceiling. A stunning monogram placed in the center of the dance floor will up the luxury factor of your special day. Decorating the dance floor of your corporate or fundraising event with your logo will help keep your business and brand as the central focus as your attendees dance the night away. But floor graphics don’t just stop at the dance floor. Custom floor vinyl is a unique and interesting way to attract attention. At a trade show or convention, floor graphics can lead your attendees to different areas of interest. You can advertise special events or booths with graphics on the floor. Placing messages in new and unexpected places will help those messages to be more memorable. Taking the time to design a custom floor graphic won’t go unnoticed by your guests or attendees. They’re a unique way to get your point across and create a more personalized experience. The creative possibilities are endless! Start Designing Your Signage & Floor Wraps Today If you’ve got a special event coming up, don’t forget to include signs and floor graphics! Our team of experts can help you design and create custom signage and floor wraps that will take your celebration or occasion to the next level. Contact SHOUT! today to start designing your event signage and custom floor wraps today.
How to Use Floor Graphics to Drive Sales
Businesses tend to look to the same types of marketing, but there’s one often overlooked location that can be a significant source of opportunity for businesses: floors. Through the use of custom floor graphics, you can promote specific items, services or sales to boost your bottom line. Durable, affordable and designed to create an impact, businesses of any type can use them to make a measurable impact on their profits. Psychologist Joseph S. King showed people are programmed by nature to pay attention to the ground to see where they’re going. Combined with the fact that up to 82% of the purchase decisions of customers are made in-store are made according to POPAI, (Point of Purchase Advertising International, 2014), it’s no surprise floor graphics deliver astounding results when used properly. You can use floor graphics to influence these point of purchase decisions, getting results by subtly showcasing select brands and products. A study took a close look at the impact of floor graphics on sales and the results were astounding. When a store uses floor decals in the aisle, sales increased 20-50% and brand image also improved. On top of that, nearly 20% of shoppers stopped to get a closer look at the decal! The results make it clear floor advertising catches shoppers’ eyes and even more importantly influences what they wind up buying and how much. By redirecting attention to the floor and showing an item in a novel way with relevant messaging, businesses can create a positive effect on the revenue. Incorporating these graphics doesn’t have to be difficult either. There are plenty of ways to cost-effectively incorporate them into a marketing and advertising strategy. Built to last and affordable Floor graphics are vinyl adhesives designed to not damage floors, last under foot traffic and maintain their impact for months. They’re easy to apply to both smooth and textured surfaces and are just as simple to remove, leaving no damage to the original flooring. Laminated with a slip-resistant coating, they’re also designed to prevent accidents caused by slipping. The low cost of these graphics makes them ideal for short-term promotions while their durability means they’ll last if you’re looking for long-term signage. Promote products and sales Do you have an ongoing special, referral program or exclusive sale? Floor graphics can be strategically placed to promote them. This unique approach is much more likely to get someone’s attention than traditionally placed items. It also means there’s no loss of valuable space that can occur with bulky displays or signage. Promotions that run until a particular date are also perfect for floor graphics if you’re looking to push a certain discount or item. Product launches are also well-suited for promotion through floor graphics, with the signage being used to showcase the item and direct customers to it. Have something in limited quantity or only discounted for a short time? Be sure to highlight that as well. Not just for retail The sales power of floor graphics isn’t exclusive to retail and stores. Conferences and sporting events can also benefit from using floor graphics, steering attendees toward merchandise areas or featured exclusive items available only at the event. Future events can also be promoted, such as an upcoming exhibit as a museum, to draw visitors back through a visual display that doesn’t take up valuable space. Boost your bottom line If you’re looking to increase your sales without breaking the bank, floor graphics can be a powerful way to make it happen. Creative and unique, they stand out from the other advertising methods for a fraction of the cost. Bold and colorful graphics get the attention of potential customers and guide them to purchasing choices that will increase your profits.
5 Tips for a Successful Direct Mail Campaign
Don’t be fooled by consumers’ reliance on smartphones and the internet. Direct mail marketing campaigns can still make an impact on your bottom line. Companies have really doubled down when it comes to digital marketing, and rightfully so. We spend so much time plugged into our emails, social media profiles and just browsing the web. But because we are constantly bombarded with digital ads left and right, it’s easy to be blind to them. That’s why businesses shouldn’t discredit the power of a direct mail campaign. Snail mail is not going away anytime soon and that means it’s another way to reach your target audience. But it’s never wise to just start sending flyers to the members of your community. In order to put a successful direct mail campaign into market, you need a plan. Here are some tips to help you get the most out of your campaign. 1. Define Your Target Audience In a perfect world, you’d want everyone to want and need your product and services. But when you’re spending your time and money on marketing, defining your target audience is key. Don’t be afraid to get specific either. The more you know about these consumers, the better you can shape the messaging you use to reach them. Once you know who they are, you can move on to the next steps in creating your direct mail marketing campaign. 2. Get A List You know who you’re trying to reach and now it’s time to figure out how to reach them. Acquiring a list that is stacked with relevant and targeted recipients is crucial when it comes to the success of the campaign. Think of it like this. If you’re sending out direct response campaigns to anyone within spitting distance of your business, your response rate might be less than favorable. That’s because not everyone in your area may be in need of your product or services. But if you’re making sure your campaign gets into the right hands by sending the mail campaign to the right people, your return on investment will be much improved. 3. Create A Clear And Simple Message After your target audience receives your marketing collateral in the mail, what do you want them to do? Once you know your call-to-action, everything else will fall into place. Your message should be clear and simple to not distract from your call-to-action. The biggest mistake we’ve seen with direct mail campaigns is that businesses try to stuff as much information as they can into the postcard or catalog. The saying is “less is more” for a reason! Your campaign should simply answer the following questions: 1. Who are you? 2. What do you do? 3. Where are you? 4. Why are you contacting them? 5. How can you help? Basing your messaging around answering these simple questions will make your overall message clear and concise. Potential clients and consumers will know exactly what to do next. 4. Design a Compelling Piece When it finally comes time to design your mailer, start by choosing the medium. Is your audience going to be more excited about a catalog or a postcard? What kind of incentive will entice them to follow through with your call-to-action? What images or layout will help convey your overall message? These are just some of the things you need to consider when designing the collateral for your campaign. The most important thing to remember is to keep the design on brand. You want anyone who comes across your direct mail campaign to recognize your brand no matter where they see it. That means keeping the design consistent when it comes to your brick-and-mortar locations, website, emails and social presence. Brand continuity is a crucial component of any marketing campaign. 5. Track and Analyze Results The biggest mistake we’ve seen companies make when running a direct mail campaign is that they don’t track the results as efficiently as possible. Not gathering the right metrics not only hurts your current campaign but can also influence future campaigns. While ultimately, it all comes down to the return on investment, it’s important to analyze the results on a deeper level as well. Here are some ways you can track the effectiveness of a campaign: Include a coupon code that is unique to your mailer campaign that consumers can redeem on your website, via a phone call or in-store. Launch a special landing page that’s specific to the content and offer featured on your postcard that people can visit to learn more or redeem the offer. List a unique phone number so that you can track the calls that come in in regards to the offer or discount highlighted in your mailer. Create a contest that can be entered using information featured on the piece of mail you sent to your list, whether that’s directing them to a contest landing page, including a special access code, or encouraging them to stop into your location or store. With these tips, you should be able to create a direct mail campaign that speaks to the modern consumer. But a marketers job is never done. Once a campaign has been completed, it’s important to learn from the data you’ve collected. What worked? What didn’t work? Should you update your target audience? These are all questions we can help you answer if you partner with SHOUT! to deploy a direct mailer campaign. If you’re ready to find out more about our direct mail and mail fulfillment services, contact us today!
Benefitting From Step and Repeat Banners at Your Next Trade Event
Getting your logo out there and making it universally recognizable is essential to any company’s brand and marketing strategy, but one of the easiest and most cost-effective ways of doing this often goes unheeded! This is the use of step and repeat banners. Have you ever seen your favorite sports star, film actor or politician making a speech to the backdrop of a banner covered in repeating logos? Well, if the answer is yes, then you’ve seen exactly how effective step and repeat banners can be! Here at SHOUT!, we’re going to give you the low-down on why step and repeat banners are so effective, and how you can utilize them for cost-effective brand promotion at your events. How do step and repeat banners work? Step and repeat banners offer a place of focus for photos, interviews, and videos to be taken at your event – and, with your logo plastered all over the background, each one will have the potential to spread your company’s brand far and wide. By creating a vibrant aesthetic effect at an event, your step and repeat banner will offer something to those who come to your event or visit your station at a trade fair – mainly a place where potential clients can have a great photo or video interview, allowing them to capitalize on the prestige that comes with being at the event. With your company’s logo in the background, there are multiple avenues of opportunity for your company’s brand to get out and about. The benefits of step and repeat banners Step and repeat banners rely on the organic sharing of photos and videos posted on social media, online magazines, and between interested parties to maximize the exposure of your brand during and after an event. The higher the profile of the people standing in front of that banner, the greater the chance of success as it’s likely that these moments will be shared more widely. If you can’t get Hollywood or NFL stars to your event (and we’d be very impressed if you could!), try encouraging some of the industry’s top personnel to pose for pictures, conduct interviews, and make speeches in front of your step and repeat banner. What’s more, your company’s logo will be spread organically after the event, meaning there are no expenses for the maintenance of its visibility on social media, websites, or magazines. In this way, step and go banners are low cost and low maintenance – the perfect combination. If a video of someone speaking in front of your banner goes viral, there’s potential for your company’s logo to be exposed to a huge number of potential clients, consolidating your brand and increasing its recognition factor! How SHOUT! can help you At SHOUT!, we provide the skill, knowledge, and technology to produce a step and repeat banner that will have undoubted benefits for your company’s brand through maximum exposure. Available in a range of sizes, brilliant colors, and ultra-high definition printed design; we can make you stand out no matter who is standing in front of your banner. What’s more, step and repeat banners can be used repeatedly, meaning a one-time investment can lead to in-numerous opportunities for exposure and potentially that big break your company needs! Visit our website, email us, or give us a call today to find out how we can provide you with a bespoke step and repeat banner that makes your company’s recognition factor skyrocket!
The Key To Using Print and Digital to Drive Sales
Every sales person and business owner would love it if the tactical part of selling was as easy as making a call, sending an email and closing the deal. There are proven ways you can use print and digital to close sales even quicker. Here’s how you can tie-in print to your digital sales efforts to quickly move leads through the sales funnel depending on what stage a prospect is in, turning them into clients even faster. AWARENESS If someone doesn’t know about your product or service, how can they purchase it? The very first step is making sure people know about your company. There’s also a lot of opportunity to build trust at this stage. Seeing consistent branding, high-value messaging and quality design go a long way toward getting positive brand recognition. It’s important to focus on your Unique Selling Proposition at this stage in both digital and print. Focus on what value you provide, what your prospect’s pain points and problems are and how you can provide solutions. You can also include results others have seen by using what you have to offer. If your leads are in this stage you can build your brand awareness and make the most of each impression with: Banner ads Facebook ads Website Blog posts Educational content like white-papers Infographics The great part about using print in your sales process,, is the number of impressions that can be generated. Direct mail is addressed to one person but can virally make the rounds through three or four people, getting you even more exposure per piece. Examples of print you can use in the awareness stage include: Tip sheets Business cards Direct mail INTEREST Once a potential client knows about your company and becomes interested, the next step is to educate them on what you have to offer. Guide them through the process with a little hand-holding using digital and print to establish expertise and relevance. Blogs and websites can highlight experience, practical tips and advice and showcase past projects and successes. You can offer case studies in a print or digital format to highlight the way you’ve helped others. ROI calculators are another way you can create a big impression. Nothing speaks louder than numbers and statistics, so this is a perfect time to show what the potential impact will be. How much money will they save? What results can they expect? You may have even been lucky enough to get a meeting. Make an impact right away with custom printed presentation folders and sales sheets. How you follow up with initial meetings is critical – think print collateral here! Bring along print pieces to leave afterward that show why you’re the right choice. For each and every print piece, you’ll want to choose the type of paper, stock, font and design that reflects your brand. In every situation in this stage, be proactive and make it easy for prospects to find what they’re looking for. DECISION You’re almost there! Your potential buyer has decided that they are now interested in what you have, but will it be you they actually purchase from? Now’s the time to get out those testimonials. Make sure your loyal customers have left positive reviews on Google, Yelp and Facebook. Customers want to feel confident they’re making the right choice and reviews can go a long way toward sealing the deal. Another key piece of digital advice at this stage is video. Include customer testimonials combined with case studies to bring to life past successes and the real voices of actual customers. These can be sent through email marketing and posted both on social media and your website. Your website presence is as essential as it was in the beginning when you were building brand awareness. There’s good odds a client will visit your site again, reading product and service descriptions more thoroughly and looking for answers to all their remaining questions. Make this information easy to find and read. Content creation makes your site more sticky and gets people coming back. You can also use special offers, especially through print, to help drive a purchase decision. Flyers, direct mail pieces and coupons can help provide that little extra push. ACTION It’s official. You’ve earned their business. Once you’re done celebrating it’s time to focus on confirming why they’ve made the right choice. Welcome emails, content that’s available only to clients (white papers, educational info, etc.), and even a handwritten note can help make a customer feel special and that their business is appreciated. There you have it. Easy ways you can utilize both print and digital to close your sales even faster. Amanda Sexton is a contributing Editor for SHOUT, a 25 year old graphic and print solutions family-owned company located in Flemington, NJ that specializes in high-quality results for businesses, entertainment and events, and commercial services. Focused on providing products that support a broader goal for their customers, SHOUT’s team delivers projects with a personal touch throughout the entire process.
Salvation Army – The City College of New York
Wedding event at Trump Hotel in Washington, DC. Special gold treatment is an upgraded material treatment but available to planners looking to do an enhanced presentation to an amazing event.
Floor Graphic – Wedding / Trump Hotel (Washington, DC)
Wedding event at Trump Hotel in Washington, DC. Special gold treatment is an upgraded material treatment but available to planners looking to do an enhanced presentation to an amazing event.
Floor Graphic – Wedding / American Museum of Natural History (New York)
SHOUT was approached to create a spectacular graphic presentation for a June Wedding within the Ocean Room of the American Museum of Natural History. With over 500+ attendees, the Bride and Groom desired having a focal point floor graphic covering the dance floor that would serve as the centerpiece of their big night.
What Coca-Cola’s “Share A Coke” Campaign Can Teach You About Print Impact
What really caught our attention in a recent article was how Coke used print to help create a successful campaign. The article showed the huge role print played – billboards and banners were used to help promote the campaign. But it was a very specific type of print advertisements, ones that used bold, high-quality and consistent graphics.