Let’s rewind for a second and just remind ourselves of what branding actually is – we’ll borrow Seth Godin’s wise words for this;

"A brand is a set of expectations, memories, stories, and relationships that, taken together, account for a consumer’s decision to choose one service over another.”

Everything is going great. You’re getting regular leads and you have no shortage of new customers so all you have to do now is continue to tell the world that you’re here, right? Well yes – and no. This is where the importance of a well-adjusted advertising placement strategy comes into action and the most common cause of brand dilution, when companies have alienated their audience to the point of no return, significantly comes down to what we call signage saturation.

Overstimulation and exposure to branding isn’t actually healthy as it leads to audiences becoming less susceptible to core messaging and stops any potential interaction in its tracks. As signage specialists we understand the power of influence and the importance of positioning as it underpins our industry’s age-old heritage. And so, to help keep your brand strong, we’ve decided to share our knowledge and gift you with our four main pointers on avoiding such an ill fate;

• DON’T spread yourself too thinly: You need 7 different points of contact before a customer would consider buying from you but that doesn’t mean your signage should be everywhere or on everything. Think about context and adding value to your audience’s life.
• DO try to keep your brand consistent: You still want to get your brand out there and attract new customers – this where signage consistency, in relation to design, is key as it encourages brand recognition. Just don’t overdo it.
• DON’T lend your brand to just anyone: Protect your brand’s reputation against negative associations. Be selective of where you place your signage and who your brand collaborates with, keeping in mind that quality always trumps quantity.
• DO stay true to your origins: This is where you can draw a lot of emotion and credibility out of your advertising. Audiences can smell a fraud a mile off so embrace your values.

Ultimately, brand exposure has to trigger emotion or it loses its value. Remember, it’s far harder to win back disenchanted, disengaged and passive audiences than it is to create a demand in the first place. Take our advice, run with it and you won’t regret it.

For advice on your signage placement strategy give us a call on 0800 773 339 or visit www.speedysigns.co.nz