Monday, November 16, 2015

Are Your Signs Just A Pane In The Glass?

What's In A Name?

Ask any "sign person" what makes a successful business name from a sign standpoint, and you are likely to hear a variety of things. Of course we sign folk think about several important sign name points, such as:

  1. How long is the name?
  2. How many channel letters will the name require?
  3. Will a landlord allow the type of sign you want?
  4. Is it a business name that will be easy to remember, and more importantly, work easily in a sign design and on other marketing collateral?
  5. Is it a name that is clear and will not cause confusion about the type of business it represents?
  6. Does the name fit with the corporate image?
  7. Are there specific colors that need to be used with the sign design?
  8. Will the sign name and logo design lend itself to an effective sign layout?
  9. Will the sign fit in the space that is available for the building in which the business resides?
  10. Has an adequate budget been developed for the specifically designed sign? 
INDIANA BONES TEMPLE OF GROOM


Smile-Producing?

Aside from considering all of the above mentioned business name points, is consideration of the creative and smile-producing part of a business name.

Some business owners choose names that elicit a smile. Many of these humorous business names have the deliberate consequence of being not only funny, but memorable. I for one, love to see a fun sign that makes me smile or laugh out loud. I have certainly seen enough signs that make me cringe or cock my head to one side trying to figure out the significance of the name and message. 

Professional Sign Friends of ours recently sent us a series of funny sign pictures. Of course we have seen many of these types of signs through the years, but these were especially funny, so I will share them with you. I must send the business owners a "kudos" for their humorous visions. 


JURASSIC PORK


Successful Sign Ingredients..

DEJA BREW


A humorous business name has to strike a unique balance of being able to touch a humorous note with the viewer, without being too "cutesy" or cheesy. I remember a few years back, I was driving home during afternoon rush hour traffic when our 'wrapped' Vital Sign's van broke down right in the middle of the right lane I was driving in. First of all, I was shocked that people kept honking at me & giving me snarling dirty looks and gestures, as if I could help it. One woman on the back of a motorcycle even screamed at me to get out of the _________road! Well...since I am not strong enough to push a car out of the road by myself, I called the police dept. to at least let them know that I was blocking the lane, until I could get some help.

The policeman showed up...and looked at the van and responded: " Oh, Vital Signs ", I remember this name, I see you guys everywhere. And we get that a lot, even after having been in business for over 10 years. We still hear comments about our fun and memorable name. 

Does It Pay To Have A Humorous Business Name?

CARL'S PANE IN THE GLASS


I'm going to go out on a limb and say that I'm pretty sure that there have been no studies which address the ROI on a humorous business name. But think about it. A customer needs to have a window replaced. A couple of things happen at this point. First, they may remember a quality company that they had used in the past, or possibly they have a referral from someone. 

If not, they may have seen that funny vendor name somewhere (Carl's Pane In The Glass) and be compelled to call. Or perhaps they google or pick up a phone book (if anyone still uses phone books) to search for a company. The customer immediately spots the funny business name among a group of other ho-hum and predictable names, and chooses the funny business name. Very often, a customer will be drawn to that humorous name. Why is that?

Well, let's face it..the goal is to get people to notice your business. A business which has a humorous business name draws attention and smiles, whether that name is on an actual sign or viewed among a directory of similar business types listed somewhere. And very often, that humorous business name reflects the sense of humor of the business owner(s) who created it, and there's something inherently friendly about that.

To Be Funny Or Not To Be...That Is The Question

Ultimately, the business owner(s) is the only one who can decide whether a humorous name is right for his/her business. That decision must take into account the type of business and what types of products and/or services are sold from the business. But when feasible, using a humorous business name can yield an ROI that is nothing to laugh at!

CYCLOANALYSTS

Plan Ahead

If you are an entrepreneur contemplating a new business, or an established entrepreneur contemplating a new business name, let Vital Signs help! Take advantage of our FREE signage consultation to let our design team help brainstorm a business name that will get your business noticed and remembered!!

Call Us TODAY !

(412) 494-3308

www.vitalsignspgh.com





Monday, November 2, 2015

Mosaic Inspiration

When Kids Create

There is nothing more charming than the art pieces that kids create. If you are a parent, you are likely to have a refrigerator, wall or drawer full of your child/children's brilliant works of art spanning months or years. Also, it is typical to visit a children's classroom at any school and to see colorful pictures adorning the classroom walls and halls. But what do you do when you have a huge collection of kid-created ceramic tiles?

The Pittsburgh Public Schools came to Vital Signs with a unique banner concept in mind.
The school wanted to memorialize a mass of ceramic art tiles that their students had created. Tasked with creating a very large banner using the colorful tiles, Vital Signs had to find a solution which would work.

Banner Made With Homemade Tiles

Have Tiles..Will Combine

The creative tiles were placed side-by-side en masse in order to take a picture of them all. The problem was that even a camera with a wide lens could not capture all of the tiles which would make up the 18' x 6' banner. It was decided that our designer would take individual pictures of all of the tile sections and then piece them together with a graphics program. Bob scaled the top of a ladder several times as he moved around the huge floor space filled with tiles as he took pictures.. It was necessary to climb to the top of the ladder to gain as much height as possible in an effort to take clear images of the beautiful tiles. Bob then pieced all of the sections together to create, what turned out as a beautiful art piece.

Vital Signs Has Creative Solutions

This ultra large banner was not our usual request, but another fun project we enjoyed. The Vital Signs Design Team is available to find creative solutions for you too! The more unusual the project, the better we love it!

Call Vital Signs today for your BIG COLOR solutions!


(412) 494-3308

www.vitalsignspgh.com