Vinyl Signs

Marketing strategies of different companies often include using large format printing to increase brand awareness. Among others, large vinyl banners are the most popular type of advertising, since they are not expensive and multifunctional.

While constructing the vinyl sign, designers use bold colors and messages that attract customers’ attention. Banners are also an option for area separation, way directing, presenting information, etc., which makes them beneficial for numerous businesses. Entrepreneurs understand that the more people see the advertisement the more profit they have. As a result, considering that large vinyl banners are easy in storing and caring, for and comparatively cheap, they are a good investment for any business.

Production

The material of vinyl banners helps to make the images clear and colors vivid. Besides, they are easy to install, ship, and store. Moreover, plastic PVC used for banner production is very flexible so it can be rolled when necessary and then unrolled without losing basic features. Usually, the vinyl banners can be printed to 4 feet wide and 48 feet long. The thicknesses can also vary from 10 to 15 oz. Banners with the lowest thickness are mostly used for indoor advertising as retractable stands. The picture can be printed only on one side of the 15 oz thick banner. Thirteen-ounce vinyl signs are the most popular among customers and producers since they can be displayed both indoors and outdoors (Custom Vinyl Banner Printing, n.d.). Speaking about inks, possible choices are aqueous, latex, UV-cure, and solvent inks. Each type has advantages and disadvantages but printing with UV inks helps receive text or photos of high quality and density. Besides, the usage of such inks reduces the impact on the environment, which makes them even more attractive. The hems are very important while producing a vinyl sign since they have to be unnoticeable. The banners can be glued or taped but in order to protect the banner from fraying, it is strongly recommended to weld the hem. When parts of vinyl are heated together, the bond between them is strong and reliable. If the customers want to reach the highest level of installation flexibility, printing companies offer to add pole pockets, meal, or wooden dowels after production. The other specific need can be achieved by leaving the fabric without a hem at all. Installing a banner is easy to perform and can be done using a rope, zip ties, bolts, or other means depending on the place and difficulty of installation (Nelson, 2014). Even though the material and inks are waterproof, it is not recommended to put the banner in areas of extreme weather conditions.

Usage

Vinyl banners can be printed for a one-time occasion or be a constant type of advertisement. Banners can play an informative role in an announcement during family celebrations, such as a wedding, birthday parties, baby showers, and other events. Its cost is low, so parents can afford to buy the sign and, for example, place it in the front yard to congratulate their kid. Some events require an effective direction system and vinyl signs are helpful in such situations. Such events may include a big wedding or a business meeting. Entrepreneurs use them for grand openings, announcing a new line of a product, or special prices. Point-of-purchase is not as effective without vinyl banners as with them, since the image of a product can remind the customer about a purchase, attract them and inform them about a new brand or option the product offers. During the elections, every candidate wants to promote himself and motivate people to vote for him. Vinyl banners are helpful for such purposes and cost less than TV or radio advertisements. Sometimes, the banners include not only the picture but also text, which is simple and fast to read. Short texts on banners can be explained by the fact that the advertisements attract the reader’s attention for the first 5 seconds only since nobody wants to spend more time on them (Banner Advertising Marketing Your Brand with Vinyl Banners, n.d.). Nowadays, it is more common to use a minimalistic design with just a company’s logo, social media accounts, and QR codes for immediate purchase on the website. The effectiveness of vinyl banners is in affordability and the possibility to expose the message to big crowds. Even having a small budget, a couple of vinyl banners will improve the marketing strategy for a company or business. The location also plays a vital role in installing a sign, since the banner has to be noticeable for those who walk and drive, concentrating on the services or products the company offers. Finding a busy place visited by thousands of people daily and placing several vinyl banners of a big size there will help the business to grow faster, and receive high revenues.

Businesses

The most obvious businesses that benefit from large vinyl banners are retail stores. However, many other companies use them too. Cinemas and theatres make large signs inside or outside of their buildings to show the list of new movies or performances. Such posters usually include the date, time, and name of a movie. The other example is music festivals, such as Coachella, where vinyl banners are used not only as means of advertising but also as informative stands where, for example, a map of a festival can be printed. Besides, to reach a high level of organization, directions, parking prints, restroom signs, and meeting points have to be well-observed. The signs do not only inform but help to avoid unpleasant situations and misunderstandings. Houses are also often covered with vinyl printings that say “House for sale” or “Rent”, which means that real estate companies use them often as well. It decreases the expenses of the newspaper advertisement and can lead to a direct purchase of the place. Sometimes, there is no need to pay for additional advertisements and put them into the magazine or newspaper, if the house can sell itself using the exterior. The same rule can be applied to hotels and hostels near the roads, which display posters informing about the presence of vacant places. The direct message can immediately motivate potential customers to stop for a night and not search for other options.

The vinyl posters help to deliver messages of the current advertisement campaign to clients. For example, Obey Clothing tries to inform its customers about new products by using the art of Shepard Fairey, and by designing posters with interesting content. The company sells clothing for youth paying attention to graffiti stencils of their logo and store name in the advertisements. The vinyl signs are powerful tools for Obey to spread awareness of their brand and street art. Car dealers use banners to announce the new model's production. Their outdoor large vinyl printings are usually displayed on the front of the office or on the actual vehicle. Such companies expect that the big size of the sign will be noticed from far away. The attractiveness of the banner can be achieved by full-color banners and picturing appropriate images on them.

Tradeshows and Events

Despite some critics, vinyl banners can be very useful in the process of announcing an event. Every occasion, from school picnics to NBA games, becomes known to the public due to vinyl signs. Football, hockey, basketball, and other games are full of sponsors’ banners to show spectators the loyalty of the company to the event. Moreover, vinyl banners are often used to indicate cafeterias or restrooms so that visitors could spot them faster. The other occasions for using banners include parades. People take part in parades to celebrate or express their opinion on some events. In order to deliver their message not only by shouting it loud but also print slogans on banners, which are mostly vinyl. If such signs are used, they can be easily captured by cameras and even shown on TV later. These signs are easy to carry and store so they are widely used by people. Besides, organizers of charity events also include vinyl banners but not only for the announcements. They may put photos of children or people who suffer from a disease. In addition, the banners can show statistics or results of previous similar campaigns. It is done with the aim of increasing awareness of people regarding some specific problems and calls people to action.

At the same time, tradeshows require eye-catching advertisement solutions that companies have to think about. The competitors often fight for their target audience offering video clips, promotional materials, and endless presentations and masterclasses to keep the clients and sponsors interested. However, all these sources will not be so effective without a sign that displays a logo or short motto that is easy to memorize. Very often, a simple phrase can attract a potential customer and provide him with necessary information about the type of company he/she is dealing with. Since the trade-show presentations are costly for customers, they want to use them more than once making vinyl signs the most convenient option. However, the success of the campaign depends on the design and location of the banners. They have to be located at eye level and painted in nice colors. In addition, the quality of print has to be very high in order to create a reputation of a company worth investing in or buying from.

Conclusion

Vinyl banners are used as necessary options for commercial advertisement and private goods. Both business and family events often need announcements, proper presentations, and attention. Due to easiness of installation and the low weight of the banners, they are portable and easy to store. Vinyl banners can be beneficial for each business starting from cinemas and beauty salons to car dealers, as well as during the election campaigns. As a result, the companies receive not only low-cost advertising tools but also a possibility to get a high-quality direction sign, poster, or informative trade show banner.