Go to any market, shopping centre or exhibit and you’ll see there are thousands of retailers and service providers using banners to showcase their wares.
To the general punter, banners generally look the same, but for the retailer, the type of banner used can make a huge difference on customer impact.
So how do you navigate banner choice when it comes to promoting your products and/or services?
Consider the environment first
Banners are a stylish and eye-catching addition to market stalls, shop fronts and promotional displays in shopping centres. Banners work to instantly grab attention, so the desired placement and use can help dictate what display product is best to use.
Banners that appear in isolation in your shop, market stall or in a shopping precinct can be selected for affordability over durability. These banners are less likely to be knocked over and are not likely to be recognised as a ‘budget’ option.
If your banner is going into an upscale area, like an exhibition, choosing a premium banner product with accessorising options enhances the customer message and your brand appeal.
If you’re looking for a product to use outside where it is exposed to the elements, a pull-up banner is perhaps not the best choice.
Find out what you want the banner to do
Banners can support existing promotional messaging, create new promotional messaging or provide a convenient, branded backdrop for photos and stall set-ups.
With advancements in production, banners can be accessorised with independent lighting to make them stand out from the crowd.
In very few cases is one banner sufficient; in fact, many businesses use multiple banners to communicate messages and encourage customer engagement:
- Promote new product
- Showcase menu of services
- Outline key value proposition
- Backdrop for social media promotion (i.e. media wall)
- Act as visual markers for the store front
Do you want the banner for multiple uses?
While it might be tempting to start at an entry-level banner, how you consider using your new promotional material can determine whether it is worth the investment.
Banners that retract into the base and offer hardcase storage are perfect for long-term repeat use because they are designed to preserve the printed sheet. Plus, with providers like us, you can arrange to have the image on the banner changed at any time.
Banners that don’t offer this design option are more affordable to buy outright, but they are also more susceptible to damage in storage because the sheet can be exposed to pests, moisture, knocks and dust, while the folding of the sheet can damage the printing.
Find out how other brands use banners
Field research is the best way to understand how players in your industry and beyond use banners to communicate to guests and customers.
The way a car dealership uses their banners to promote their latest vehicle model is very different to how a health and supplement store would use theirs to promote tastings or sales promotions.
Sponsored events will often use the largest kinds of branded banners and media walls to not only create barriers, but to offer an opportunity for their logo to get snapped by photographers and published in magazines.
Banners are still a very important part of the marketing mix, and if you’re looking for an easy way to gain attention and encourage customer engagement, a well-chosen banner may be just the thing!
