Have you driven by a McDonalds lately? What about a Burger King? Have you been inside a Dunkin Donuts in the last, well, forever? What about a 7/11? Other than being monsters in their industry, what do they all have in common? (I am guessing the title may have given it away) Signs, signs and more signs! If the simple fact that all of these types use a variety of displays isn’t evidence enough, consider this – according to the Point of Purchase Advertising Institute, in-store advertising such as point of purchase (POP) displays influence 53 to 60 percent of consumer purchases. Put another way, over HALF of the people that walk in to your location can be influenced by signage. Now does it make sense why all the giants are signage heavy? Talk about an area to increase sales volume!
As a restaurant owner you should have two objectives: 1- Getting people to your restaurant and, 2- once they are there, influencing their purchasing decisions to increase ticket averages by selling high profit items and more of what you have. Despite this, it puzzles me how many folks stick to just the menu boards when they do business with us, rather than also adding various POP signs. As for the reasons as to why restaurants only purchase menu boards, there are a few – budget, trying to maintain a certain look, “we will do fine without them,” etc. I get all of that, but when there is a true opportunity to net more sales, you should seriously reconsider.
There are many in-store and outdoor signs to choose from that can each have an impact. Simply splashing haphazard “2 for 1” deals all over your place is not what I am suggesting. In fact, I have 6 thoughts to keep in mind as you begin to introduce additional point-of-purchase (POP) signage at your location.
#1 – Have a plan
There are three main ingredients for a successful POP campaign: 1- be creative, 2- be specific in your offer and, 3- make sure you are targeting the right customers during the right time. Moreover, having a true pulse of your business and your clientele will lead you to the appropriate Limited Time Offers (LTOs) that will increase sales. As for where to place the signs, this is based on the footprint of the location and the traffic of your customers. The signs have to be strategically placed to reinforce the message.
#2 – The signs should complement the store, not match
A lot of people get caught up in the aesthetics of their location. They want everything to match and blend in with one another. This is not an effective way to go about POP signs. I am far from suggesting that the background should be hot pink in a warm environment, but if the colors match, your signs will become chameleons wherever they may be.
#3 – Do not overwhelm your customers with offers
The key is to pick daily, weekly or monthly specials carefully. If you have the same special week after week or month after month, is it really that “special?” Conversely, if everything is on sale the uniqueness of the offer is lessened as well.
#4 – Change your signage frequently
Using POP signage is your first step. The upkeep and maintenance is your next. Nowadays, there are several display fixtures that allow for an economical and quick way to swap out existing promotions for new, fresh, crisp looking prints, posters, graphics, etc.
#5 – Remove tired signs
Now that you have added a number of ancillary signs, there will naturally be higher likelihood for damage or wear depending on where they are placed. For example, those near windows that are subjected to direct sunlight may fade sooner than others. It is important to remove these signs so that they do not take away from your campaign and the overall appearance of your store.
#6 – Consider the types of signage available to you
If you are sitting and wondering how you are going to add signs to your location given its layout, square footage, available wall space, etc., you should first make yourself aware of all the options you have. Typically, you can find at least a couple of the following display fixtures or banners and graphics that will work given any environment.
- Banners
- Window Displays
- Graphic Hangers
- Snap-frame Graphic Holders
- Floor Stands
- Digital Signage
- Counter Displays
- Light Boxes
- Dimensional Signs
- Mounted Graphics
The effective use of in-store signage will help your business increase sales and develop a unified brand image for the store. With several options to choose from, it becomes the message and plan that become critical for a campaign’s success. Simply putting signs up and seeing if something will work is not the way to go about it. There are several quality companies that have expertise in this area and can help you. They will learn your business, understand your customer flow and suggest areas for POP signs.
To Summarize:
- There is a BIG opportunity for additional sales by using POP signage
- The secret is out – all of the multi-million and billion dollar QSR’s are using a ton of POP signs to make additional sales
- Avoid looking like a bodega; use complementary signage that has a defined message that speaks to your ideal customer
- With so many signage options, there is something that can be done for everybody
Want to learn how POP signs can have an impact on YOUR business? Give me a call at 888-235-2579 and let’s talk about it!
