Wednesday, August 29, 2012

Field Trip #9 : Signs - One Glance Should Say It All

It occurred to me (Morgan) this morning, that our last few posts have had a consistent theme of messaging with a heavy focus on the point-of-purchase (POP) arm of marketing.  When most people think of POP, they generally tend to focus on displays and signs...this line of thought made me think: What are the components of a well designed sign?  The reverse question also occurred to me: What constitutes a 'bad' sign design?  

A well designed POP sign should communicate its core message in one glance.


People new to marketing and sign design often try to cram in too much information.  Just think what the state of traffic would be, if the street signs contained too many details?  Drivers would be too distracted deciphering street signs to avoid car crashes!  When on the highway, how do you know where the fast food chains are for each exit?  Their logos, distance, and two words: "Next Exit" make it clear, in one glance, where you can get burgers versus tacos.

Examine the poster below.  Is it clear what type of story you would get if you bought Ms. Marvelle's book? <Steamy!>

In store sign at Jan's Paperbacks.  See last Wednesday's Field Report for details.
For this week's field trip, we would like for you to take extra note of the signs you encounter in your everyday life.
  • Which ones are easy to comprehend / digest in one glance?
  • For the signs that contain more detailed information, which ones actually make you stop to read them?  Which ones do you just pass by without reading?  Why?
  • How can you apply what you learned to your POP signs?


Put your POP signs to work.  Communicate in one glance.


Any marketing questions can be posed in the comments on any post. If you have a question, others will too, so we can address our answers to all. Our posts are myths and tips we want to share but we love to target our answers to questions.

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