Building Signs: Consider Your Target Audience

One of the key terms in any type of business marketing is target audience or target population. The Business Dictionary defines it as a “. . . . Particular group of people, identified as the intended recipient of an advertisement or message.” Target audiences can be developed based on a large variety of specifications or characteristics. Gender, race, age, financial status, single or married are only a few of the most general terms that can begin to build the qualifications your particular target audience.

 

In the same way, signs also have target audiences and it is important to consider those target characteristics when building or creating signage. One of the primary “targets” in signage often is viewing distance. How far away is the consumer going to be from the sign? Are they walking or driving past the sign, or both? How fast are they traveling?

 

In this case, viewing distance can be divided into three different targets: consumers on foot, slow moving cars and freeway traffic. For example, the main target for a business nestled in a shopping plaza or strip mall will be people walking by or driving through the parking lot. The viewing distance is moderately close; therefore signage can be more detailed. A business can attract window shoppers with effective window graphics and also draw people into the store with well designed a-frames advertising specials or sales.

In order to attract the people driving through the parking lot or down roads with slow speed limits and stop lights, a business will also want to invest in a building sign. Although building signs are often much simpler than window graphics, they are more effective because of their larger size.  They also can be extremely effective when manufactured as an illuminated sign, which advertises for a business both day and night.

In contrast, a manufacturer with large buildings along freeway frontage will have a different target audience. Their main goal will be to identify their location to the fast moving freeway traffic, usually a significant viewing distance. Simple clean design is going to be key component for readability and illumination is not as important since many manufacturers are not open to the public after hours. Dibond signs or large banners are often an excellent choice for these companies because they are cost effective and also require less fabrication and installation.

No matter the content, a sign is only be effective if it can be seen and read by the target audience. Taking into account the viewing distance and speed at which the consumer is moving will be an excellent beginning to developing not only good signage but also valuable and effective advertising.