2021 is the year of business rebound. The pent-up demand and lower competition offer the opportunity to gain a bigger slice of the smaller pie. It’s critical for brands to evolve with the change – and that’s where SpeedPro franchisees can assist businesses in their areas as they seek to evolve and grow!

Brands can transform their business with these emerging trends:

1. INSTAGRAM APPEAL

Brands with visually appealing, unique design features are 10x more likely to be promoted on social media.

Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat, Facebook, YouTube – every social media channel saw engagement and time spent on the platform swell in 2020 and the user habits will carry into 2021 and forward. Influencers and those promoting your brand by word of mouth over social media are the most cost-effective way to create buzz.

2. OPTIMISM

Spaces where we all work, live, shop and play impact our mental state. Everyone can use a boost of positivity.

Bright, open and welcoming retail and workspaces signal a return to the new normal that inspires everyone who comes through the door to keep moving forward and gives us hope for the future of our work, play and shopping habits.

3. TOUCHLESS SMART SIGNAGE

Deliver information and advertising through the user’s phone. No app required.

Everyone is anxious to get back to favorite activities and be around more people but still without touching anything. Consumers are accustomed to getting information through our phones and refuse to go back to static. Near field communication tags trigger the website, text message, phone call, etc. on phones through proximity of holding the phone to the sign or wall mural without the need for a third-party app or to open the camera on the phone.*

4. DIMENSION

Make your brand stand out. Literally.

With all of the constant distractions and push notifications, it takes something substantial like a Great. Big. Graphic. or three-dimensional sign to capture fleeting attention spans.

5. PRIVACY WITH PANACHE

Window films create a new look for ordinary glass.

Whether the glass is for the safety of social distancing or it’s just that corner office window, a decorative or printed film can be applied to the glass to transform the look of your space in a very short and simple process. Think mini facelift.

6. CREATIVE APPLICATIONS

Put a new twist on traditional out of home advertising. Wrap any surface.

Out of Home Advertising (OOH) has picked up steam in the era of social distancing because all signage, graphics and visual communication needed to be bigger, seen from farther away and to convey more information. Rethink the traditional OOH and create your own by wrapping practically anything including solar panels, walls, buildings, vehicles, vending machines and more with branded vinyl to gain visibility.

7. VIBRANT COLOR

Match every brand touch point, anywhere in the country, to your exact brand color.

Getting your exact brand color right every time is important at every touchpoint for every brand and especially for those scattered far and wide, hitting the same color consistently can turn into a headache, but not with SpeedPro’s color-printing precision.

8. STYLED SAFETY

Floor decals, cut acrylic and signage can be designed into brand assets.

We are way past the early days of “stay-6-feet-apart” tape on the floor. If you have permanent visual cues to communicate, they should be integrated into your space in an aesthetically pleasing and on-brand fashion.

9. SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY

Highlight how your give back.

Social responsibility is top-of-mind for many companies as everyone is in the spirit of getting through the rough patches together. When you have a feel-good cause you can rally behind, you should show it.

10. AUTHENTICITY

Prominently display hand-drawn elements, brand vision and what makes your brand unique.

Authenticity is the buzzword of the century. Consumers are tired of fake, tired of cheap– even feeling the fatigue of “luxury.” Individuals are committed to shopping locally and supporting independent business and demand to know who he or she is working with and the value for each dollar. When you take a graphic or brand component that is uniquely you and make it into a wall mural, it is a signal your true colors are showing and consumers appreciate that.

Are you interested in helping businesses grow and impact positive financial growth in your community? SpeedPro ownership could be the perfect opportunity for you. Fill out the Contact Form on our website to have a member of our Franchise Development Team contact you immediately.

For the better part of a year, offices, restaurants, stores and other public places have had to install signs to help employees and customers understand critical policies and remember health guidelines. In the beginning, many businesses had to resort to makeshift or generic signs. At this point, if your business is still relying on these purely functional signs, it’s time to upgrade. Social distancing signage and other forms of coronavirus signage don’t have to be completely run-of-the-mill.

By creating custom coronavirus signs that incorporate your branding, you can communicate the same important messages in a way that also improves your brand recognition and strengthens your company’s relationship with your employees or customers. Plus, these signs will look more polished and professional than other options. You can even better engage people who are used to seeing the same monotonous signs everywhere they go. SpeedPro can help you make coronavirus signs that are unmistakably you. Let’s look at some tips for designing these branded signs.

1. CHOOSE BRAND COLORS

Colors are an important part of your brand guidelines. Research shows that color is a key part of how people perceive and recognize your brand, so you should look for opportunities to include your signature colors in all your signage and marketing materials, including your coronavirus signs. At SpeedPro, we pride ourselves on our level of color-matching precision. We can ensure your signs match your existing brand materials so people quickly recognize that your signs are customized and in line with your brand.

Some ways to incorporate your colors are in a sign’s background, text or images. Avoid including too many colors that may make a sign appear too busy, and make sure your text and important icons contrast with the background color. You can even include branded colors in subtle ways, like in a border around the edge of an otherwise black and white sign.

2. USE SIGNATURE FONTS

The text on your signs should be easily readable. This means you want to choose a simple enough font and make the text large enough that people can read it at a glance from the appropriate distance. Overly decorative or flowery fonts can be difficult to read, making them poor choices for these signs. Beyond this basic requirement, you should also consider using a font you’ve used in other signs or materials so your coronavirus signs are in-line with your other branded materials.

If you have a signature font you want to use that is more calligraphic and may not be quite as easy to read as a more standard font, you can still consider using this font for part of the text. For example, a face mask sign could include a header in a branded font saying, “Mask up,” along with a more detailed message below in a more readable font, such as, “Face masks are required inside.”

3. INCORPORATE YOUR BRAND VOICE

Branding isn’t all visual. Your brand’s voice, for example, is immaterial, but it’s a crucial part of your company’s personality. Brand voice is your organization’s unique style of communication. Generic coronavirus signage will include direct messages with no personal flair. When you create custom COVID-19 signs, you have the valuable opportunity to share more specific messages that better match your brand’s unique voice.

For instance, if your brand voice is especially upbeat and on the fun side, you could incorporate this spirit into your message. Or maybe it would be more in line with your brand to use a calm and reassuring tone. Consider what your brand voice sounds like in other signs and forms of communication and create messages for your coronavirus signs that reflect this voice. This will help you present a consistent brand image across the board and develop strong relationships with your customers.

4. ADD YOUR LOGO

Your logo is likely the most recognizable part of your brand. Most companies put a great deal of thought into creating the perfect logo that embodies their brand. You include your logo on other signs and displays, so why not include it on your coronavirus signage, as well? As we’ve seen, you can incorporate several other aspects of your brand into your design, but your logo is one of the most decided ways of adding your branding to these signs.

You can incorporate your logo in many ways without detracting from a sign’s message. Consider including it as a small image at the top or bottom of your sign, almost like a seal. Or turn your logo into a silhouette and include it in the background as a washed-out image or watermark. You can also get creative with your logo by adding a face mask to a mascot’s face or otherwise modifying the logo to fit the health and safety theme.

5. INCLUDE CUSTOM IMAGES

Your logo isn’t the only image you can include in your COVID-19 signs. You can also add other images that align with your brand. For example, a bakery could add a graphic of a cupcake. A zoo could add a different animal to each of the social distancing signs posted throughout the premises. You may even be able to find clever ways to feature certain products on your coronavirus signs.

You can also use simple icons or pictures to help communicate your message, using brand colors or other details. These icons can catch people’s eyes so they pay attention to what the sign has to say. They can also help different language speakers understand the sign’s message. For example, showing a face mask will quickly communicate to people that the sign has to do with a mask recommendation or requirement. Two figures with an arrow and the words “6 feet” between them will quickly remind people of social distancing recommendations.

HOW DOES SPEEDPRO HELP BUSINESS OWNERS WITH THEIR COVID SIGNAGE NEEDS?

SpeedPro franchise owners have been on the frontlines since the onset of the pandemic providing COVID signage and other needs to meet mandates and help businesses stay open or remain open. Do you thrive on being a solutions provider? Would you like to be a go-to business resource in your community? SpeedPro franchise ownership could be the perfect opportunity for you! Complete a contact form on our website to be connected with our Franchise Development team today.