This week’s topic is something few marketing students are probably thinking about – aluminum signs. They are ubiquitous in most American cities as well as around the rest of the world. Just think of driving around, without a street sign on every corner. It would be impossible to find your way anywhere!
These kinds of signs are used by many different types of businesses for many different reasons. For instance, everything from a “we’re open” sign outside the door to listing the rules at a local pool for a real estate listing, the business uses of these kinds of signs are basically unlimited. There are even personal uses as well, such as marking your driveway as private to deter unwanted visitors.
When we study marketing, more often than not we get caught up on the cutting edge digital aspects of it. It is easy to get lost in the latest and greatest techniques of the marketing world and forget the foundations. Some businesses exist exclusively online, but numerous ones do not! For businesses with any kind of physical presence at all, there will need to be some discussion of traditional marketing techniques. In this case signage is a large part of that.
Businesses have a lot to consider when deciding on what kind of signs to buy and how to have them made. Aluminum signs are chosen oftentimes because of their weather resistance and price. Custom aluminum signs can be created for less than $20. In addition to this, there are a number of different techniques for making the sign to change how they look as shown on the embedded link above.
Types of Custom Aluminum Signs
First of all, there is your standard aluminum sign. This is something everyone has seen and would recognize – they are durable and easy to read (assuming you get the colors right!) as well as being cost effective. However, for those wishing for something a little more flashy, there are a number of options.
Brushed aluminum is the first. Rather than painting the natural aluminum white, the manufacturer will leave it its natural color and then brush over the top of it, giving it a nice matte style finish. These are often used indoors as a spiffy sort of decoration – think conference rooms, wall hangings and reception area signage – but are often made to be weather resistant and could theoretically be used outdoors.
Aluminum signs can also be given a reflective coating. This is often done to highway signs and other types of signs that are used outdoors at night. It wouldn’t be good if drivers could only see the speed limit half the time! While this will slightly increase the price, it is invaluable in some circumstances.
Whatever their purpose, marketers need to be aware of traditional marketing methods and the tools used to accomplish them. While aluminum signs are far from the only topic in this category, signage is often neglected when discussions are had in the classroom. It is to your benefit as a marketer to really understand every aspect of marketing, that way you can truly be an expert on marketing and give your clients the best advice possible!
