Empowerment at Floor-Level - Flexible Signage & Display

Nimble. Flexible. Flexible. These are the key words of today's retailer and brand. These attributes drive brand websites, social media pages and inventory management. Are you optimizing the responsiveness and nimbleness of flexible signage on your selling floor? Do you just put up signs and leave them there for the next week, month, or season? Do you put up signs and leave them there for the next week, month, or season?

Your signs should reflect the individual shopping preferences of your customers.

Street traffic flows in one direction during the morning rush hour and the other at 5pm. Domestic passengers tend to travel in the mornings and later in the afternoons, while international travelers fill the airports at night. The Tuesday midday shopper may be different than Saturday's. Although we often group shoppers into broad categories of shoppers, the truth is that shoppers are different depending on when they shop and what month it is.

While you won't find any teenagers or young professionals in the store during school hours and work, that's when seniors and stay-at-home parents will be visiting. On the other hand, millennials and Gen Z'ers are out and about on weekends, but they tend to crowd stores trying to squeeze their shopping in two precious days. Flexible signage and displays will appeal to the moment.

You can compare signage and display with ad buys, which are another form of promotion. Ad rotations and buys, regardless of whether they're traditional or social media, are targeted to the audience at all times. Advertisers that advertise on NBC at 9am with Megyn Kelly Today are different from those that buy time on Saturday Night Live. Similar targeting can be done with signage and display. Flexible signage and display are possible, contrary to many businesses' beliefs.

Survival based on adaptation

Your message and promotion can adapt to the time and place, regardless of whether your signage is a smart sign holder oder a chalkboard. A blackboard is easy to wipe, swipe and write on. It is easy to grab a placard from a collection of signs and place it in a smart holder. Signs and displays on wheels can be easily rolled. It's smart to target your customers.

Use hourly and daily sales data, as well as observations from sales staff to determine which signs and products deserve the spotlight. Rolling displays can easily be moved from the middle to the front of the store. You can change the daily specials on signs throughout the day. Signs displaying daily specials can be changed throughout the day at airports where there is rapid retail growth. Store managers simply change signs so that they have the correct language front-facing, based on passengers' traffic. The sign can have one side in English and the other in Japanese, Chinese, Spanish or Russian. It speaks the customer's language. Flexible signage allows stores to adapt their promotions and messaging to their customers' needs by equipping them with flexible displays and signage.

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Be ready to respond to changes in traffic flow or lighting

In urban areas, there is a pattern to foot traffic. Crowds might be moving uptown in morning and downtown at night. Instead of having all your window signage facing the street, it is a good idea to turn a sign or display in order to attract more attention. It is amazing what a few degrees can accomplish. You can also be more specific in your approach.

The effectiveness of a display is directly affected by its lighting. Let's take a look at the morning and evening examples. In dim lighting, a sign that is visible in bright sunlight can be almost invisible. The electronic GPS in your car changes the background of the map based on how much light is available. Your staff can choose the side that provides the best visibility, based on the light conditions. Flexible signage and displays shine no matter what the weather is like or when it's dark.

Flexibility is key

You can customize displays to fit any location. The best time to consider signage and display programs during a build-out is however. While merchandising is often discussed during the store design phase of a store, promotional and informational signage is often considered once the store has opened. You can factor in traffic patterns, space, and display fixtures with advance planning. We don't know how many brands and retailers have felt the need to remorsefully abandon a great signage display because they didn't have the right infrastructure.

Increase the sales force

These ideas aren't just wishful thinking. These ideas are easy to implement (and that is an important point!). Your sales staff has the authority to make changes based upon their observations and sales data. Your staff should have the power to change, move and select signage and display. First, give them training. Training is a key component of the most effective signage and display programs. Explain each element to employees, explaining the reasoning behind them, and how they can be implemented. Instead of being an automaton, make them think.

Encourage taking risks

Allow your staff to take chances and try new things. You could A/B-test the subject line of an email. Why not let your staff adjust displays to reflect shopper behavior? You could adjust your paid social media advertising campaign to reflect keywords response. Why not let the store manager change the day's specials?

Your signage and display programs are extensions of your promotion and must be responsive. Many businesses believe that responsive is a term only for digital and electronic. It is not. Responsive means giving your customers the support they need, and empowering them to make decisions.