NOT A FRANCHISE, A BUSINESS OWNER’S ALLIANCE

5 Sign Industry Trends to Watch For as a New Franchise Owner

Sign Industry Trends

In today’s post, the Signworld team identifies 5 sign industry trends that will affect the industry in 2017.

  • Sustainable materials are hotter than ever. Environmentally conscious consumers are the new normal, and the best sign companies are already looking to meet these demands by acquiring sustainable products.
  • Online signage sales and design is becoming increasingly common. The days of meeting your customers face-to-face are coming to an end! New generations are more comfortable than ever with the notion of conducting their sign sales and design processes entirely online. In fact, e-commerce is largely considered a prerequisite, rather than a convenience or privilege. Signworld conducts a huge percentage of its sales online, making life easier for both sides of the business equation, but many companies continue to drag their feet, and it’s costing them sales.
  • Global sales are slowing, but net profits still strong. As sign industries continue to elevate themselves and become established throughout Europe and Asia, international sales may begin to slow. This may come as a shock for some sign company owners who were just getting used to the rapid, round-the-clock sales potential offered by the global market. Experts posit that sign companies will struggle to penetrate international market in the immediate future, but also that the strengthening of the dollar will make up for these losses via the local selling of high-quality fixtures and materials. In fact, motivated by a growing sentiment in favor of supporting local American businesses, sign companies should expect greater net profits this quarter despite slowing international sales.
  • Demand for digital printing continues to climb. In the Internet Age, everything from network television to dating has gone digital, and signage is no different. New printing technologies are being rolled out every day, and tech-savvy clientele are eager to take advantage of them to save money and distinguish their signage from the competitors. With this in mind, it follows that the best sign companies are those able to identify the specific direction of this digital trend, and adapt their manufacturing model accordingly.

    Large-format digital printing has enjoyed one of the most notable spikes in popularity in recent years, being in high demand across multiple sectors of the sign industry. Hoping to take advantage of this surge, specialty printing companies in non-sign markets like exhibition and retail have begun to penetrate the wayfinding and rebrand markets, but established sign franchises like Signworld enjoy a serious leg-up over the competition. As a modern sign company, we have the ability to maintain and operate large-scale printing equipment to accommodate the growing demand for digital signage. And because we got in on the ground floor, we offer our clients and franchisees access to best practices for design, printing, and installation that were earned through years of trial and error, and can be used for wayfinding, exhibition, placemaking, rebranding, and more.

  • Rebranding has become the new norm. If you pay attention to the public image of big business giants like McDonald’s and Walmart, you may have noticed a recent trend towards rebranding. Competitive pressures have forced small and large businesses alike to continually reinvent themselves, and corporate mergers call for new logos representing both sides of the deal. Rebranding involves a lot of market research to understand buyer interests and behaviors, but it also means a lot of news signs and graphics!

    The best signage companies will be prepared for rebranding-related business by investing in modular products and durable printable materials that allow for quick changes and updates to be made. Alternately, they will also have dedicated design specialists on hand to customize entirely new brand images for cases requiring complete makeovers.

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NOT A FRANCHISE, A BUSINESS OWNER’S ALLIANCE