What are sign walkers?
Sign walkers are humans holding signs. They can be stationary at
major intersections, and / or walking and preferably, waving their
signs to attract the attention of passersby. Other terms that are
commonly used to describe sign walkers include human signs, signwalkers,
sign holders, sign wavers, sign twirlers, sign-walkers, and walking
billboards. Whatever you call them, sign walkers are one of the
oldest and still one of the most effective means of outdoor advertising.
The newest and most effective are called the arrow sign
spinners.
What makes sign walkers so effective?
There are many reasons why we see sign walkers succeed when other
more conventional forms of advertising fail. First and foremost,
they target a different customer. The "impulse"
buyer. The impulse buyer is ready to buy now. He just
doesn't realize it yet. The sign walker creates urgency which is
what the impulse buyer needs. Second, the sign walker targets prospective
buyers that are already in your area and in their car. Traditional
methods of advertising such as direct mail, door hangers, or television
advertisements target customers in their homes. These methods, though
effective, still require the individual to leave their home to visit
your sales event. By targeting people already traveling away from
their home you've accomplished half of your goal. Third, the sign
walker uses animation to attract the attention of people in a way
that stationary signs cannot. Motion advertising such as sky streamers,
balloons, giant inflatables and sign walkers have been a favorite
of auto dealerships and other retailers for a long time. Savvy merchandisers
have long realized the importance of using motion in point of purchase
displays, as well as outdoor advertising. Sign walkers are often
accompanied by store decorations consisting of huge 4-foot signs
and 2-foot community signs strategically placed in the immediate
area for added exposure. Arrow signs are also used to aid in directing
traffic to your location. This is commonly referred to as a sign
event, or sign promotion.
What kind of businesses benefit from sign walkers?
Just about any retail business you can think of, can use sign walkers
as an effective tool to generate huge amounts of foot traffic to
their location. Auto Dealerships, Furniture Stores, Jewelry Outlets,
Linens, Bed & Bath, Restaurants, Fitness Centers, Retail Chains,
Spas, Housing Tracts, Game Room Furniture, Mattress Stores, Tile
and Flooring Outlets, Carpet Stores, Home Improvement Centers, Hardware
Stores, Billiard Tables and more.
How cost effective are sign walkers?
Compared to other forms of advertising, sign-walkers have consistently
outperformed other forms of advertising such as door hangers and
direct mail, print advertising such as newspaper and magazine ads,
and television. For example, sale events using signs
and sign
walkers are considerably cheaper than most other forms
of advertising. They are easily organized at the last minute and
seldom take more than a week to prepare. When you consider that
for only a couple of thousand dollars you can increase your weekend
sales anywhere from 50% -100% or more, it becomes obvious that using
sign-walkers gives you the most bang for your advertising buck!
Signwalkers are also available in costumes to help promote the particular
theme of your event.
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