Momentum - Business to Business Online Magazine MOMENTUM January 2020 | Page 20

MARKETING
ANDREA SMITH/BRIAN STOTTLEMYER
Vernon Graphics & Promotions
832-274-5245
www.myvernon.biz/brianstottlemyer
USE EVERY
SQUARE
FOOT you can
to GET YOUR
BRAND ON
H
ave you ever eaten an apple and then
wondered later how the tiny granny smith
label ended up on the bottom of your
shoe? Or the tag from the vintage find at
last week’s yard sale ended up on your
refrigerator door? How about you first grader’s “great
job” sticker on the dining room table? Just think of all
the places that “stickers” could end up. And just like
tags and stickers, graphics can leave a mark on just
about anything. The sky is literally the limit when it
comes to graphics, and that’s only because graphics
won’t adhere to air. We need to stop thinking of
graphics as just “stickers” and start thinking of graphics
as fabulously sticky advertisements that boost brand
recognition.
We can now put graphics on windows, doors,
buildings, walls, floors, office equipment, machinery,
vehicles, and so much more! For years, companies
have been sticking their logos on bicycles, buses,
and business vehicles by way of decals, but it’s time
to do more! With all of the products on the market
(transparent, translucent, interior, exterior, glossy, matte,
permanent, removable, etc.) it’s time we use every
square foot we can to get our brand on!
Let’s just think about a small business that becomes
a franchise. A floral shop in a small town. You know the
type. A small ma and pa shoppe with a cute floral mural
by their favorite local artist behind the counter sporting
their newly designed logo. The same image and logo
are on all of their business cards and the door of the
minivan which delivers smiles one posey at a time. Every
kid in town begins to associate that florist with not just
the aroma of fresh flowers, but the ambiance of that
floral shop, due in part, to the larger than life floral mural
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MOMENTUM | 2020 Year of Small Business
that screams how happy and cheerful flowers are to
every customer who not only visits the flower shop but
passes by on the sidewalk. The quaint personal feeling
makes it stand out above all supermarket floral shops
and makes every passerby think of a reason to stop and
buy flowers. But what if that one small floral business in
that one small town suddenly needed a larger space or
became so successful that it turned into 20 or 30 flower
shops? They can’t take that mural with them.
Would the owners of the quaint little flower shop
send the local artist to each and every location to
(attempt to) replicate the beloved floral design behind
each and every counter? They certainly could, but
it would be pricey and it certainly wouldn’t happen
overnight. It would take an artist hour upon hours, days,
weeks, months or even years to paint multiple murals
and the likeliness of them all being the same is slim to
none.
Graphics would be a much better solution. With
the artist’s permission, that beloved design could be
printed and applied to each and every floral shop
in very little time, for a lot less money. And if the
business continued to grow, additional graphics could
be printed, as needed. And not just wall murals, but
storefront signage and eye-catching delivery van wraps.
They could expand their beloved floral scene with
signage and banners for their Farmers’ Market stand.
Their brand recognition could even continue onto their
trailers and carts. They could even wrap their trash cans
in roses and peonies if they should choose to. Each
and every franchise location could have the exact same
small town floral shop feeling with the help of graphics.
Graphics can help any business grow while staying
consistent by cloning the images and logos they love
and their customers know and trust. Each and every
square inch of your business (and vehicle) space should
be a reflection of your business. Whether it’s a logo, a
color, an image, or a feeling. It’s all part of our brand
recognition. If a granny smith apple label can stick to it,
you can put a graphic on it!