How to Keep Franchise Marketing Consistent

When it comes to franchise marketing it’s important to remember that a consistent branding strategy is key to the company’s marketing initiatives as a whole. However, for large companies with many franchise locations keeping everything in sync can be extremely difficult. In honor of National Franchise Appreciation Day, we’d like to clue you in on a few simple tips to keep in mind that can help you motivate your franchise owners to help you maintain brand consistency across the company.

Identify and clearly define brand goals. Think about what your core values are as a company, and make a point to explain their importance. Your brand recognition is based on these values and gives your customer an idea of what they can expect from your business. In order to stay consistent across the board, you’ll need to clearly define the level of customer service, quality control, logo usage and advertising that each franchisee should uphold.

Develop all marketing materials at the corporate level. From custom signage and window displays, to digital marketing content, have it all come directly from the top. Then, give franchisees specific guidelines that outline the do’s and don’ts of how they should use marketing materials and display signage.

Decide on and set the individual expectations. Let’s face it, your corporate office can’t handle it all, especially if you have upwards of 100 individual franchise locations. You’ll need to decide which marketing tasks will be the responsibility of the franchisee, like local listings, online review sites and social media maintenance, and clearly outline how you would like them to go about handling each task.

If you’re a franchise owner and you need custom signage or window graphics to be printed in bulk for your individual locations, Chief Graphix can help! Since we do the majority of graphic production in-house, we have the ability to turn our products around quickly and cost effectively, which means your signage will be printed and in all of your locations in no time!

To learn more about our sign design and printing services, call us at 516-883-SIGN today!

3 Easy Steps to Make Your Brand More Memorable

Take a good look around your industry. Do you feel that your business is just existing among a larger, bigger picture? If so, we think it’s time that you thought about taking the necessary steps to set your business apart from competitors and making your brand more memorable. Here are 3 steps to take to into consideration to get you started:

1. Position your business as a local expert. At the end of the day, your largest pocket of potential customers will come from the area that your business resides in. Though competition may be fierce on the market as a whole, it can be more manageable if your efforts are localized. Get involved in the community and offer plenty of expert tips and testimonials on social media. Make sure to share examples of past successes with your audience as well.


2. Build up your brand identity. You want your logo and tagline to resonate strongly with current and potential customers, no matter how “boring” your industry might appear to be. Develop a visually appealing brand logo and a sincere slogan that people will believe in. Then, make sure to expand your branding efforts to every aspect of your business - from custom printed signs and brochures, to window graphics, website design and even your office atmosphere.


3. Be willing to go above and beyond. What makes any business stand out from their competition? The fact that they are willing to go that extra mile to do what others won’t. When developing your brand identity, make sure to choose signage, symbols and slogans that express what your business can do for customers that other companies in the industry cannot or do not do. This will allow you to build a personal connection with your audience and will position your business as the obvious choice for the unique services that you provide.

If re-branding and building brand awareness is your goal, we can help with beautifully crafted custom signage, vehicle wraps, window graphics and more. When it comes to custom branding, Chief Graphix is your one-stop-shop for high quality products and professional consulting services.

For more information about how we can help your business rise to the top visit us on the web or call 516-883-SIGN.

How to Choose the Perfect Font for Your Signage

Picking the perfect font for your sign project can be a lot of pressure. The font that you choose says a lot about your company and can really make or break the effect that your signage has on your target audience. Unfortunately, there are no rules set in stone that tell you which fonts are a go and which are a no, but luckily we can offer this font choosing guide to help you navigate the process.

Set the mood. Every typeface has their own look and feel, so you’ll want to make sure that the font you choose correctly captures the tone you’re looking to convey. Just by looking at a font you should be able to gauge whether it projects “fun and flirty,” “stern and serious,” or any other mood that it may be eliciting.

Stick to the basics. Though fun and unusual typefaces are sometimes called for, more times than not sticking with something old and faithful in the Helvetica, Arial or Times New Roman realm is the way to go. If you do feel the need to use a quirky font, use it sparingly as a title or header and supplement with a more traditional font for large bodies of text.

Combine with care. Using a combination of more than one font is a good idea to keep things visually appealing and eye-catching. The rule of thumb when it comes to combining typefaces is to pair a natural serif and a sans serif together. These two font types compliment each other very well and are easy on the eyes.

Limit your selection. Though combining typefaces is encouraged, using more than two or three fonts in a single design is frowned upon. Beyond the third font choice the design begins to look cluttered and disorganized, and sometimes even three is too much!

Consider legibility. Always remember that in order for your signs to be effective, your audience must be able to read what they say. Though many script style fonts are beautiful, they are not always the best choice when it comes to being clear and easily decipherable. After you’ve chosen your font combinations, always take a step back and ask yourself, “if I didn’t know what this said already, would I be able to make it out?” It can help to get a second eye as well!

If you still can’t find the perfect font for your custom signage, vehicle wrap or window graphic, just leave it to the experts at Chief Graphix. With more than 25 years of experience under our belt, you can trust that we’ll lead you in the right direction for all of your custom branding needs.

For more information, click here to visit us on the web or call 516-883-SIGN today!

3 Quick Tips to Create a Catchy Slogan

Next to a perfectly designed company logo, a catchy business motto or slogan is one of the most important elements of any marketing campaign. In fact, many influential brands have had one or two catchy slogans that can be directly contributed to their success. If you’re looking to create a slogan for a new company or marketing campaign, here are a few tips to follow:

Make it short, sweet and to the point. Think about some of the most catchy company slogans, like Nike’s “Just Do It” or Sony’s “Make Believe.” What do these both have in common? They’re short and to the point! Keeping your new slogan simple and straightforward will give you the most customer engagement and success.

Make it memorable. The key to creating something catchy is designing something memorable. Think about the famous “Got Milk?” ads and how well the public responded to them. The short and spunky nature of this slogan is what captured and maintained the audience's attention.

Make it meaningful. Dependent on your industry and mission statement, you’ll want to create a slogan that captures your brand’s beliefs and tells the consumer how they can benefit from your product or services. For example, Coca Cola’s famous “Life is Better with a Coke,” slogan tells their audience that: 1. Drinking Coke is something that can better their daily lives, and 2. Coca Cola as a company is committed to improving their customers’ overall quality of life.

Still need help coming up with a killer company tagline? The marketing and design consultants at Chief Graphix can help! With more 25 years of marketing experience under our belt, you can rest assured that your company’s custom branding efforts will be in only the best hands.

To learn more about our services or to schedule a free consultation, click here or call 516-553-SIGN.

How Does Color Affect Mood?

For years artists and design professionals have argued that choosing the correct color can make a difference on the emotional effects that a work of art, decorated room, company logo or even a sign can employ. Though there is no hard scientific evidence to back this claim to date, there still seems to be truth surrounding the psychological effects of color. 

Color was first discovered by Sir Isaac Newton in 1666, when he passed pure white light through a prism, resulting in separated lines of each visible color. Since then, the use of color has expanded, and universal meanings have been assigned to each one individually. Here’s a breakdown of the three different color groups and their specific meanings.

1. Warm colors consist of any variation of red, orange or yellow and are said to be energizing. When used, these colors help foster feelings of happiness and optimism.

• Red is extremely eye-catching in nature and evokes passionate emotions of love, anger and excitement. 
• Orange inspires bliss and happiness. It creates a warm and inviting feel, perfect for calls-to-action.
• Yellow is absolutely energizing, associated closely with sunshine, hope and laughter. Using yellow can evoke an optimistic and cheerful mood.

2. Cool colors are next up on the color wheel and include shades of green, blue and purple. These color choices are said to bring about a soothing and calming feeling.

• Green is often associated with healthy choices and wealth. It is often used by companies in the health, beauty and environmental industries to inspire hope.
• Blue is one of the most commonly used colors, due to it’s calming nature meant to evoke feelings of trust and spirituality.
• Purple is inspiring! Known as the color of creativity, royalty and wealth, purple is often used to enrich the look of a design and add an air of luxury.

3. Neutrals, like black, white, gray, tan and brown, are most commonly used as backdrop or accent colors. When juxtaposed with warm or cool colors, neutrals help enhance the other colors in the design, strengthening their meaning.

• Black and gray indicate sophistication and conservatism, while white represents purity, innocence and softness. 
• Tan is subdued and relaxing, while brown has a wholesome, earthy feeling.

In addition to the given meanings for each color, the main reason that color is so effective in evoking certain emotions is experience. Each individual has experienced color differently and therefore associates specific colors with certain emotions. This is why it has been hard for scientists to pinpoint the exact psychological effects that colors can have on individuals.

If you’re looking to choose the perfect color palate for your next custom banner, vehicle wrap or wall graphic, you’ve come to the right place. For more than 25 years, the design consultants at Chief Graphix have been walking industry leaders just like you through the custom branding process.

To learn more about how we can help you create custom signage that’s both engaging and emotionally-charged to compliment your company's unique services, call 1-883-SIGN today.

What are the Basic Font Groups and Typeface Styles?

When it comes to choosing a font for your next sign project, the possibilities are seemingly endless. With such a wide array of font styles and formats to choose from, it’s no surprise that something as simple as picking a font can be very overwhelming. That’s why we’ve decided to devote today’s blog post to providing you with a brief rundown of font classification basics!

As you’ll see below, most fonts can be classified into eight distinct groups:

• Blackletter style fonts mimic those used during the Middle Ages and World War II. They’re complex and detailed, which make them more difficult to read. Due to their regal, “old world” feel they are generally best suited for special announcements such as invitations, diplomas or certificates.

• Decorative & Display fonts are unusual and unique. In a sense, this category is a bit of a catch-all since the fonts classified within this subgroup do not follow any sort of rhyme or rhythm. Here’s where you’ll find whimsical, cartoon-like fonts, best used for titles or headlines.

• Ornamental typefaces reject the traditional alphanumeric font system and replace it with a series of pictures and symbols. Since they’re nontraditional by nature, use of such fonts is reserved for adding simple embellishments on a document, or making musical, mathematical or mapping notations.

• Sans Serif literally translates to “without serif.” This means that fonts within this classification do not have the letter tails and toppers that Serif fonts do, creating a more bold and crisp look. Though these typefaces are known for legibility, using them for large text blocks can cause strain on the eyes.

• Script fonts are made to look like they have been handwritten with all characters connected, just like traditional script. Each font in this classification is unique in its own way, differentiated mostly by implied writing style or instrument. Given their fancy nature, Script fonts are generally used for formal announcements.

• Serif fonts are fittingly named after the serif itself, a short line tacked onto the top or bottom of a letter. The benefit of using Serif fonts is increased legibility, which makes them the perfect option for large chunks of text. The most widely used example of a Serif font is Times New Roman.

• Slab Serif fonts, like their close relatives above, are classified by their use of tiny letter tack-ons. However, the difference between Serif and Slab Serif is that this font group uses short blocks or squares to define a letter’s end, instead of traditional serifs. They are also not as legible, but make for great eye catching headings or advertisements.

• Transitional fonts are more rounded than Serif fonts, but they share the same legibility and precision. Their serifs are flat and thin and their lineweight varies from letter to letter.

Though this classification system does a great job of breaking down the basics there are still tons of new fonts being created everyday, making absolute classification impossible.

If you’re still having trouble deciding on a font for your custom signage, vehicle wrap or window graphic, just leave it to the experts at Chief Graphix. With more than 25 years of experience under our belt, you can trust that we’ll lead you in the right direction for all of your custom branding needs.

For more information, call 516-883-SIGN today!

How to Boost Your Storefront's Curb Appeal

August is National Curb Appeal Month, the perfect opportunity to reevaluate your storefront decor and design. When it comes to attracting business, first impressions are everything and your storefront plays an important role in showing off your services to the world. If you feel that your business’s exterior could use a pick-me-up, here are some top tips to keep in mind when planning your curbside makeover.

Make your signage eye-catching and easy-to-read. Whether your potential patrons are passing by on the parkway, zooming through town on their bike, or taking a casual stroll on the sidewalk, everyone needs to be able to read your sign! As you’re investigating your store’s curb appeal, pay attention to your signage. Is it fading or hard to make out? Does it clearly define your business and it’s services? If not, you’re in need of an upgrade. To help make signage more visually appealing and readable stick to simple fonts and bright, contrasting colors.

Create an interesting window-display. Depending on your business, you’ll want to choose a window display that best represents what you have to offer. For example, a clothing store might want to feature their hot new back-to-school arrivals, while a travel agent might want to display some images of the sandy beaches of aruba. No matter what your product, make sure that your window display projects your services in the best possible light. A great way to create an eye-catching storefront is with custom window graphics. Whether you want to completely cover the window, or just add some visual accents to a display, customized graphics are the way to go.

Remember to keep it clean. As simple as it sounds, one of the best ways to enhance your store’s curb appeal is by maintaining a clean and crisp exterior. Keep an eye out for litter and overflowing trashcans, and sweep the sidewalk daily. Treat your storefront just like you would your home, keeping weeds at bay, and touching up paint where needed. Remember, your storefront is the first impression that many potential customers will receive, so you want to convey that your business is neat, organized, and can get the job done right!

At Chief Graphix we’re in the business of promoting business! Our team of diversely skilled professionals are committed to providing you with the best and most creative graphic solutions in the marketplace. If you’re looking for eye-catching custom signage and unique window graphics, look no further than Chief Graphix!

For more information about how we can help you make the most out of National Curb Appeal Month, click here or call 516-883-SIGN today!