Marler Haley Outdoor Display

 

From county shows to music concerts, outdoor events give you the opportunity to promote your business on a larger, louder more vibrant scale. Marler Haley’s guide to Outdoor Display examines the use of outdoor equipment, what product to ask for and how to ensure a quality product. Our graphics specialist also explains the best use of artwork for outdoor display ensuring your visuals really get your message across.

 

Where to use Outdoor Display

Open-air events, exhibitions and shows are typical locations for outdoor display, but we still see an increasing use of outdoor advertising using non-traditional media. From lamppost banners to blimps, the sky is the limit for advertising your brand outdoors to compliment your overall marketing campaign.

  • County Shows
  • Music Concerts
  • Festivals
  • Fetes and Fairs
  • Markets and Shopping Centres
  • Sporting Events
  • Airports and Petrol Stations
  • Town Centre Lamppost Adornment
  • Road and Rail side Advert Billboards
  • Shop Front and Building Grounds

Outdoor displays may also take the form of sponsorship or promotion opportunities using flags or large banners to adorn entrances to an event or venue. When purchasing these spaces, ensure you are informed where your display will be located and where the natural flows of traffic will be to make sure you get the best return on your investment.

Positioning Your Display

To ensure maximum exposure, position your display in areas with the heaviest amount of traffic, whether fast moving or pedestrian. Your logo would then be one of the first visuals that visitors see as they enter the event. If next to a road or rail track ensure the message can be seen from both directions. You can use an outdoor display to enhance the signage on your business premises by positioning next to or on the side of your building, attracting passing traffic that might not be looking at your main entrance.

Adapting Graphic Visuals for Outdoor Display

We understand that there is sometimes confusion about what to put on outdoor graphics, and often there is the temptation to simply repeat the same graphics that you would use on your existing indoor banners in order to save costs on new artwork. However, this can be detrimental to the impact of your display.

Ashley Gibbons, Marler Haley’s Graphic Designer explains “Unlike the plain painted walls of an indoor event, with outside environments you have to compete with often very complex and colourful landscapes as well as your competitors!” For tall displays such as flags, using blue can often get your message lost in the colour of the sky. As much as you want to keep continuity with your branding it is important to make sure that the brand stands against the background. “Reds and deep colours are always a recommendation whilst natural greens and browns are ones to avoid. The more vibrant the better!” explains Ashley.

As well as colour, your message, text and the size are important considerations. On large displays or those targeted at a fast moving traffic, the message needs to be short, concise and includes an ‘attraction’, a ‘convincer’ and a ‘call to action’. This might be an offer with a limited time period combined with a telephone number or website link. Too much information may not be read due to either the text being too small or simply too much to absorb when passing the display.

If using images on your display ensure they are of a high enough resolution, “There is nothing worse than a display containing pixelated images”, comments Ashley. To avoid poor quality images, we recommend searching for a similar image on photo stock websites who hold professional photographs specially sized for large display printing.

Which Outdoor Display Equipment?

Event organisers commonly hold outdoor events during the warmer Summer months to ensure weather conditions are good. Although marquees and gazebos are a usual feature of outdoor events, no one wants to walk around an event in the rain for very long. Checking the forecast in advance will give you some indication of visitor level.

Banners

A medium height display is perfect for locating on and around your stand, particularly at the entrance, to attract visitors as they walk past. Smaller more informative text can be used if necessary.

Flags

A medium to tall display can be used to give widespread brand awareness. Usually adorned with your brand logo, flags tend to have a slim print area and commonly use bright colours and bold images to attract attention from afar. Flags can also be adapted to connect to lampposts.

Small Frames

Commonly used outside shop fronts, A-frame or Sign Board displays are great for advertising promotions and offers. This smaller size is great for pedestrian traffic.

Large Frames

Used to attract attention from a distance or moving traffic, large frames as portable billboards on grassland are a great way to promote an opening, offer or sale next to road or rail. At events, large framed display is often used as the main entrance adornment.

Ensuring a Weather-Proof Display

Making sure your display is waterproof is essential; there is nothing worse than a stand with wet or run graphics. Suppliers should recommend a waterproof substrate and print process, however it is always best to check that this is included in your purchase. Water can also affect the display structure, so you should ensure that the material is not only durable but also rust proof.

Blustery weather is probably more of a hazard for outdoor display than rain. Wind can often damage displays, especially marquees and banners that act like a sail in the wind, and if not weighted correctly can easily be knocked over. Most outdoor flags and banners come with a weighted base unit that can be filled with sand or water before the event to ensure stability.

The quality of your outdoor display is the most important feature to consider when purchasing. Enquire into the level of guarantee your display comes with and what materials the main structure is made of. This will ensure value for money and confidence in your supplier. To stand the test of time, your display will need to withstand all the elements, not just the wind and rain. The sun can fade graphics if the correct material isn’t used and frost can crack plastics and laminate finishes.

Summary

  • Note how visible your stand is from areas of traffic
  • Predict traffic levels - look to maximise positioning of your stand
  • Examine your background. Avoid colours that may be lost in the landscape
  • Ensure a short, concise message that stands out
  • Check that the images you are using are of a high enough resolution
  • Choose what type of outdoor display suits your location and message
  • Check that the structure of your display is durable and weatherproof
  • Check the outdoor display comes with a guarantee