Awnings are generally not something people look at for a long time. Often they only catch a glimpse while driving by, so awning designs have to instantly grab attention and make a statement, unless your only goal is to cover your window or walkway. But then you’d be wasting an outstanding marketing opportunity.
Smart business owners know it’s important to include their logo when choosing awning designs . Your logo is your number one brand element, synonymous with your name, people’s image of who you are, what you offer, your reputation. It’s imperative to use your logo consistently and everywhere.
Awning designs should look like the rest of your business graphics.
Presumably your business already has a logo. Hopefully it’s a well-designed one. Logos usually incorporate your business name or initials. They can include visual elements such as punctuation, artistic designs, etc. And sometimes they combine all these things. What matters is a result that’s attractive and memorable. You don’t need to see the name Nike to recognize their famous swoosh.
Using your logo on your awning makes it easier for people to find you, reinforces your branding and introduces you to new prospects. A top-quality awning tells people your business is top-quality, too.
But while your logo must appear, awning designs need to be the “low-fat” version of other business graphics. Some types of marketing materials — posters, banners, brochures, advertising and vehicles, for instance — can support an intricate design with lots of words and colors because people have plenty of time to look at them and absorb everything. But a visually busy awning will be no more than an eyesore. It won’t get your message across quickly and understandably.
Let’s talk about color.
We’ve talked about the need to coordinate awning designs with your printed materials, signage, advertising, banners, posters, vehicles – all the visuals you use to identify and promote your business. But note that however recognizable Nike’s swoosh may be, you don’t see it in just any color.
A good logo uses no more than two or three colors and typically no more than one bright color. That could be different if you’re a children’s store, of course. To work best for you, awning designs must stick with the colors in your logo – the ones you’ve already chosen to consistently represent your business.
A graphic designer experienced in working with awnings can help you determine how to most effectively use your official visual elements, including your logo. That’s important because people respond differently to different colors, so which one you use as a background, etc. can make a difference. Even the age of your audience matters – a heavy metal music store can handle different awning designs than an exclusive steakhouse.
Let’s talk about words.
Good awning designs can communicate without words, and you may not want to use text on your awning if your logo incorporates your name. But any text you do use has to match the font you already use for signs, menus, etc. Don’t use more than six or seven words, and make them large enough to read easily from a distance.
Remember that just because two colors are different doesn’t automatically make them a good contrast to one another. Put white writing on yellow and see if you can read it. Every color in the spectrum, and all of its shades, have a “gray value.” Again, your graphic designer can help you make choices that look terrific and also work well from a functional standpoint.
There’s nothing like an awning to help market your business. When your awning fits the style and size of your location it adds panache as well as weather protection. But when it includes your logo, it’s able to tell the world 24/7 who you are and where you are, in the most inviting way.
