Signs not only act as visual identifiers, but also act as subconscious identifiers as well.  Passing signs on a daily basis plants the images in your subconscious.  While we can Google almost anything in no time, sometimes our brains are the best source of information.  Recently my sign recall abilities were called into question.

This past Saturday my car did not start.  I was unsure whether this was an alternator or battery issue.  After about ten minutes I was able to get my car jumped and I was on my way.  Before I even looked up the nearest auto parts store on my phone, I drove directly to the Auto Zone I pass at least once a week.  This is a perfect example of my subconscious kicking in.  Before my trip last weekend, I had never been to this particular store, nor have I ever researched it.  Yet in a time of need I was able to remember where this store was due to their sign.  Sign recollection is very important.

Your subconcious also comes into play when you look at a sign and it triggers a need that your subconcious remembers.   It could be that you remember you need paper towels when you drive by Wal-Mart, or that you are dying for a burger when the golden arches appear at the next exit.   The sign triggers an impulse that gets customers to come into your store or restaurant.   The same thing happens inside the store; why do you think they put all of those items right by the check-out lanes?

The goal is to make a legible and memorable signs and differentiate them with shape, style and materials.  Even in multi-tenant retail centers with homogenized sign criteria you can set your sign apart.  When customers recall a store they often recall the actual image of the sign.  Stand out from the crowd and make your signs pay off.