ARCHIVE: Category Archive for: Signage 101

Interview with a Vehicle Wrap

You’ve seen vehicle wraps on the street, in your parking lot, and all over. They’re hot, and they’re busy, appearing everywhere, generating new business as they go. But what do you know about vehicle wraps? We cornered one to see what it could tell us. Q&A with a Vehicle Wrap Metro Sign & Awning: So, what do you do all day? Vehicle Wrap: You’re kidding, right? I hang out where you hang out. I can be seen anywhere, and everywhere, I go. I’m outdoor advertising in motion! [looks left, then right] Between you and me, billboards are extremely jealous. MSA: What are you made of? VW: Sugar and spice and everything nice. The Right Stuff. [laughs] Seriously, you don’t want

6 Things I Know About Basketball and the Sign Business part I It’s March Madness. I absolutely love it. This tournament is one of the more exciting events to tune into each year. There’s something great about the small school underdog having a shot to play the goliaths of the NCAA. Not surprisingly, Hoosiers remains one of my favorite movies. As I prepared my bracket I started thinking about the similarities between coaching and being an owner of Metro Sign. It may sound odd, but those are two things I spend a lot of time thinking about. For the past nine years I have been coaching my daughters’ basketball and soccer teams as well as working in the sign industry.

We’ve been busy updating our portfolio! Not only have we added many signs for Boston restaurants, businesses, and residential developments that we’ve fabricated and installed (plus photos of signs we’ve installed in other cities, states, and even countries) – we’ve also made the portfolio easier to search, by adding navigational tools to help you find signs by industry and different types of signs. So, if you’re looking for a blade sign, a pylon, or a monument sign, or want to see images of channel letter sign designs, vinyl graphics, dimensional letters, awnings, carved signs… well, you know where to look: right here! Thanks for allowing us a little self-indulgence. We take great pride in making our clients look good, so

Bridgewater-based Callahan Construction Management came to us with a challenge: Actually, several hundred of them – of varying sizes. Maxwell’s Green, an exciting “lifestyle amenity center,” needed interior and exterior signage to suit its style and budget – all designed and fabricated according to architectural specifications, installed in time to appeal to prospective tenants, and beautiful and sturdy enough to look good while performing well in the bustling apartment complex. Rustic Style, Seamless Appearance The first big challenge was Maxwell’s Green exterior sign: a 24-foot-long, curved metal sign, with watercut letters and backlit with LED illumination. Because the architectural drawings called for a rusted, industrial aesthetic, Metro Sign & Awning designers knew Cor-Ten steel would be an

Quick, what was your favorite 2013 Super Bowl commercial? We’re asking because a 30-second spot in Super Bowl XLVII cost between $3.7– 4.0 million. So, one month after the Ravens shocked the 49ers, what comes to mind when you recall those much-ballyhooed commercials? We’ve talked about ROI– return on investment – before. If Super Bowl advertisers got their money’s worth, those commercials would have to be indelibly etched into your memory. Just remembering a commercial isn’t the point of advertising, though. So the next question is, did you buy something because of one of those commercials? A good sign, of course, makes a lasting impression for far less than a Super Bowl spot. When you consider the number of exposures

Introducing Fabricated Thoughts It’s official: Metro Sign & Awning’s blog has a name! Thanks to all who participated. The contest drew about two dozen entries, so we gathered the crew and tossed around the options while tossing back some root beers and a few pounds of peanuts. (Hey, we don’t take big decisions like this lightly.) All of the names suggested had merit, and it wasn’t easy to narrow down the field. Ultimately, when the final vote was tallied, Fabricated Thoughts it was. The winning entry came from our own Ben Brierre. Thanks and congratulations, Ben! Did we mention that the winner gets to write a blog post every week from now on? No? Oh, well… we’ll talk later. Seriously,

Name This Blog Contest! We need a name for the Metro Sign & Awning blog. Seems like a good excuse for a fun contest. <p”>Here are the rules: Metro employees, customers, readers, spouses, kids, heck – even your cat – can participate. We’ve kicked around ideas like “Sign of the Times” (taken) “Sign Language”(cute, but also taken) and we haven’t found one we like yet. We’d like to name this blog so that it reflects the business-to-business nature of our industry, the hard work and dedication to excellent craftsmanship and customer service that Metro is known for, and we’d also like something cute and catchy that will scream “Read Me!” Mmm, yeah, that’s about all. Submit your suggestions using the

More Names for Name That Blog Contest Last week, we launched our Name that Blog Contest, and the suggestions are rolling in via email and on our Facebook and LinkedIn pages. Thanks to all who have put on their thinking caps and sent in some great names! We’re still accepting ideas through end of day tomorrow, so please keep ’em coming. Meanwhile, don’t worry, our usual helpful content will return soon. Until then, here are the entries we have so far: From Susan, on LinkedIn: Blogging Our Signs Out From Diane, on Facebook: Sign Me Up From Mike, via email: Metro’s Northern Lights “Signing On” “Sign Effects” “Sign Language” “And the sign says…” “I saw the sign…” “I need a sign…”

Signs can serve many purposes. Some give direction, others warn of potential dangers, but most let the world know you’re in business. In other words, they’re advertising, and I’m always surprised when our clients don’t consider them as such. Typically, a sign will be up for 5-10 years before the business owner wants to update it. (Of course I have to point out that our signs are built to last much longer!) Their longevity alone makes signs a unique form of advertising – one with excellent return on investment (ROI). Whether it’s illuminated or not, an exterior sign’s cost-per-impression compares very favorably to other forms of advertising. Think about newspaper, TV, radio, Yellow Pages, and online advertising. How many people

Signs are important for your business, and Metro Sign and Awningwants to help you make the most beneficial, cost-effective decision possible.That’s why we’ve created our Signage 101 resource section on our updated website, where you will find information that will help you decide what type of sign is appropriate for your company. The Signage 101 section has information that many of you may find useful, including: How posted road speed affects signage visibility The most to least visible sign color combinations We continue to add to this section, so be sure to check periodically fornew information you can use. If you’d prefer to have Metro help you get started right away, please contact us.