Top-of-the Mind Awareness
A business' on premise sign is the major contributing factor in communicating accurate store location and image information of your particular business to your intended audience. An aesthetically appealing, unique sign will accomplish better results in reinforcing your business' message than any other advertising options. Most importantly, the physical sign itself will serve as a visual trigger, causing the consumer to evoke those messages stored in their memory that may be relevant in promoting your business to that particular customer, and many times this happens subconsciously, so the customer does not even realize that they are being influenced.
Another way signs operate is to reinforce advertising by cueing consumers to the existence of the business at a given location. This leads the consumer to access his or her memory to call up associations they have with that business. The more prominent a business is in the minds of consumers, the greater that business's share of the market. Similarly, the greater the consumer's memory of a specific product, good or service, the greater is his or her inclination to purchase that particular product, good or service over any other. This phenomenon is known as 'Top-of-the-Mind Awareness.'
(Charles R. Taylor, Claus & Claus. On-Premise Signs as Storefront Marketing Devices and Systems. U.S. Small Business Administration. Washington, DC. 2005.)
If your business' sign is particularly unforgettable, it will help to create brand equity and increase integrated marketing communications. One of the ways many businesses accomplish this is to include time and weather message centers in an LED display on their signpost. Including such things on your sign helps to draw more attention to your business and also increases the memory retention of the messages. On-going consumer studies have proved that individuals have their memory of a sign, and business, refreshed and enhanced by changeable copy because it holds their interest better than more basic, traditional signage.
Essentially, your sign can concurrently direct people to your store's location, serve as branding, fortify your advertising campaign, and influence purchasing decisions.