Five sure-fire ways to generate
a successful street banner campaign
You've got a big event on the horizon and you know
you're going to need promotion. If you are lucky enough
to have a sponsor subsidising your costs, they are
certainly going to want quantifiable exposure.
In a high-tech world of big video screens and even
flashier websites, you could be forgiven for thinking
flags and banners have been consigned to the dustbin
of event promotions.
`But that's far from the case,' says Evan Evans sales
manager, David Lazzari.
'Competition for street-banner space in all Australian
capitals has reached new levels of demand,' he says.
'They are a terrific visual medium, and major companies
and organisations have not been slow in realising
the low-cost benefits associated with this form of
promotion.'
Flags and banners are important because they are
strategically positioned in most capital cities and
regional centres. But that success has come at a price.
Initially, many local governments allocated street-banner
sites free of charge. But as the effectiveness of
street banners has become more widely recognised,
and their popularity increased, local councils have
found a new, unexpected source of revenue.
'Nevertheless, costs associated with the creation
and installation of a series of street banners are
generally very competitive when compared to the tens
of thousands of dollars that billboards command,'
David says.
Secrets of success
However, there are certainly things you can do to
help ensure a street banner campaign achieves quantifiable
results.
And although Evan Evans can comfortably handle rapid
turnarounds, the more time a client allows for planning
and preparation, the better the campaign will be in
the long run, David says.
Evan Evans has a strong record of working closely
with promoters of major public events. In recent years,
the company has been commissioned to create signage
for both the Centenary of Australian Federation, and
the Sydney Olympics.
'If you'd told me a few years ago that Evan Evans
would organise the manufacture of 2 million hand wavers
for the Olympic torch relay, I would have said you
were mad!
'Our involvement with Centenary of Australian Federation
parade was just as satisfying as the Olympics because,
like the Olympics, it was so well organised.
'That's the secret to creating a good street banner
campaign planning,' David says.
'For the Centenary of Australian Federation promotions,
we had nearly 12 months' preparation to create flags
and banners for a huge parade which featured some
130 community floats.
'Because we were involved from the beginning, at
the budget-planning stage, Evan Evans was able to
help organisers create and install effective banner
designs well within deadlines.'
That's not to say everything went without a hitch.
One element of the Centenary of Australian Federation
vision was to create a long avenue of banners in Melbourne's
busy Swanson Street. The design looked fine on paper.
However, the many tramlines, obstructions, and council
restrictions placed on that particular site necessitated
a dramatic re-think of the original concept.
Eventually, Evan Evans was able to create banners
and flags that achieved the sort of atmosphere organisers
and sponsors were looking for without incurring the
wrath of the local council.
Good design counts
Thoughtful design of banners and flags was another
essential element of any successful campaign says
David.
'Allow plenty of time for planning, and allow ample
time for artwork approval. There's invariably a number
of people who want to have a say in what the artwork
looks like.
'Ideally, the designer should have experience with
the medium. It's a real trap to think that you can
just transfer a poster design to a banner and expect
it to work the same way.
'Final approvals and last minute changes always take
longer than people think. I recommend clients allocate
at least three or four weeks to the checking process.
Production can be done quickly, but in an ideal world
its always better to factor in a few extra weeks for
that as well.
'It also helps to install a prototype and see how
it looks on location before you commission a final
print run. We installed four working prototypes for
the Centenary of Australian Federation campaign and
it really made a difference.'
Evan Evans' reputation for excellence has recently
attracted international interest as well. One American
flag wholesaler, who discovered his regular manufacturer
couldn't keep up with demand after the events of September
11, sought an Australian solution to his supply problems.
Evan Evans now exports a regular shipment of several
hundred college banners to the Los Angeles-based company
every month.
'We load them on the plane on a Friday, and they're
in Los Angeles by the following Monday,' boasts David.
Your recipe for success
So if you want to generate a successful street banner
campaign, follow David's guidelines and you have the
beginnings of a promotion that captures public attention
from the pavement up.
Of course, you will also need a reliable manufacturer
to supply you with the appropriate flags and banners.
And with more 125 years' industry experience, Evan
Evans is recognised as one of the world's leading
flagmakers.
As demonstrated by being suppliers to both the Sydney
Olympics and the Centenary of Australian Federation,
Evan Evans has the experience and knowhow to keep
your company flying in more ways than one!
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