Banner stands are the standard “go-to” displays for businesses wishing to promote their products or services. No business can survive without some sort of advertising or marketing strategy, and a display generating focus on some sort of visual presentation does the trick every time. Whether indoors or out, banner stands and their cousins are a simple solution to this promotional necessity. What’s great is the fact that these attention-grabbing tools are within the realm of most small business budgets. Three very different applications are available, the first of which is floor stands.
Floor Stands
Banner stands situated on the floor already have an advantage when it comes to announcing their presence. Customers or patrons can walk right up to these displays and get the whole story on who you are and what you’re selling. An entire article can be written alone explaining all the various types of banner stands available but we’ll concentrate on the two main types. Banner stands are meant to be portable and they’re typically used at trade shows and conventions. Because they need to break down easily into a small footprint for transporting, their features include some ingenious engineering. Retractable banner stands store their graphics in the base, usually some kind of aluminum canister with a spring-loaded mechanism. Not unlike a window shade, the banner graphic simply pulls out from the base and is held in place by a pole positioned behind it. Setup takes no time at all and they are moderately priced. A more inexpensive version is called a pole banner stand. There is no base canister for storing the graphic, but rather just the bare minimum designed to support and display the advertisement. There’s just the pole and the graphic. Standard pole banner stands are typically viewed at eye level but they can also grow quite tall. With heights approaching 18 feet, they can provide valuable exposure from great distances, especially in cavernous convention centers or at expansive outdoor events.
Advertising Flags
Flag displays are a more recent entry into the advertising display canon. They come in two basic shapes: feather and teardrop. Unlike the banner stands mentioned above, advertising flags provide movement. In a sea of advertisements, studies indicate that movement catches the eye first. As a result, advertising flags are used most effectively outdoors, where the wind brings them to life. The display’s main components are the flag and its support structure. The backbone is a thin and very flexible pole that is assembled from sections. The flag is hemmed with a loop on one side running the entire length. The flag is slipped over the pole and connected to a large ground screw which is threaded into the ground. If you’ve ever wondered how these flags are planted in sand at the beach, this ground screw makes it possible. The printed fabric dances in the wind and the flag itself swivels 360°. This creates a memorable presentation, especially when multiple flags are displayed in rows. Display your corporate logo, promote the introduction of a new product, or advertise a public event with these bright advertising flags.
Human Billboards
The first human billboards were people wearing sandwich boards, walking the sidewalks and streets. While these are still seen sometimes, this idea has been re-worked into a much less cumbersome way to garner attention, particularly for the (un)lucky person required to wear it. This new design has turned the traditional sandwich board on its head, or back, rather. Now, the advertising display is mounted to a backpack unit for the ultimate in wearer comfort. Gone are the days of heavy plywood. A printed graphic is displayed on a lightweight framework attached to the rear of the backpack. Not only does this leave your hands free to interact with people and hand out flyers, but also goes where you go thanks to the lightweight design. A human billboard is perhaps the ultimate advertising display because your marketing strategy now includes a real person, ready to answer any and all questions about you and your business. This interaction sets the human billboard apart from static displays, and people are always curious and readily attracted to what is being presented.
Conclusion
The three banner displays discussed above offer new takes on an age-old problem: How can I point people to my product? Advertising is a necessity, now and then. It just takes a few marketing displays such as these to make your presence known with the public towards the goal of realizing greater gains.