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Archive for Corporate Identity

FULL OR PARTIAL: VEHICLE WRAPS GET THE WORD OUT ATTRACTIVELY AND EFFICIENTLY

May 5th, 2012 by Rebecca Walden

Question Not Should You Wrap but How Soon Can You Wrap?

I just can’t help but stay excited about vehicle wraps and graphics.  They are eye-catching, gorgeous, protect the car’s paint, and from a “cost per impression” marketing perspective, just can not be beat.

Last week we were fortunate to complete a project for Keith Gurr, President of American Window Products, Inc. on Powers Ave. here in town.  Keith’s company is locally owned and operated with 50 years combined experience providing high quality replacement windows and storm doors.  Check him out at www.americanwindowsproducts.biz.

Keith was scheduled to take delivery of three spanking brand new Ford Transits from Duval Ford and decided to “take the plunge” and put these cute little guys on the road fully wrapped to the hilt.  As is our custom, we had a consultation meeting with Keith, our designer and myself to hear directly from Keith what his “vision” was for the art on the new Transits.  Given the name of his company, Keith wanted to stick with an Americana theme but also feature some of their product offerings and of course contact information. 

We were able to wrap the three vehicles in three days last week!  So Keith now has a rolling marketing program every day those vehicles are out on our busy Jacksonville streets bringing quality replacement windows to his customers and being noticed by “future” customers who will say “I really need to get that window fixed” when reminded by one of Keith’s Transits!

  • Keith Gurr, President of American Replacement Windows/American Window Products with one of his newly wrapped Ford Transits.

  • The outline of the continental US has been part of Keith Gurr's branding all along and so was retained in the design.

  • Good day! Transit No. 3 completed and delivered! Happy client and very happy First Coast Signs owner!

Ok.  But what if you really don’t think you are ready for a fully wrapped vehicle?  Does that mean you are limited to just some boring cut vinyl lettering on your door?  Not at all!  We can use the same high quality 3M materials to print a partial wrap along with window perf to still proudly and loudly display your brand and contact information.

When Nanette Orlins who together with her husband Morgan run Morgan’s Window Cleaning Inc. in Ponte Vedra contacted us, she said she had a plain white Savana and a newly designed logo.  This van is in the field daily doing a wonderful job pressure washing the beautiful Ponte Vedra Beach homes and windows of their clients and Nanette just thought it could be working harder for them with some well placed graphics.

All Nanette needed was their new logo and phone number.  Her clever logo design subtly says it all:  Windows, water splash, blue on white.  Clear, straightforward, effective.  I love it!

  • Window perf is just the coolest stuff! Allows for the continuity of your graphics and still be able to have full visibility from the inside out.

  • Clean, clear, concise. Partial wraps can get the job done for you too!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In case you’re reading this and thinking oh wow, I could never afford something like this . . . .

Let’s assume you already acknowledge that you need to advertise your business.  A 1x full-page newspaper ad is going to cost you $900 – $1,000.  And any advertising consultant is going to tell you, and rightly so, that a one time ad is truly money down the drain.  So let’s say you run that ad between 8-20 times.  You get a “volume” discount down to $625 so for the minimum of 8 insertions, you’re up to $5,000 already.  And 8x really isn’t a significant advertising campaign.  Yellow pages advertising?  Multiples of that for a one time presence in I’m sorry, but an increasingly archaic medium.

A stem to stern vehicle wrap on even a full-sized truck is not going to remotely cost you $5,000 in today’s market.  It’s going to last 3-5 years and be seen by 30,000 to 70,000 people daily.  It’s a one time cost and works for you 24 x 7 provided the vehicle can be seen.  The statistics in favor or wrapping your fleet vehicles are just staggering.

So the question is not should you wrap, but how fast can you call First Coast Signs at 904-398-3993 and get your fleet vehicles wrapped!  :)   Thanks for letting me share these two recent client experiences with you!

Categories : Articles about Us, Corporate Identity, Creative Marketing Use of Signs, Digitally Printed Signs, FCS Blog, Vehicle Graphics, Vehicle Partial Wraps, Vehicle Wraps
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Dimensional Letters to Match Existing Attorney Signs in San Marco

April 9th, 2012 by Rebecca Walden

Existing Attorney Signs in San Marco that Henry Gare's Needed to Match

Next to knowing I’m going to see water if I drive 10 minutes in any direction, the second thing I love most about Jacksonville are its distinctive and defined “neighborhoods”. Say San Marco, Riverside, Avondale, San Jose, Arlington, Saint Nicholas to a local and it is instant recognition of exactly where you’re doing business or going.

So we were delighted to be called by Henry Gare, Attorney at Law, about his relocation to San Marco and need of a brand new sign.

Since there were already two other attorneys in Mr. Gare’s new offices, we needed to try to make his sign match the ones that were already there. As was said in “My Cousin Vinny”, it needed to “blend”. :)

The challenge is to “match” signs that have already been weathered in the sun and elements, and using the same or very very similar materials when we were not the folks who made the original signs.

So armed with our tape measure and paint swatches, we went with 1/4″ acrylic dimensional letters and a substrate of 3/4″ PVC.  Carlton painted the “board” and the faces of the dimensional letters.  Our fabricator provided us with a stencil for accurate placement of the letters on the PVC. 

Back room at First Coast Signs transformed temporarily from a vehicle wrap area to a workshop.

 

 

 

We also had to pay attention to how the other two signs were mounted so that we could “match” how that was done as well.

 

 

 

End result?  Mr. Gare was wonderful to work with and understood that while we would do our best to match the existing signs as closely as possible, his sign was still going to look “newer” than his fellow tenants.  We suspect after a summer in our Florida sun, the signs will be a spot on match!

Matching "New" to "Existing"

Matching "New" to Existing

 

Please think of First Coast Signs if we may ever be of assistance with YOUR new sign, external or internal!  Thank you Henry Gare!

Categories : Corporate Identity, FCS Blog, Reception Area Branding/Lobby Logos
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Jazzy Window Door, Window and Wall Vinyl for Trendy New Brew Bar

December 20th, 2011 by Rebecca Walden

We were delighted here at First Coast Signs when our friends at Content Design Group invited us to put some finishing touches on Bold Bean Coffee Roasters new location in historic Riverside/Avondale.  Located in a 1920′s building on Stockton, we were thrilled to be part of the “fun” and help get the brew bar ready for its opening.

Content Design Group and their clients, Jay and Zack Burnett, owners of Bold Bean, chose Avery Specialty Films 100 Etchmark, an etched glass film for their windows and doors.  The product provides the look of real etched glass at a fraction of the cost by eliminating the need for sandblasting.  We love working with this product since it produces such a classy, artistic look that is subtle but still makes a statement.

Avery Etchmark Creates Understated Branding

 

For the twelve-foot high wall graphic inside the brew bar, we were able to use our standard vinyl, Oracal 3641.  This versatile product is great for interior or exterior signage, decals, nameplates, die-cut letters and more.  Applying an overlaminate to the finished print added body and protection for ease of handling and installing.   

Digitally printed and laminated vinyl makes it SO easy to create distinctive wall coverings for any interior.

Thanks to Content Design Group and Bold Bean again for the opportunity to work on this project.  Watch for two additional window graphic projects that we hope will come to fruition in January!

 

 

Categories : Corporate Identity, Creatiive Use of Cut Vinyl, Creative Marketing Use of Signs, Digitally Printed Signs, FCS Blog, Inexpensive Marketing Ideas Using Signs, Signs
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Sweet Suite Graphics II

November 17th, 2011 by Rebecca Walden
Attractive Combination Using Frosted Vinyl with Black Cut Vinyl Overlay
Kelli Mazza, Administrative Services Manager for Fortegra Financial, enlisted First Coast Signs’ assistance to add subtle, beautiful touches to their new location.  Using just vinyl, we achieved a dignified, elegant look that displayed the whole family of companies in black metallic vinyl over the frosted glass vinyl.  We covered these panes the whole length of their boardroom and also used the same approach for panes in their lobby. 
 
 
 
Impressive Statement
Three Dimensional Look Achieved Effectively

 Alan Worley, President of the popular and effective Money Pages organization, wanted to make a statement for his new suite at Veteran’s Memorial Arena.  He brought the project to First Coast Signs and we presented him our concept to work with a piece of black max metal, 4′h x 8′w, overlaid with a second piece of brushed silver max metal that had his text custom routed, allowing the black to show through.  To provide added dimension, we mounted to his wall using over-sized stand-offs so that the black sheet is “off the wall” and there is also a separation between the brushed silver sheet and the black background sheet.  Fun project that is still receiving lots of compliments!

Whatever our budget, whatever your “style”, whatever your corporate statement needs to be, First Coast Signs would love to work with you to ensure your corporate brand is evident to your employees, clients, vendors and stakeholders!

 

 

 

 

Categories : Articles about Us, Corporate Identity, Creative Marketing Use of Signs, FCS Blog, Inexpensive Marketing Ideas Using Signs, Reception Area Branding/Lobby Logos, Signs
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Sweet Suite Graphics I

November 7th, 2011 by Rebecca Walden
 
Is it costly etched glass or vinyl?

 

We’ve been privileged to work with several local companies that wanted to put their walls and interior windows “to work” for them by reinforcing corporate values and identity.  Using cut vinyl, which comes in solid colors and also a marvelous assortment of products that achieve  an “etched glass” effect for a fraction of the cost of the “real thing”, our clients now keep their corporate mantras and branding attractively displayed for both employees and visitors. 

For instance, the 5′ apple on US Preventive’s lobby doors was created using etched glass “looking” vinyl.  We cut their healthy logo out of the vinyl using our Graphtec plotter and applied it to the doors.  The result was beautiful and acheived a stately look for far less than real etched glass would have cost.  Thank you Kathy Fleming for allowing us to help you with your internal branding project.

 

We used a combination of materials to create MarkOne’s sensational lobby branding.

When Bruce and Jason Newmark contacted us regarding branding their reception area at their new location for MarkOne Holdings, they specifically said they didn’t just want “a sticker stuck to a piece of acrylic”.  They were definitely looking for something more three dimensional and dramatic. 

Their logos for the parent company and three subsidiaries were gorgeous.  However, there were color gradients that could only be achieved using a digital print.  Our solution was to have the graphics and letters custom cut using 1/2″ styrene with a nice flat face surface.  Then we printed their letters and graphics to capture the color gradients and applied the prints to the faces of the letters.  Next we mounted the graphics and letters to rectangular pieces of acrylic and mounted the 4 acrylic signs to the wall using stand-offs.  Everyone was quite pleased with the outcome.

This colorful display greets clients and vendors as they step off the elevator at MarkOne.

 

We have several other lobby branding projects we want to share with you to potentially spark an idea of something you’d like in your reception area.  Watch for more to follow and we would love to work with you on a creative piece that will be unique to your business or practice.  Call us at 904-398-3993 and let us know what you think!

 

Categories : Corporate Identity, Creative Marketing Use of Signs, FCS Blog, Inexpensive Marketing Ideas Using Signs, Reception Area Branding/Lobby Logos, Signs
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Vehicle Wraps Advertising Stats

July 6th, 2011 by admin

I’m working on a presentation for my BNI chapter later this week and decided to focus on Vehicle Wraps.  Every time I review the statistics related to vehicle wraps and their advertising effectiveness, I just have to pinch myself to make sure I’m not getting blurry eyed from staring at my computer screen.

These first statistics come from an Arbitron 2010 study.  If you’re in the advertising industry or your position requires you to make advertising recommendations and decisions, you probably know who Arbitron is.  For those that may not be as familiar, Arbitron (NYSE:ARB) is a media and marketing research firm serving the media-radio, television, cable and out-of-home-as well as advertisers and advertising agencies.  Arbitron’s core businesses are measuring network and local-market radio audiences across the United States.

In a former life, I made advertising decisions for banks and the advertising agencies making the pitch on how much to spend on radio ads were very adept at making their case using Arbitron data.

So a very serious, experienced company.

Ok, what exactly did Arbitron say about vehicle wraps advertising?

According to Arbitron, the cost per thousand ad impressions for a vehicle wrap is $0.35.  Consider the comparable costs for:

Billboards and other outdoor signage $3.56
Radio $7.75
Prime Time TV $18.15
Newspaper $19.70
Magazine $21.46
TV $23.70

Now just do the math:  10,000 impressions from your vehicle wrap are going to cost you a whopping $3.50, compared to $237 for a television ad.  Fifty thousand impression created from your vehicle wrap would inch up to $17.60 compared to $985,000 for newspaper advertising delivering the same number.

And if you have 5 vehicles in your fleet generating an average of 50,000 impressions per day EACH (according to the Traffic Audit Bureau for Media Measurement), those 250,000 impressions would cost you $87.50 using your mobile advertising compared to $5,365 for a magazine ad generating the same number of impressions.

Besides the compelling cost effectiveness, vehicle wraps are just plain fun, interesting, fresh and very apt to bet people talking about your company.  The American Trucking Association reported that 91% of people surveyed notice vehicle graphics.  And when you consider that a vehicle wrap can’t be “fast forwarded”, “muted”,  or paged over when you’re stopped at a light right behind one, it truly is an intelligent advertising investment.

Jacksonville, Fla. Vehicle Wrap Advertising

There’s so much more I want to share with you about vehicle wraps including the process and expectations that we may be sticking with this topic for a while!

If we may answer any questions relative to vehicle wraps, partial wraps, or vehicle graphics and lettering or schedule a consultation, we certainly hope you will call First Coast Signs at 904-398-3993 for our office or my cell at 904-654-5946.

Categories : Corporate Identity, Creative Marketing Use of Signs, FCS Blog
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Reception Area Logos Set Your Tone

December 27th, 2010 by Rebecca Walden

Let your clients know the essence or your company as soon as they walk into your reception area with an impressive lobby logo!

Whether your company is whimsical and creative or more stoic, displaying your logo on a reception area sign creates an excellent first impression and lets your visitors know they’re in the “right place”.

We’ve had a lot of fun working with clients on these this past year. There are endless options so you can let your creativity run wild–or, put our creativity to the test!

We’d like to share a few of these with you, let you know what materials were used, and encourage you to check out your lobby and ascertain if your reception area branding can use a makeover.

Sandra Brooks and her Big Orange "B"

If you received a holiday card from Sandra Brooks or Andres Lacayo, partners at BROOKSLACAYO Advertising, Branding and Public Relations (www.brookslacayo.com) here in Jacksonville, the lobby logo we produced for our friends was prominently featured on their card.

This material is a lightweight foam with a painted face.  Because it is so “light”, it’s applied to a wall using just double sided tape and silicon.

Shane Santiago, President of SBS Studios (www.sbsstudios.com) , admired BROOKSLACAYO’s application and used the same material for his stylish, “Disneyesque” reception logo in his very “New Yorkish” office in Sutton Park.  What do you think?

SBS Studios Lobby Logo in the Spotlight

Fun, bright and whimsical are quite appropriate for advertising/creative agencies.  However, if  you’re the managing partner of an entity like First Coast Financial Group, Inc. (www.FirstCoastFinancialGroup.com), you need a different “look”.  Tom Davis, CLU wanted a reception area logo that conveyed strength and seriousness.  So we had custom dimensional letters and a graphic element of his lighthouse logo fabricated with a gold acrylic face, then mounted those to a 20″ x 94″ sheet of black acrylic which we then mounted to his wall with chrome stand-offs.  The result was an elegant and stately reception area branding consistent with his company’s fiduciary nature.

A Stately Reception Area Sign Suitable for a Financial Planning Firm

Brenda Ezell was understandably excited about her law firm’s (http://ezellfirmpa.com) new offices in Cardinal Pointe.  After exquisitely decorating her new space, she was ready to “brand” her firm and prominently yet tastefully display her newly designed logo.  We again had her logo fabricated in acrylic and mounted to a 1/4″ acrylic panel with brushed silver vinyl first applied.  End result is a beautiful display that appropriately represents her commercial real estate law practice and compliments the silver trim of her office furnishings.

Mounted to the wall with stand-offs for a clean, finished look.

Stylish lobby logo on brushed silver acrylic background.

Diedra Chatman, director of Delberg Home Health Care Agency (www.delberghomehealthcare.com) on N. Main came up with a great suggestion for her lobby logo.  To achieve a dimensional yet cost effective look, she asked us to combine custom fabricated letters along with a digital print.  Again mounted to the wall using standoffs, we first applied the digital print to an acrylic sheet, affixed the lettering, and the result was a crisp, bright rendition of her logo that greets her clients as they walk into her reception area.

Close up of the dimensional letters applied to digital print on acrylic panel.

Dimensional letters used in conjunction with a digital print.

Be sure to contact us at First Coast Signs, 904-398-3993, to help explore the limitless possibilities for you to welcome your clients with an attractive reception area logo that properly sets the tone for the business/practice you are in!

Categories : Corporate Identity, FCS Blog, Reception Area Branding/Lobby Logos
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Corporate Identity

June 3rd, 2010 by Rebecca Walden

Your corporate identity/brand/logo is as “personal” to your business as your name is to you.  It needs to accurately convey your business’ style and spirit.

If you’ve been in business a while, you may have evolved toward something different than when you started. Your “look” may not now represent your business accurately. Perhaps it’s time for a logo and branding redesign along with completely new signage.

If you’re a brand new business, the slate is clean.   Also as a new business owner, we fully understand you probably don’t have excess cash to invest in the branding of your corporate identity and subsequent signage.

Here at First Coast Signs, we LOVE working with new business owners to achieve a “look” that totally communicates what they desire within their budget.  A fairly recent example of a really “fun” project for us was working with Sandy Myers, Owner of My Best Friend’s Closet, an upscale ladies consignment shop in San Marco that caters to size 14 and above.

Sandy stopped in and chatted with our designer, Wesley Rose, and me about her new store scheduled to open April 1 and what she envisioned. She had a photo of the inside of a closet for us to springboard from. Once we settled down on a design concept, Sandy said she would award us the privilege of producing all of her external signage and window graphics.

Anyone who knows Sandy knows she’s the quintessential “perky” embodiment of exuberance. So we thought we’d keep it “whimsical” and fun but still needed to convey a consignment shop catering to “voluptuous” women in a tasteful way.

Take a look at the final results:

Excellent signage opportunities both on San Marco and on side street.

Sandy approved our “concept” of showing various clothing items on hangers.  Sandy made the suggestion of adding the size tags, to emphasize that her shop caters to size 14 and above.  The product we used for this outdoor sign is Max Metal with our digital print on vinyl laminated and applied.   We LOVE Max Metal because it’s a) inexpensive, b) will not warp or rust and c) did we mention it’s inexpensive?  :)

Digitally printed and contour cut vinyl decorate Sandy's door.

We "wrapped" Sandy's excellent corner location's windows with a "ribbon" of vinyl spelling out what folks will find inside.

Happy new business owner Sandy Myers!

Sandy has rewarded us with several referrals from other San Marco store owners so she must be happy with the end result.  Oh!  And we also outfitted her car with a pair of vehicle magnets which gets her plenty of attention as she’s driving around Jacksonville.

Bottom-line?  At First Coast Signs we really listen to our clients and want them to be totally happy with the end result.  Whether you’re just starting out with the creation of a logo/brand or wanting to update your corporate identity, we’ll work with you hand in hand.  Whatever your budget, we have products and solutions that will keep you within it. 

Please call me at 904-654-5946 ANYTIME to talk about your signage needs!

Categories : Corporate Identity
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