Are Your Corporate Signs a Liability?

You only get one chance to make a great first impression on a customer. One way to make a stand-out first impression is with an attractive, eye-catching sign. A longitudinal study presented at the National Signage Research & Education Conference in 2014 revealed that one-third of customers were drawn to a previously unfamiliar store on the strength of its signage. But what happens when the very signs that you use to attract customers and reach new clients become a cause for concern?

Falling corporate signs or old signage can prove to be a liability. The signs could fall on a customer or a piece of property, causing injury or damage. Alternatively, signs that aren’t well-maintained can make potential customers question doing business with your company. In this guide, we’ll discuss how to recognize if your corporate signage is a liability and how you can go about correcting the problem.

Table of Contents

• 5 Signs Your Corporate Signage Might Be a Liability
• Reasons Take Care of Your Signs
• What to Do If a Sign Is Damaged
• Integrated Sign Associates Can Help You Minimize Corporate Sign Liability

5 Signs Your Corporate Signage Might Be a Liability

There are a few ways to tell that it’s time to update your corporate signage. Signs that aren’t properly maintained can fall, leading to injury. When you’re investigating your company’s signs, here’s what to look out for.

• Age: The older a sign is, the more likely it is to be in need of some attention. A sign that is a few years old might not look as good as it once did. Some signs are made of materials that wear out faster than others and might need replacing sooner rather than later. Even signs that are made from weather-resistant, durable materials will need repair or replacement at some point. Another way that the age of your sign can be a liability is if it contains outdated information. Depending on when you installed the sign, it might no longer have the correct opening hours for your business, or it might be advertising products or specials your business no longer offers. Outdated signs may also no longer be in compliance with the ADA.
• Damaged supporting structure: Signs are usually supported by a structure such as a pole or a pylon or are mounted on a wall using supportive materials. Over time, the support structure can become worn out or damaged by the elements, weakening the sign. When the integrity of the support structure declines, there is a chance that the sign will topple over or fall, potentially causing damage or harm to people or property.
• Damaged sign: Signs themselves can become damaged over time, especially if they are outdoors and are exposed to wind, rain, sun and hail. Vandals can also come and add graffiti to the sign. A worn-out, tired-looking or otherwise damaged sign can dissuade people from visiting your business. They might assume, based on the condition of the signage, that a store or restaurant is closed. A sign that’s in poor condition might make a potential client question the quality of the business and might convince them to consider your competitors.
• Falling pieces: Just as a sign that has a weakened support structure could potentially cause an injury or damage, a sign that has pieces falling off of it can also be a liability for your business. Signs with missing or falling pieces can also impact the way people perceive your company. For example, if you have a sign with lettering and one or more of the letters have fallen off, it will change the message you’re sending or create confusion among your customers.
• Leaning: A sign that’s leaning over could be a sign that’s about to topple over, potentially causing harm. A sign might lean because it is not properly mounted or because there is a structural issue with its support system. Along with being a hazard, a leaning sign might not send the best message about your business. It can look sloppy and unkempt, which can be a turn-off.

Reasons Take Care of Your Signs

Signs help people find their way to your business and provide essential information. Your company’s signage can be an effective and efficient form of advertising. Whether your business has a single location in San Diego or multiple locations across the U.S., the state of your signs matters. When your signs are missing letters, dirty or visibly damaged, it makes people question the quality of your business.

Maintaining your signage or updating it from time to time sends a message to people that you care about your company. When people think that you care about your company, they are likely to make the connection and assume that you also care about your customers.

Another reason to take care of your business signage and to keep the signs up to date and in good condition is that doing so allows you to control your message and branding. If your company has recently changed its name, it’s important that all of your company signs reflect the name change. If your business has changed its slogan or logo, your signs need to reflect the change.

Taking care of your signs and updating them when necessary also helps reduce confusion. For example, if you’ve recently rearranged the layout of your company, the signs that direct people to various areas need to show the update. You don’t want people to look at the sign in the lobby, see that the department they want is on the third floor and go there, only to learn later that the department recently moved to the fifth floor.

Finally, it’s important to take care of your company’s signage because doing so can reduce the risk of injury. The last thing any business owner wants is for one of their company’s signs to fall on a customer or passerby, causing severe injury.

What to Do If a Sign Is Damaged

If you notice that one or more of your signs is looking a little worse for wear, you have options. The first thing to do is to evaluate the damage. Is the sign faded, or has the material begun to crack or peel? If the sign is illuminated, are one or more bulbs burnt-out?

A sign specialist can help you determine the best course of action to take based on the condition of the sign. In some cases, a quick and simple repair might all that the sign needs. If a sign is significantly damaged, or if the information on the sign is no longer accurate, a total replacement might be in order. Integrated Sign Associates’ trained consultants will work with you to help you design a sign to replace one that is damaged or no longer up-to-date.

Integrated Sign Associates Can Help You Minimize Corporate Sign Liability

Your company’s signs should welcome and entice customers, not hurt them or turn them away. Integrated Sign Associates provides clients with high-quality signs that last for years and that allow companies to effectively manage their messaging and branding. We don’t cut corners when producing signs and will strive to create high-end, long-lasting signage that will effectively advertise your business.

To learn more about our sign services in the San Diego area, contact us today.