I’m helping a local service business to refresh its offline branding, and we’re considering a foam monument sign for the entrance to its property. The aim is not replacing an old sign but to make the location easier to see, develop the brand and make a better first impression for customers from online ads and Google Maps. Foam monument signs seem to be attractive, as they can replicate the substantial appearance of masonry or stone without the same weight, installation time, or structural requirements. They also seem to give shape, color, raised lettering, and logo elements more freedom. But I’m uncertain if they translate into marketing value over time. Has anyone in your area employed a foam monument sign as part of a local business rebrand or lead-generation strategy?
It all depends on the type of business and the amount of land that they occupy. Most retail businesses in my city don't have the space for that kind of pomp. Big, big companies have them, or similar "pole signs" at their entry. About the only businesses that really seem suited to have them are funeral directors. I guess, in a more car-oriented city where even small businesses have large carparks out front they might work, but, again, taller "pole signs" give better visibility for drivers.
Can you post a sample image of the type of foam monument sign you are envisioning? Can you post a sample pole sign that you are speaking about?[/QUOTE]
Thanks for the clarification. In the physical sign business, success depends upon three things: location, location, and location. Some might say that the three things are visibility, visibility, and visibility, but success factors are obviously related. In your case, much depends on the actual service business of your client. E.g., if it is an auto repair service and it has a grand, foam sign as above, I would tend to stay away as they likely charge too much. On the other hand, I would prefer that my orthopedic surgeon not be one of several retail vendors on the pole sign also shown above.
I did see a hand painted fence, about 100 metres running from the building down to the road in a really dusty part of Baja California advertising a gynaecologist. Yeah, nah! I'd have crossed my legs if I hadn't been on a motorbike!
If people are already finding the business through Google Maps or ads but still have trouble spotting the entrance, then I think a good monument sign can be worth it.
I come at this from a planning background, and jrbiz's location/visibility point is really the whole decision -- a monument sign only earns its keep if it solves a sightline problem. nicenic nailed the best use case: the customer already finds you on Google Maps but can't spot the entrance, so the sign is doing wayfinding rather than advertising. sarahk's pole-sign point matters for the same reason: a low foam monument sign at 4-6 feet reads well to pedestrians and slow street traffic but won't be legible to drivers moving fast. I'd add a planner's angle too -- check the local sign code before falling in love with a design, because setback, height, and right-of-way rules decide where the sign can actually go. If it passes that test and the design matches the brand tier jrbiz described, foam is a sensible way to get the masonry look without the masonry budget.