Brand consistency is one of the most important aspects of making your store memorable to consumers. Every time customers interact with your brand, online or offline, they should be reminded of who you are, which requires using the same images, logo, colors and message.
Experts estimate it takes five to seven impressions before someone remembers a brand. That number may increase as more and more brands go online and clamor for the attention of a limited pool of customers. If you want to be memorable, you must present your brand in a similar way over and over using a variety of methods.
Using your brand colors in every interaction, including in your storefront location, is a great way to create a memorable impression. However, integrating brand colors into a storefront isn’t always easy. You may be limited by the construction and colors already present in a rented space, for example. Fortunately, there are some features business owners have control over when it comes to storefront branding.
1. Create Display Windows
Creating window displays that draw people inside is a bit of a challenge. You have to highlight some of your more popular or recent items. However, your display windows are also a great place to integrate some of your brand colors, either through signage or selected products. Think about what might catch the eye of passerby as they walk past your store. What colors surround your windows and what will pop out to potential customers?
2. Change the Wall Colors
If you are in a location where you’re allowed to paint, change up the wall colors so they coordinate with your brand colors. Think about the colors in your palette and what compliments them. If your colors are vivid, you may only want to use the brand colors as an accent and stick with trendier neutral tones for the background. Different types of colors have a different impact on your audience. For example, you can use black as a neutral color and to create a sense of mystery or stick with light greens and sandy browns for a sense of tranquility.
3. Add Signage
Signage is a way to incorporate the colors you want without changing the walls or altering more permanent store features. Using signage is particularly useful if you’re still developing your brand colors or testing out colors before making a change. Signage is relatively inexpensive, but still makes an impact on store visitors. Use vinyl signs in the color of your choice or add color elements over a white vinyl sign. You can also use signs to point customers toward your register, sale items or to highlight new arrivals in your store. Don’t be afraid to incorporate both brand colors and accent colors for attention.
4. Invest in Bags
What color are the bags you put purchased products in? Using customized bags is a great way to add additional branding that utilizes your company colors. Whenever the person leaves your store and others see the bag, the bag should be immediately recognizable as a company standard. Using a signature color boosts brand recognition by about 80 percent, so business owners should look for every opportunity to do so.
Think about the last time you visited a local mall. You may have seen someone walking out of Victoria’s Secret with a pink and black striped back. You immediately knew what brand they purchased from. Perhaps you noticed a black back with white letters from Hot Topic. What colors scream your brand identity, and how can you put that on a bag so everyone sees the visualization?
5. Employee Uniforms
Depending upon what kind of store you run, employee uniforms might be a good idea. Keep in mind that uniforms allow store visitors to readily identify who works there in case they need assistance. The uniform should match the overall branding of your business. If pink is your signature color, invest in pink shirts with your logo or black shirts with a pink logo. Think about what type of uniform best represents your brand and how to add your company colors to the outfit.
If you’ve ever gone to Best Buy, you know employees are easy to spot because of their shirts with the bright Best Buy logo. Go out to eat somewhere like Hooters, and the orange shirts of the servers pop and grab your attention. No matter what your brand colors may be, your employee outfits should highlight them and make the store memorable.
6. Floor Signage
Adding signage to your floor draws customers in for sales and other events and directs traffic through your store. You can even use three-dimensional signage to draw them into a sensory experience. Signage can be used both outside your store, such as in a shopping mall (if the mall allows it) and inside the store to direct customers down a planned path. Think about footprints in your primary brand color that lead the way to a new, featured product.
Brand Colors Matter to Storefront Locations
Adding in brand colors gives your store a unique identity. Keep in mind, though, that the overall aesthetic of your store is much more important than simply throwing up certain colors. It’s okay to limit how much you use your brand color, but there are some places you shouldn’t shy away from it, such as a sign for your storefront. With a little attention to color and how it impacts your store visitors, you should find a balance between branding and usability.
