Recently updated on November 15th, 2024
Outdoor advertising should supplement your online marketing efforts especially if you have a physical store or attend trade shows and events with a show display. Printed marketing flags are an effective mode of outdoor advertising particularly during trade shows, exhibitions, and roadshows. However, you can also use printed flags for several other outdoor marketing efforts.
Why printed flags?
The use of printed marketing flags has the following benefits for your business.
1. Affordability
When you compare common types of outdoor advertising such as billboards, tents, pop up banners and digital outdoor advertising, advertising flags are quite cheap compared to their capabilities. This makes it one of the most appropriate means of outdoor advertising that you can use even with a shoestring marketing budget. Again, flags do not require repairs and maintenance unlike other outdoor means such as electronic signs.
2. A portable means of outdoor marketing
Events and exhibition marketing are some effective ways to get leads and customers for your products. You need a form of advertising that you can carry with you as you move about. Marketing flags are light which makes them ideal for marketing events happening away from the business premises. Moreover, their large size enables them to pull lots of leads so that you can distribute leaflets and flyers to reinforce your marketing message.
“As a small business owner, you quickly come to realize that if you’re “name” isn’t plastered out there (in a good positive way of course), you may never see the full capability of your dream come to fruition.”
Jack from Woodworking
3. Easy to assemble
If you need to set up a means of marketing for your business for the shortest time possible, the printed marketing flags is an ideal media. It is excellent for roadshows where you stop for a few minutes in one area or another or temporary trade booths for exhibitions, product testing, and test marketing among other activities.
All you have to do is to attach the poles, slide the print over the pole and stick the flag on its base. It takes a few minutes to set it up and take it down when you are done.
4. Takes minimal space
When space is a problem, you need a means of marketing that takes up little space. Such areas where you may not have lots of space include road junctions, outside the gate of your premises or inside the roadshow truck. Printed marketing flags take up little space. They are slim but can extend high up in the sky depending on how far you want them seen.
5. Weather resistance and durability
For outdoor advertising, you need a mode of marketing which can handle foul weather be it the scorching heat, rain or biting cold. You also need a rugged material that can withstand common forms of outdoor abuse. Printed marketing flags come in handy as they can resist elements of the weather and stay useful for a long time without getting torn or fading.
6. Round the clock advertising
Once you set up your flag, it communicates your message to everyone that sees it during the day and night. This makes it a good choice of a method to complement online efforts by giving prospects cues to the location of the business.
7. Versatility
It is possible to customize your flag according to your needs as a business. You can have several custom designs depending on the type of goods you are marketing or the event in which you are marketing your brands. You can even use different kinds of flags in one event.
“We are blown away by the quality of the two 15′ feather flags we purchased to use at our volunteer events and outdoor expos.” – Natural Restorations
Selecting the right printed marketing flags for your business
There are several types of flags with each best suited for a particular usage. Picking the right flag ensures that you pass your message in the most appropriate way to get the best returns from your efforts. Here are some common choices from which you can pick one.
Teardrop flags
These flags have a characteristic teardrop shape with a wide top and a tapered bottom. Therefore, they may not have enough room to write a lot of material. This flag is ideal for promoting a sales event or grand opening. The small size allows the business to put a catchy word or logo to gain attention from prospective clients. Teardrop flags come in various sizes.
Feather flags
These are the most common types of printed advertising flags. They are made in such a way that they can be printed on both sides. One end of the flag is attached to the support pole while the other flies free in the air. Their difference with the teardrop design is that they have a uniform size of the material from top to bottom. You can use feather flags in a variety of areas that include usage in outdoor events and trade shows, advertising outside the premises, and branding around the location of the premises.
These flags are made like a thin blade extending from the top of the support to its bottom. Like the teardrop flags, they do not have a lot of space on them. However, they have a little more space than the teardrops, as you can print from their very bottom. They are useful in displaying a short, catchy message, such as announcing a sale or a discounted offer. They are ideal for both indoor and outdoor usage.
Rectangle flags
If you have lots of material that you need to be written on a flag, the rectangle flag is your ideal choice. These flags come in a variety of widths depending on your needs and allow you to write to the very bottom. You can best use the flags in-store to explain different offers available for certain products. For outdoor use, they are great for giving more information about displayed products.
Air dancers
Air dancers are a kind of flying banner and a great way to capture your prospects’ attention to your advertising. They are held from one side in a way that they flow with the wind. You can use them to announce a sale, give event days or announce a discounted offer. These flags have a whimsical feeling to them which makes them great for use in areas crowded by competing brands.
Other options available
Several other banner options are available depending on particular usage. These include:
- Table covers: These are great for beverage marketing and brand awareness especially in restaurants.
- National flags: National flag-sized banners are commonly used for branding purposes. They feature the company logo and a slogan.
- Window perfs: These are banners placed on windows at the premises to announce an offer or a sale event.
- Yard signs: These are signs printed on plastic materials which are short and may rotate when pushed by the wind. They are a best used within the premises such as the parking area or across various outdoor sections of the industrial park.
Tips for designing quality printed marketing flags
Getting the right design of your advertising flags ensures that the flag becomes memorable in the minds of your target clientele. This will help you to stand out from the competition. The choice of designs depends on various considerations that include the size of your flag, material that you need to be written and how you want to bring out the focal point. Consider the following when printing your next printed advertising flags.
Choice of colors
The choice of color has an effect of the legibility of your text and whether the banner will stand out or not. Consider a background color that enhances the text and images on your flag if any. However, the choice of colors should tie in well with your corporate colors. Moreover, ensure that you select contrasting colors to enable your audience to read your flag from a distance. A good choice is contrasting a warm color with a cool color.
Keeps words to the minimum
Even if you have some space to write, keep your words to the minim. You do not need to explain anything on your flag. Remember, more information will be provided by flyers or brochures or the sales team on site. Pick a few catchy words such as Big Sale, Discounted offers, Clearance Sale, or X percent off to drive action.
Use images
When you use images, such as in rectangle flags, ensure that they are of high quality with at least 300 dpi. Pick an image that brings the best features of the products you are promoting. Do not clutter the flag with several small images as the quality of the image will be very low.
Always have your logo on top
Where you print the logo, ensure that it is on top of your flag. Most people read from the top to bottom. Therefore, the first information that people find should be the brand name followed by the message that you want to put across. For most of the custom flags, a logo is all you need.
Use Appropriate fonts
Apart from the size of the fonts, you need to ensure the typeface that you choose can be read from a distance. Simple typefaces such as Helvetica, Arial, and Bodoni can be read from far. However, if you have a word that you need to emphasize, you can use a unique font. Avoid using all caps as it looks cursive or shouting. Again, this may affect legibility.
Create a focal point
If you have used more than one word on your advertising flag, you need to create a focal point. The focal point is the word that quickly captures the eye of the passerby in the advertisement. It is also the word that lingers in their mind long after they have left the place. You may emphasize the target word with a larger font, a different color, or different weight of the type-font such as bolding the word.
Printing technology
Digital printing technology has improved tremendously within the last few years with better technologies such as the dye sublimation becoming available. Dye-sublimation technology allows the ink to penetrate the surface of the material it is printed on. This enhances its durability and prevents the ink from fading with repeated exposure to elements of the weather. When it comes to printing flags, the calendar heat press is commonly used. The large format press works on the flag as one piece and can be fed with different types of materials as per your need.
Promote your event with quality advertising flags
Advertising flags are your idea media for promoting your next event. You can select one of the flag types discussed above or combine more than one type to enhance their effectiveness at your event. Besides, you can use the flags for your daily advertising and short-term promotions such as sale events, clearance sales, offers, or announcing new items that are available for purchase. Flags are versatile media for all your outdoor advertising needs. Consider using them to complement all other marketing efforts.
