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No Comments Settlement Co. Makes It Official With A Their Custom Business Sign
A Sign Of Things To Come
As stated on the Instagram and Facebook pages for Settlement Co. it is now “Officially Official” that they are opening a second location.
Choosing the newly installed custom business sign to make the announcement, keeps their branding top of mind for their current and potential customers.
No Need To Search For Settlement Co.
The new locale is in a high traffic area near Downtown Kitchener. By choosing to brand the exterior of the building with signs that are visible to vehicle traffic and pedestrians passing by, ensures that the community can find them easily.
Both signs were created to stand out from the surroundings. Their herringbone design was used as a backer for each sign and then individual cutout letters were mounted to it to add dimension to the signage. Both of these custom business signs were finished off with a sign frame to give the signs a sleek, stylish look.
Get Set For Settlement Co.
To get set for opening of the second Settlement Co. location, they are offering a 4 WEEK COFFEE CRASH COURSE to the public. With a variety of topics ranging from tastings to Latte Art design, these classes will provide a great intro of their offerings to the community.
Including Custom Business Signs Into Your Expansion Plan
Are you planning to add new locations to business? The best way to get the word out about a company expansion is through custom business signs that enhance your brand. The expert sign-makers here at The Sign Depot can work with your current design or assist you in developing new designs for your business. Just visit the CONTACT US page to get a quote. For more examples of our custom signs visit our website gallery, find us on facebook or send us a tweet with what we can assist you with.
Celebrating Canada’s Agriculture Day With Custom Signs
Canada’s Agriculture Day
The local food movement grows bigger and bigger each year which is why today is a great day to celebrate Canada’s Agriculture Day. Being a custom sign company located in Kitchener Waterloo Ontario Canada, we know the impact local farmer’s make on the food industry.
Farm To Table In The Region Of Waterloo
When most think of Kitchener-Waterloo they think of the technology sector, but the area has so much more to offer. Kitchener-Waterloo is part of a much bigger municipality known as The Region Of Waterloo. The Region of Waterloo consists of the cities of Kitchener, Waterloo and Cambridge as well as Wilmot, Wellesley, Woolwich and North Dumfries townships. This mix of urban and rural communities is what gives this area of Ontario Canada a uniqueness and appeal to tourists.
The farming community in this area is vibrant. With the shift to locally grown food, this area has so much to offer. The Buy Local Buy Fresh initiative that originated in this area was well intact before anyone had heard of the 100 Mile Diet. Here in our community there are several options for those seeking to support local farmers.
Here’s a list of a few popular places to support local food
- Kitchener Market – A year round Farmers’ Market
- St. Jacobs Farmers Market – A year round market and local tourist attraction
- Barries Asparagus – A country market that also supplies other stores with their products
- Stemmler’s Meats – Farm products and store made items produced locally
- Wellesley Gourmet – A mix of local items can be found in their store
- Eating Well Organically – Features local organic food
- Little Mushroom Catering – A full service catering company with a focus on fresh local ingredients
Shout out from the LMC kitchen warehouse to @TheSignDepot and @VictoriaStarMB for our awesome branded fleet with AC! pic.twitter.com/I1BFsZDUXm
— LittleMushroom (@CateringFungi) May 31, 2016
Over the years we have been chosen by each of the above establishments to create custom signs for them. Each one has unique signage to reflect their brand. If you are looking to support local agriculture, be sure to visit the links for the businesses listed above. If you are looking to brand your food based business be sure to contact THE SIGN DEPOT.
Essential Steps For Branding And Rebranding With Signs – Kindred Credit Union
Begin Branding Your Business With Signs
When it comes to creating a business brand the best place to start is within your local community and once your brand is recognizable expand it from there. Make sure you find a way to make your mark and stay top of mind with potential customers with your business signs. They are often the first impression for your business so it is important to connect with a full service sign shop that can cover all of your signage needs.
When To Rebrand
When your business decides to rebrand it could be for various reasons. One being to refocus a company. In the case of Kindred Credit Union they decided to focus on growth when they changed their branding from Mennonite Savings and Credit Union to Kindred Credit Union. It is important when rebranding that you take the necessary steps to ensure your new branding is known to all. According to the article 7 Steps to a Successful Rebrand
“once you have established who and what you want to be, do not change it except for tweaks and slight adjustments. It takes 10 to 12 ‘touches’ for a customer to even notice you. Keep going long after you think everyone must have seen the new brand. Trust me—they haven’t”
This is where rebranding with signs plays an important role.
4 Steps For Rebranding With Signs
Just as Kindred Credit Union did we suggest you follow these steps when rebranding a business.
Begin with banners. Do not keep referring to your old messaging once you have decided to rebrand. Let your current clients know that changes are coming by removing existing signs and logos and replacing them with temporary banners during the switch over.
Make sure your new branding stands out. In the case of Kindred Credit Union this is a literal statement. With their choice of vibrant colours and 3 dimensional signs, their new branding made a bright and bold impact in relation to their surroundings. 
Bring The Outdoors In. Kindred Credit Union ensured that their rebrand was consistent from the time you walked up to their location, and continued it throughout your experience inside their building. Their exterior signs were created to be highly visible from a distance and once entering their establishment, the installation of focal point reception signs made to match the exterior signage, continued the visual flow for the clients arriving for their banking needs.
Get The Word Out. Once they finished rebranding an establishment they invited the community to come and see the locations new look. This assists in educating the public on all they have to offer.
Join us at one of our branches on Oct. 20 for our Member Appreciation Day & Community Open House. #localfood #Prizedraws #bankingwithpurpose pic.twitter.com/hsXYgBHCLU
— Kindred Credit Union (@KindredCU) October 11, 2016
Is your business looking to become a well known brand or ready for a rebranding refresh? The expert sign-makers at The Sign Depot are here to help. Just visit the CONTACT US page to get the process started.
Custom Sign Design With Hygge In Mind
What Is Hygge?
Are you wondering what’s with all the hype around hygge? In last month’s post we talked about the Norweign technique of Rosemaling. This month we thought we would try to explain the idea of Danish Hygge Design. According to VisitDenmark.com “The high season of hygge is Christmas, when Danes pull out all the hygge stops. Danish winters are long and dark, and so the Danes fight the darkness with their best weapon: hygge”, but it also goes on to explain that you that you can still experience hygge in the summer. “Picnics in the park, barbeques with friends, outdoor concerts, street festivals and bike rides can all be very hygge”. The concept of hygge is best explained in the video below.
Custom Sign Design With Hygge In Mind
Hygge is a state of mind and incorporating hygge into and establishment can start with a custom sign design. Just like the video shown above, the idea of bicycles, comfort and coffee became a great recipe for the Berlin Bicycle Cafe. The custom sign and rooftop bicycle structure outside let you know about the inviting atmosphere you will find inside their cafe. Extending the concept from the exterior to the interior makes for cohesive design conditions and gives the people an idea of what to expect while they spend time in that space.
Bring Hygge To Your Home Or Home Away From Home
According to the website Psychologies, Scandinavian interior design is inspired by hygge through the use of tea lights and cosy throws draped over a sofa, but in an interview on Wired, it states that because of the severe weather in the area, they create very nice surroundings for their interiors. This is also why they create high end furniture and lighting. Finding the right mix for both inside and outside your home or cottage can create an inviting environment for your family and friends.
Ways To Increase Your Visibility In Your Community
Top 5 Ways To Improve Your Company’s Visibility Within Your Community
- Do Not Put It On The Back Burner – Many businesses say that they are going to eventually work on their company’s visibility, but you need to state when this will happen. Figure out how you will accomplish this and set a timeline for each step of the way. Once you have put these steps of action in place be sure to celebrate each milestone that you execute and achieve.
2. Get Your Business Involved In The Community – Sponsor local events that are a good fit with your brand. Be sure to bring signs that represent your business so that you can be fully present during the event. Always follow up with the people that you met during that time to get their feedback about how they liked the event overall.
3. Network Within Your Community – Join local business groups such as your local Chamber of Commerce and see what opportunities they provide for networking within the local business community. Make sure to contact the business representatives you connected with to see how you can work together going forward. A B2B relationship can be lucrative for both sides.
4. Find Local Influencers And Make Them Your Ambassadors – Check out who is talking about your local area on social media and connect with them. Find ways you can work together to increase your visibility to their audience, and be sure to reciprocate by sharing their content with your networks as well. It makes for a win-win situation for both parties.
5. Refresh Your Signage – Your business signs are 24 hour advertisements for your business. Nothing captures attention like a bold new custom sign in front of your company. Be sure to increase visibility by adding vinyl window graphics and A-Frame signs. The ensures your business is noticed by both vehicle traffic and those walking by.
These simple steps will quickly improve your company’s stature. By making a few changes it will make a positive impact on your business and your company will become known as an establishment that your community respects and connects with. This keeps your business top of mind with those within your vicinity, which makes it more likely that they will give their business to your company down the road.
Feeling Frozen With Rosemaling For Dimensional Signs
Dimensional Signs That Resemble Rosemaling
Are you wondering what we mean by rosemaling? Rosemaling is a design term that is based on Norwegian folk art. It features flourishes, scroll work and geometric shapes. Often rosemaling is a repetitive design. In the Disney animated movie FROZEN, rosemaling was repetitive throughout the film. The architecture, the furnishings, the outfits and even the winter scenery in the film was designed around the rosemaling technique. You can see glimpses of modern rosemaling patterns in the LET IT GO music video below.
Did you notice how the snowflakes, Elsa’s cape and even her castle highlight rosemaling?
Because of it’s artistic style, rosemaling is often incorporated into dimensional signs here at The Sign Depot. Below are a few examples of designs and dimensional signs that have references to rosemaling.
Heading North?
This outdoor dimensional stone sign was sandblasted with a geometric design pointing to north, south, east and west. It also includes some scrolls near the bottom of the sign.
Dimensional Signs And Structures
Below is just one part of what became a large floral sign structure. With Pantone announcing their 2017 Colour Of The Year as Greenery, this HDU (high density urethane) sign element fits well for this time of year. We think think this structure would also work well in a rosemaling design.
Feeling Frozen?
Even our winter scene logo has geometric shapes and a scroll design that would be found in a folk art rosemaling pattern. While we are not located in Norway, you might get a little chilly when you take a look at all the details in this logo design.
With the arrival of the fresh white snow all we have left to ask is DO YOU WANT TO BUILD A SNOWMAN?
via GIPHYA little FROZEN humor to melt your heart.
via GIPHYArtistic Sign Design With Pantone’s 2017 Colour Of The Year – Greenery
‘Tis The Season
As in prior years, designers await an early December announcement from Pantone. It’s an announcement that does set a “tone” for the next year. Yesterday the wait ended as Pantone announced it’s upcoming Colour Of The Year. The choice for the 2017 Pantone Colour Of The Year is GREENERY.
It’s perfect timing as our last post was about selecting cedar trees as Christmas trees and we think adding some green is always a great idea. It’s a colour we often incorporate into our artistic sign design for our seasonal products.
Going Green For 2017
With Greenery making it’s way to the forefront of Pantone’s extensive colour list, we expect to see it incorporated into logo designs and branding strategies very soon. The new year is a fantastic time to plan a re-brand or launch advertising campaign, and a fresh colour like Greenery will add vibrancy to branding and marketing initiatives. Finding ways to stay ahead of competitors is something that needs to be planned months in advance, so now is the best time to decide if your business should go green for 2017. One of the best ways to get ahead of the pack is to update your company signs. If you are not sure where to start when it comes to signage, just visit our CONTACT US page to be connected with The Sign Depot’s artistic sign design team. They can assist with ways to incorporate this colour and complimentary shades into your branding, exterior business signs and retail signage. If you already have your designs in place we are able to work with that as well. Many well known design firms come to the sign-makers here at The Sign Depot for their expertise in creating signs that match their design work. The Sign Depot’s artistic sign designers and sign-makers understand the creative process. From concept to design to manufacturing the approved signage, they can produce a high quality representation of your business.
Do you plan to incorporate the Pantone’s Colour Of The Year GREENERY into your business for 2017? Let us know in the comments.
National Christmas Tree Day – Western Red Cedar
Get Set For National Christmas Tree Day
The first Saturday of December is National Christmas Tree Day declared so by The Canadian Christmas Tree Growers Association. According to Ontario’s Ministry Of Natural Resources And Forestry, Christmas trees are grown for 8-10 years before they reach 8ft depending on the species of tree. That means selecting a real tree for Christmas requires a bit of thought. There are many options when it comes to Christmas Trees, but if you are looking for a unique option for your tree we suggest a Western Red Cedar tree.
Western Red Cedar Trees
Western Red Cedar is the commonly known name of the Thuja plicata, which means it is an evergreen or coniferous tree found in the western parts North America. Because western red cedar trees are rot resistant, they make a great choice for those who prefer to have a real Christmas tree. In addition to making great Christmas Trees, western red cedar is our wood of choice for our sandblasted wood signs.
Longevity Of Western Red Cedar
According to the Government of British Columbia website, a fallen western red cedar tree can lie for 100 years and still be harvested as wood roof shakes. That is the reason we use cedar for our cottage, residential and sandblasted signs. Cedar withstands the elements very well, and with the variety of weather across Canada, it makes cedar the best choice of wood or our signs.
Cedar Signs For Christmas
There is still time to get your order in for a custom cedar sign for Christmas. Just visit our CONTACT US page and provide our expert sign designers with the size, text, graphics and colours that you are looking to have included on your cedar sign. After they receive that info, they are able to provide you with quote for your sign.
Christmas Tree Day Online Celebration
Visit our Facebook Event Page for National Christmas Tree Day and post a picture of your Decorated Christmas Tree. We are looking to see all sorts of Christmas Trees. Whether they are real or artificial, indoor or outdoor, cedar or otherwise, we want to know how our readers are decorating their trees for the season. Post your pics at https://www.facebook.com/events/1603550443287183
Is The Gray Jay The Next Big Thing For Cottage Signs?
The National Bird Project
The GRAY JAY was announced as the Canada’s National Bird by the Royal Canadian Geographical Society and Canadian Geographic through their National Bird Project. The gray jay was selected because it’s a bird that can be found year round (yes that includes the frosty winter months) in all of Canada’s provinces and territories.
Here at Sign Depot we are wondering if we will begin to receive requests for the gray jay on new orders of custom cottage signs?
Custom Signs With Bird Designs
Over the years we have created several custom signs with birds that are found in Canada, but these species tend to migrate south for the winter. The Canada Goose and Canadian Loon (also known as the Common Loon) have appeared on custom signs created here in the Sign Depot workshop.
Now with announcement of the gray jay being added to the list of popular birds found in our country, we may start to see requests for sign designs with this species of bird included in the sign artwork. We think it’s perfect pairing for our sandblasted cedar cottage signs as they weather the elements year round as well.
Be Ahead Of The Trend
Are you thinking of getting a custom wood cottage sign or residential sign? You might want to consider having a gray jay added to your sign design. It could end up being the next big thing in cottage signs. We see many different trends when it comes to our custom signs. Why not be ahead of the trend? All it takes to order a gray jay cottage sign is a bit of information on your part and a visit to our CONTACT US page.
Within a few weeks of receiving your order, you too can be a proud owner of a trendy custom cottage sign.
The Importance Of Custom Signs – Global Entrepreneurship Week
Global Entrepreneurship Week Information
Mid November means the start of Global Entrepreneurship Week. This is a week for entrepreneurs world wide to celebrate their accomplishments and tackle new goals. It is also a time for governments to look how to assist businesses from a political point of view. Here at Sign Depot we recognize Global Entrepreneurship Week as a time for companies to look towards the new year and see how their custom signs can be refreshed to increase brand awareness and push sales.
How Custom Signs Assist Entrepreneurs
Whether you are a startup, an expanding business, a family run business or a business to business company, the right kind of custom signs can elevate your company in the marketplace. Below are a few examples of businesses that use custom signs as part of their marketing strategy.
Supporting Startups With Custom Signs
Thamlic Labs is a great example of a company that began as a startup in the Communitech Tannery building an has gone from tech startup to an Internet of Things business.
Another way we custom signs have been used is by startup incubators such as Velocity. They have changed their branding as their involvement with startups changes.
Custom Signs For An Ever Expanding Business
If you are a fan of Dragon’s Den then you will recognize Balzac’s Coffee Roasters as one of their ongoing success stories. As they continue to open locations their custom signs reflect the surrounding area of each location.
Finding A Way For Family Run Business To Stand Out From The Surroundings
Robin’s Goldsmithing is a locally run family business that is known well in the community. To make their customers aware of a location change they used a mix of temporary and permanent custom signs to ensure they kept their current clientele and attract new customers to their establishment.
Help Build Your Business To Business Company With Custom Signs
Some businesses are not retail based, but rather business to business based otherwise known as B2B. Little Mushroom Catering was known to many in Southern Ontario as the go to catering company for their business. Their focus on B2B, brand recognition and word of mouth referral has since brought them into the wedding catering space as well. This opens a brand new sector of clientele to their company and thus and increase in sales.
Do you know an entrepreneur that uses custom signs as part of their sales and marketing strategy? We would like to learn more about them during Global Entrepreneurship Week. Let us know their story in the comments.
As always, feel free to CONTACT US for any custom signs you require.
