Strong signage design can be the backbone of any memorable marketing suite that you would like to stand out from the norm. Of course, many marketing professionals will understandably approach marketing suite design from the perspective of interiors first and foremost. Primarily, at least, marketing suites have been put together with the customer experience in mind, offering them a journey from initial interest to a potential point of sale. This very much makes sense if you consider marketing suites to be akin to a boutique retail environment which is conducive to sales professionals working with would-be customers.

That being said, traditional visual marketing techniques still offer a great deal in the world of sales suites and showrooms. Top of the list of outside influences on their design aesthetics should be signage. Why and how do you go about building signage designs into the interior layouts of modern marketing suites? Read on to find out.

The Customer Journey Begins Outside

To be clear, signage is just as at home inside as it is outdoors. Think of all the signage you might find at the average trade show, for example. Floor stickers, point-of-sale displays, wall graphics and strut cards are all primarily designed for indoor use, after all. They all broadly come under the definition of signage, from the point of view of visual marketing, at least. That said, when you think of signage, typically you will think of outdoor products that are designed to work day or night, rain or shine.

Although situations may vary, marketing suites are typically temporary structures put up for a specific purpose. They're often the primary means that housing developers will market the remaining plots on their development, for example. As such, you need to help people get to where they need to be with adequate outdoor wayfinding signage. This should be installed professionally and complement the interior of your suite fully.

Consequently, wayfinding signage should not just be informational but also provide on-brand messaging that starts your would-be clientele to embark on the sales journey you ultimately want to see through to fruition. A sign that reads 'marketing suite – this way' hardly gives the same sort of sales message as one that reads 'you're just a few steps away from securing your dream home', for example. Think about creative ways to attract attention, hold it and start telling your customers the story you want them to hear with all of your outdoor signage.

Internal and Transitional Orientation

As mentioned, signage has a straightforward role in orienting people to where your marketing suite is actually located. It should also help to set the mood or mindset among visitors. Pavement signage and swing boards should be deployed at the entrance so that it is obvious which way to go in, especially if you have a separate entrance for members of staff or wheelchair users. This keeps the flow of the narrative going without an unnecessary hurdle.

Once inside, your marketing suite can continue to benefit from signage designs that meet your operational brief. Perhaps a pull-up barrier could serve to give business hours or instructions on what to do if the suite is currently unmanned? There again, it might be used to direct people to the right area, such as left for lettings and right for sales, for instance. Wall signage, including any that might be mandatory – such as fire exit signs – can then be used to reinforce the messaging you want while allowing visitors to proceed in the most appropriate way for them.

Branding and Branding Variations

Uniformity in branding is usually the key to unlocking a visual identity that consumers understand and respond to positively. However, you might want to offer subtle branding variations in a marketing suite design. For example, some marketing suites might be shared by more than one developer and want to distinguish 'their side' with a particular logo or livery. Achieving this with one suite – and not simply splitting it into two sections – takes a degree of ingenuity with subtle visual cues that visitors might not even be consciously aware they are being exposed to through signage.

There again, you might want to market in subtly different ways to different types of clients. Let's say a part of your marketing suite is given over to selling penthouse apartments to executives while another is aimed at attracting families who want closer access to amenities and play areas. If so, you can still achieve the consistency you may want with the subtle use of LED lighting within signage systems and displays. LED lightbox signage is suited to indoor and outdoor applications while one-off backlit signs are certainly possible and could even allow your staff to alter the settings depending on the sales mode they happen to be in.

Modular Marketing Suite Design

In some cases, you may want a modular marketing suite design. If so, signage that can be adapted to different settings will be even more important to you. According to one leading marketing suite design house in Essex, 4Site Implementation, a firm that also makes and installs exterior signage, portable marketing suites that can be installed and reinstalled anywhere offer a cost-effective solution without compromising on quality. For example, portacabins can be used for marketing suites but they will look very much more like true showrooms with the right signage designs inside and out.

In fairness, modular marketing suite systems tend to suit the larger companies which need them in different parts of the country at different times. The point to take on board is that when you no longer need your suite, the signage and other elements you have used in the design should be simple to uninstall and place into storage until the next time you require them. Getting a modular marketing suite up and running with reusable signage takes a degree of expertise, however. If this is something you are considering as part of your company's push to obtain a more memorable experience for your clients, then it is probably worth discussing your current and future needs with experts in this field.

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