Sometimes you just have to show people to help them get the idea! And what a great way to put banners, posters, and window graphics to work!

One town in England is taking a novel approach to the scores of closed-up shops on its main street: they’re putting up fake business fronts to make the shopping areas seem less deserted.

Is the intent to make the area seem less deserted or to give people an incentive to get back into business? I think this is a terrific marketing strategy!

In North Tyneside, more than 140 businesses have closed up shop and the city council is paying to turn empty spaces into imaginary storefronts to help passers-by envision what a new shop inside might look like.

Like a “your ad here” legend, the storefronts say “This could be your <name the type of retail shop>.” For about $2200, these powerful images are a quick way to spruce up vacant spaces and encourage potential tenants to envision the possibilities.

A tip of the hat to Anne Stewart at HotCards.com for discovering this great idea for great big pictures!

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The editor of Fabric Graphics Magazine sent me on a quest to find digital graphics companies that are printing on textiles in niche markets. I couldn’t resist!

So what is a niche? Why a niche market? And who are these people?

Many phone calls and emails later, I had a network of new friends and had discovered some fascinating new niches for wide format printers who are applying ink/pigment/dyes to both synthetic and natural fibers.

When the digitally printed textile market is measured in billions of dollars and billions of square feet, thinking niche can get your company into “first” place in your prospect’s mind quickly. It’s hard to be a category killer in the banners and signs market. But the biggest challenge is to reach new customers.

Niche marketing requires print service providers to clearly define both their target market and their capabilities before exploring messaging, positioning and marketing channels. For marketing to consumers and end users, the internet has proven to be an excellent vehicle. For marketing to business, traditional methods, such as direct sales, are still most effective.

Even in the current challenging economy, companies in our industry have identified and profited by some pretty unusual applications, proving that the proof is definitely in the printing.

Read the article here>>

Enjoy!

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