Can you believe that a major national chain forgot its own name and left this sign in their parking lot reading “Thank you for shopping at …..”? (If you wonder which retailer it was, read on.)

One of the fundamental principles of advertising and brand awareness is the importance of repetition. The more times you can get your store name in front of a customer, the more likely it is to be remembered. You want to be the first shop a consumer thinks of when they need whatever merchandise you offer. Repetition also increases your credibility, because customers associate something familiar with being trustworthy and stable. Even some of the most well-known brands advertise constantly in order to keep their name in front of the public.

 Such paid advertising is one way to promote name-recognition, but there are inexpensive ways to do so on a daily basis. A sign in the parking lot, for example, should have reminded shoppers of the fact that they were patronizing Home Depot. But the logo on their sign either fell off or faded off, and apparently there wasn’t a fix-it person on staff who could handle the repair. Perhaps they were unaware that it needed fixing — but as an independent retailer, hopefully you’re constantly in touch with every detail that might effect your business.

 You undoubtedly have a sign outside your store with the store name. Is it lit at night? Can your name, and street address, be easily read from a passing car? At Orange Tree Imports we also have our store name inside the store, above the checkout area. Shoppers who stop in because they are passing by may not know the name of the store, and we want them to know — and remember — it. Another opportunity for the subtle reinforcement of your store name and logo is on your price tag labels, in-store signage, and on any tie-on tags you attach to merchandise with price and product information. Once you get a few templates set up on your computer, it’s easy to use generate in-store signs and tags with a consistent look that reinforces your brand image.

 Where else can you put your store name? Shopping bags come to mind, either the traditional plastic or paper bags, or a reusable fabric bag. We’re having non-woven fabric bags made for the holiday season, and plan to offer them for $1.25 to customers who would otherwise have taken one of our plastic shopping bags. We hope that having customers walking around with a tote featuring our name and logo will help with our branding efforts, as well as saving the environment from more plastic bags.

 And as for the environment, I will add that although I am guilty of shopping at a big box store — Home Depot — I was there to buy energy saving light bulbs for our shop. We’ve made a big dent in our utilities bill by using compact fluorescents. If you haven’t already, give them a try!

Happy Retailing,

Carol “Orange” Schroeder