A visitor can walk through dozens of booths in one aisle, and only have a few seconds to determine which ones to pay attention to. The right style to your visuals could help the brand make the first impression. Having a logo, colors, pictures and message that correspond will help visitors identify your company and connect the booth to other marketing materials.
How to Build a Clear Visual Identity for an Exhibition Booth
Begin with the current company’s brand guidelines. If your company has a defined logo, color palette, fonts and image style, then use these as a foundation for your booth design. This ensures that your exhibition display aligns with your website, brochures, product sheets and other marketing materials.
Then determine what will be the most striking to visitors. The name or logo of your company should be easy for people to see from the main aisle. In addition to a short headline, product images and supporting text can be used to share more information with visitors; if they come to the booth.
Use only two or three layers of text and images:
- Brand identity: Use the appropriate logo, colors, fonts etc.
- Key message: State the main offer in a succinct and clear statement.
- Supporting details: Include pictures, short list of benefits, or a list of services.
- Visitor action: Help a visitor locate a website, product demo or contact.
If possible, look at the design at full size before approving it. The words that are easy to read on a laptop might not be easy to read over an exhibition hall. Examine the quality of the images, color contrasts and positioning of logos as well. One good test of a practical design is the question someone who has had a quick glance at the booth asks: “What does the booth offer?“
How Custom SEG Frames Support a Consistent Brand Image
For a business, a unified visual identity, which is evident in an exhibition booth, can be achieved through the use of custom SEG frames. A display system in which a thin silicone strip is stitched around the edges of a fabric graphic is considered silicone edge graphic (SEG). The strip is inserted into a groove in the frame, securing the fabric and providing a tidy and tight surface to display.
This system is ideal for brands that require a large graphics display on booth walls, back-lit displays or any kind of modular exhibit structure. The fabric can be used to display a company logo, product images and brand colors, along with campaign messages in one single design.
A company selling exhibition technology, for instance, might choose a large fabric wall to display the primary message of the company, a smaller frame for product information, and a backlit screen for the company’s big product image. When all three signs are designed in the same color scheme and look, they are more of a single space than multiple signs.
SEG Solution offers SEG display products and custom fabric graphics that businesses can use for trade show exhibits. When planning a booth, companies can select graphics that fit their layout and brand requirements, rather than rely on unrelated display elements.
There’s practical advantages, too. Depending on the frame design, many SEG systems enable fabric graphics to be removed and replaced without the need to replace the frame. This may be useful in keeping the same display hardware while changing out the campaign messaging or product images for a new event.
It is best to create artwork according to the supplier’s size and file format. Review the scale of the logo, resolution of the image, size of the fabric, and lighting prior to production. While design is important, an accurate production can help ensure that the final booth is a true representation of the brand’s image.
How to Keep Every Part of the Booth in Line With the Brand
A matching look and feel is not enough for a consistent booth design. The main display wall should reflect this brand identity, as should the smallest product sign. The design should be a unified whole, rather than a collection of disparate materials, when visitors wander the booth.
First make a basic visual plan. Select the primary brand colours, approved typography, image style and logo positioning prior to ordering printed graphics. Use these rules on fabric walls, counters, banners, brochures, product displays and staff materials.
Custom SEG Frames can help to ensure this uniformity in various sections of an exhibition area. When designing a display for your brand, you can check out what options are available at https://segsolution.com/product-category/custom-seg-frames/. Make sure that the sizes of frames and artwork specifications are known before sending files to print.
Also, stay on-message. Include one headline and brief supporting details. Don’t put all the product attributes in the same wall! Rather, cluster the content together and allow ample white space for each to be easily read.
Review the entire booth design prior to the event as one plan. This final inspection can identify mismatching colour, repeated messages, conflicting attention grabber etc.
How Visual Consistency Helps Visitors Recall a Brand
During a trade show, you will come across numerous company names, logos, products, and messages. They will have clear information that they can relate to your business with a consistent visual identity. If the same logo, colors and graphics are used throughout the booth and your marketing materials, the chances are that the visitors will see the brand again.
Think of a business that has a dark blue, white and a basic geometric design logo on its website and product brochures. Its fabric display walls and product signs have the same colors and logo at a trade show. A visitor that has seen the website prior to the event will have an easier time associating the booth with the company that they already know.
People can’t be relied on to remember a brand just because it’s consistent. The message should also be relevant and readily understood. Employ a headline that is clear and communicates the company’s offering, followed by crisp product imagery and a couple of helpful details.
- Consider this: there are three practical ways to promote brand recall:
- Use the same visual elements throughout the booth: The same logo, the same primary colors and the same font style.
- Use visuals to tie in with the offer: Display products and/or services that support the primary message.
- Keep the changes to a minimum: Do not add too many different colors, fonts or image styles.
There are ways of measuring results following the event as well. Inquire about how new leads came across your business, consider the number of booth visits, and monitor the response rate. These numbers will not confirm you have achieved your results because of design, but will help you evaluate the overall worth of your exhibition strategy.
How to Maintain Brand Consistency Across Trade Shows and Social Media
Your brand isn’t limited to the exhibition booth. A visitor might see your brand at a trade show, research your brand on social media later, and then visit your website before reaching out. If every one of the platforms is distinctly different, they might find it difficult to put the pieces together. Sticking to a consistent style will help your brand become more recognizable even after the event has passed.
Build a solid foundation. Coordinate your booth graphics, social media and website with the main colors and fonts along with your logo. Do not have to use the same look for every post. Just be sure the content still reads like it’s from your company.
There are numerous simple steps to ensure that your trade show booth is integrated with your social media activity:
- The event: Post a preview of the booth or introduce the products you will be selling or let followers know where they can find you.
- In the event: Post real pictures of product demos, booths, and discussions with visitors. They provide folks with a clearer concept of your company.
- Post event: Post the highlights, share common questions, and highlight products that were of interest.
For instance, if your booth features blue and white graphics and a clearly-defined company logo, use the same colors and logo in your event posts. You’re online, they see your content and then come back to your booth… familiarity of the design can help them remember your company.
Editor’s Note: The opinions expressed here by the authors are their own, not those of Impakter.com — In the cover photo: A visually consistent trade show booth uses coordinated graphics, colours and display elements to strengthen brand recognition. — Photo Copyright: DC Studio
