How graphics in shopping centres can deliver on a number of objectives
Brands, centre initiatives, information, education etc
Large shopping centres are always evolving, with multiple units at any one time awaiting their next occupants. Graphics on the hoardings on these units help to keep the centre looking vibrant but they do much more than that, able to fulfil a number of objectives for the centre itself and for retail brands.
We work closely with The Trafford Centre and have undertaken many projects there. The content of these designs has been used to deliver on a plethora of outcomes so we thought it would be interesting to give you an overview of the kinds of things you can achieve.
Teasing forthcoming brands
One of the main purposes of hoarding graphics is to preview the retailers that will be taking up residence in the units, as they’re being renovated. While some stick to clean, simple branding, others take the word ‘tease’ pretty literally with bold slogans and eye catching, sometimes provocative, images.
Event trailing
Modern shopping centres are about creating experiences, so their offering extends much further than the shops themselves. With a busy events programme, hoardings offer ideal spaces to promote what’s coming up and can even link people directly to booking pages via prominent QR codes while their interest is piqued.
Information about the centre’s offerings
The other exciting things that a shopping centre offers deserve a plug throughout the space. These can include things like apps, loyalty schemes, and radio stations.
Education and social value
Sales, marketing, and promotion clearly have an important place in the graphics that you see around a shopping centre but there is a strong argument for designs that educate and demonstrate the organisation’s social values. For example, this large store front communicates The Trafford Centre’s environmental and community goals and encourages customers to get involved.
Brand domination
Hoardings are not the only spaces we can cover to create a strong brand presence and special events require all the stops to be pulled out! We recently worked with The Trafford Centre and Sephora to flood the whole centre with Sephora’s distinctive branding for the launch of its new store. This included graphics applied to the floor, stairs, walls, balustrades, columns, on banners, and we even constructed a huge Sephora bag, which we suspended from the ceiling. Not something you would do every day but this ‘brand domination’ made sure nobody could miss this significant development in the centre! The success of this campaign led to us doing something similar a few months later for Space NK.
Retail graphics specialists
We have extensive experience in graphics for retail environments, and not just on hoardings. Read more about our retail services here or contact us for a chat about your requirements.