Why does a Car Wash flag mean business? Vernon hills | @exxonmobil

Business today is the same as business back in the day. You may have the best product, but without the reach, it means nothing. If people don't know you are out there, you don't exist. The old adage, is a tree falls int he woods and no one is there, does it make a sound? In business, it doesn't. The only way to be seen is to be seen. Whether it is on the world wide web or on the express way, it always comes down to your brand/service on a banner. Today, with Exxon Mobile as a great example, I'd like to talk about In-Motion Signage.

Why do car lots put up balloons, streamers, crazy air blown giant figures? To be seen. To be related to the idea of celebration. To sell the attitude o the business. This technique is overt and sometimes obnoxious. But obnoxious or not, it draws attention. What draws the attention? The motion. The car lot has to be selective to no always have these displays out or they loose their effectiveness. But the motion creates a feeling of motion within the company.

To fully understand/appreciate In-Motion Signage, you have to understand and acknowledge the opposite, Static Signage. This signage is fixed. It does not flap in the slightest breeze or jump out at traffic out front. Static signage is solidifies position. You are telling your audience, you are here to stay. But overtime, as the static sign becomes successful, its rules for success also dictate its inflexible nature. That is where flags come in. Only in combination can these two approaches be highly effective for the right business at the right location.

There are almost as many different types of flags as there are t-shirt designs. When we think of flags, we of course think of the American flag. But it doesn't stop there. Exxon Mobile on Milwaukee in Vernon Hills uses the Car Wash flag to show how it is more than just a gas station. It also flies the American flag and Exxon Mobile flag.

Flags answer the question, "where do you stand?" Each of these flags tell their people, "we stand behind our products, services, and who we are." A nice flag tells the potential customer, the services are well maintained and ready for use. People who pass every day may know the Exxon Mobile station is there, but the flag helps them see the facility anew. Just by changing the flag, say, to a solid color flag in the near future, Exxon can now create a new introduction to the community is services. That is the power of in-motion signage.

An American flag is a cost effective way to marry your company with the ideals and history of this nation. Whether we agree with today's politics or not, we can all stand behind the flag. You can display you company in-motion against the static sign send a message, "you are here to stay." What do you stand for? Put in out front and let people know.