Designing Advertising Signs for Direct Selling of Food and Agricultural Products

Designing Advertising Signs for Direct Selling of Food and Agricultural Products

Farm or market signage is a crucial element to attract customers and promote your brand. These signs can provide information about your products, share their attributes, display prices, and entice customers to make a purchase. The right signage can smoothly guide customers through agritourism activities and keep lines moving at farmers markets. Whether it's a big, eye-catching banner displaying your farm logo or a small produce sign, effective signage communicates your farm's unique brand and value proposition.

Signage helps bridge the gap between producers and consumers, raising awareness of current product offerings. Designing an impactful signage plan is the first step towards leveraging signage to get customers' attention, tell your story, and boost your sales.

Signage can significantly boost sales and farm revenue, but unfortunately, producers often overlook signage, treating it as secondary to production concerns, employee management, financial duties, and more. Instead, make well-designed signage a priority.

Here are four categories of signs commonly used to direct farm products to customers:

1. Welcome- These signs can be placed at the side of the barn, at the end of the driveway, or hung at the farmers market.
2. Information- These signs tell customers what to do or where something is located, such as "Please wash hands," "This way to the berry patch," or "No smokin', pretty please."
3. Product- These signs are vital for making sales and are often neglected. They should be simple yet durable.
4. Thank you- These signs, such as "Thanks for Visiting Our Family Farm" or "Coming Soon," are placed at the exit and are also used for taking fun selfies or for a photo op.

Some signage is best left to the professionals. This is an example of a farm sign created at a sign shop. Photo by Eric Barrett, OSU Extension.

Gather inspiration for your signage by observing effective advertising examples in the world around you. Look for colors and graphics that catch your attention, consider visibility and readability of the message, and take note of professional signage that creates a response in consumers.

When designing signs, keep the purpose, message, customers, and materials in mind. Know when to hire a professional to help with the task of executing a signage plan.

Each product needs to have a sign identifying the product, the price, and the farm's brand. This is a good example of a laminated sign where the price can be easily changed with a wax pencil. Photo by the Farmers Market Federation of New York.

Here are ten tips for creating effective farm or market signage:

1. Consistency in Branding Ensure that your farm's logo, color scheme, and general style is consistent across all signs.
2. Keep it Short and Simple Make sure information on signs is easy to read, with concise statements and minimal clutter.
3. White Space Cluttered signage can be confusing for customers. Maintain a balance between copy area and negative space for better readability.
4. Font Sizing and Shape Use clean, crisp fonts like Arial and avoid ALL CAPITAL LETTERS for better readability.
5. Contrast Choose contrasting colors to enhance readability, making the signs easier to see.
6. Generate Ideas Consider creative ideas like providing detailed information about using products to encourage purchases.
7. Promote Action Encourage customers to take action with engaging, positive messages.
8. Positive Messaging Use creative alternatives to "no" to make directions more appealing.
9. Show Your Passion Show customers your dedication to providing quality products and unique experiences.
10. Be Understood Make sure the message is clear and resonates with customers to maximize sales.

For implementing your signage plan, consider the following materials:

• Plywood- Ideal for entrance signs and fun signs, paint with a primer and use outdoor paint for durability.
• Cardboard- Mostly a "don't" for write-on signs, but can be effective if it matches your brand and is pre-cut to a consistent size.
• Chalkboards- attractive but need to be handled with care to avoid damage. Chalk markers can help reduce the mess.
• Paper and Lamination- Low-cost, viable options for food and farm marketers, offering flexibility when it comes to updating prices and designs.

A unique product needs explanation. Photo by Eric Barrett, OSU Extension.

Consider hiring a professional for logo design and thank-you or information signs to ensure consistency and professionalism throughout your signage.

Not all products are understood by the general public. Tell them what it is, and how to store and use it. Photo by Eric Barrett, OSU Extension.

1. Effective advertising examples, found in various industries like retail and finance, can inspire farm signage design, providing ideas for eye-catching colors, graphic elements, and message clarity.
2. Designing farm or market signage should involve considering the purpose, intended message, target customers, and suitable materials, ensuring signs are easy to read, engaging, and professionally executed.
3. For small-business owners in the agriculture or livestock industry, it's crucial to understand the importance of signage in bridging the gap between producers and consumers, promoting unique brand values, and ultimately boosting sales.

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