Auchendarroch House via Google Maps, how did we miss it?
Ever tried to find your way using ONLY Google Maps?
Zigzag the Yellow Brick Road... to your door
Our search for Auchendarroch House showed it smack bang in the middle of a petrol station in busy Mt Barker!
So, how do your customers find you, if even Google gets it wrong?!
A-frame signs are soon hidden by parked cars, teardrop banners are flat and often swing away from traffic’s vision, and anything smaller than a flag banner really misses the mark.
*** Draw a line right to your door ***
Think of your own Yellow Brick Road.
Today we took part in a business workshop run by Regional Development Australia’s “Weaving Connections” group.
Professional web designer Sally Sanders, and Copywriter Anna Butler showed how to create a marketing presence using Facebook and Linked In. Social Media in action!
But, when your Yellow Brick Road needs more foot traffic, how can you guarantee high-visibility?
Will feather banners, from our land of Oz, be your pot of gold?
CONCLUSION – If your customers can’t see you, they’ll soon go somewhere else.
Harding’s Naturopath Clinic, Aldinga – a full appointment book and improved cashflow
Establishing a new Naturopath business in a difficult to see location gave Harding’s Clinic staff a problem.
“We need some advertising! – We can’t be SEEN!”
A teardrop or blade banner would be hidden by traffic, a beach flag would not suit, but… a 5 metre waving, bright feather banner now has cars flocking in!
STAND OUT! with a 5 metre feather banner
BEFORE with no flag or banner the exterior looks plain, their signage can’t be seen, traffic drives past, the building is set back from the road.
AFTER, with just one feather banner now it’s tricky to find a parking space!
OzFeathers: “How has your feather banner improved your foot traffic? Have you noticed an upward %?”
Harding’s Clinic: “Yes, it has improved foot traffic coming into the Clinic quite substantially. It promotes more interest in our business.”
OzFeathers: “What would you change about our product or service?”
Harding’s Clinic: “Nothing, terrific from start to finish. We are very happy with your service & will be using you again in the future.”
OzFeathers: “How would you describe the feather banner to other business owners?
Harding’s Clinic: The best idea ever! It is proving to be an eye-catching landmark in our location. Worth its weight in gold.”
CONCLUSION – The ONLY feather banner to use (flag banners / banners / teardrop flags / sail flags / wind sails) is the one which BOOSTS your reputation.
OzFeathers guarantee stunning results (POSITIVE Cashflow!), every time.
How can Kites bring more visitors to your next outdoor Fair / Market / Field Day / Concert?
If you’re currently using …
Newspaper ads = costly and quickly into the recycling
Radio announcements = short ad. time with limited audience
Notices in shop windows = people quickly forget !!
*** Is it time for something which WORKS for you for a change? ***
Imagine that you’re driving in the car and suddenly there are specks in the sky up ahead. Not one speck, but lots. If it’s not a mass of UFO’s, what could the sky be filled with? Must investigate…
Answer = kites.
Colour & movement in the sky.
All shapes & sizes – octopus, birds, some road signs, an elephant, waving coloured streamers. Closer up, a sea of colour at ground level with billboard-sized feather banners.
“Oooh, let’s go and have a look!!” Hurrah! An advertising success!
27 metre octopus, large kites and BIG! feather banners - What's happening here?
Large kites, flown by experts from fixed locations at heights up to 100 metres, with a mass of flag banners on the ground are guaranteed to attract audiences to hard-to-see festivals or outdoor concerts.
Country Field Days know the crowd-pulling power that kite & flag displays have. Curious onlookers have abandoned their TV football just to find out what’s going on over there…?
CONCLUSION – OzFeathers’ kite & feather banner displays can make neighbouring towns envious, once visitors start flocking to your successful Market, Fair or Field Day.
Tall flaggy things or small flat flags? To be seen by fast-moving traffic, or only by up-close pedestrians?
If using flat teardrop banners which are too short, your business is hidden by parked trucks & buses. Advertising failure.
When feather banners aren’t wide enough, your message waves too fast and is unreadable. Advertising failure.
When banners are too large they snag on trees & power lines. Advertising failure.
STILL BE SEEN even next to parked trucks!
The ideal height for a feather banner is 5 metres. The flag now waves and is visible above passing traffic.
Your LARGE message is easily read.
Your advertising is active, not flat and static as on A-frames or teardrop banners.
Feathers (flag banners) wave constantly, even in the rain. They attract customers the whole year round and have proven more effective than newspaper ads.
Can cars read your current flags? If they’re not made from Type 6.6 Bright Nylon in 200 denier strength, then your banners aren’t as bright as OzFeathers’ feather banners.
Feather banners are designed like bird feathers with no sharp lower corner, so are safe to toddlers’ eyes.
CONCLUSION – Feather banners which wave and advertise and don’t complain about wet weather certainly equal Value For Money.
OzFeathers flags help advertise during Santos Tour Down Under 2012 Stage 5
Racing cycles through McLaren Vale, Aldinga and Willunga, it was much easier to see individual businesses with their tall waving flag banners prominently standing at 5 metres.
Advertising feather banners
These bright nylon feather banners wave and stop traffic and are outside businesses such as Browse In & Save, McLaren Vale; Willunga Leadlights Glass Studio, Willunga; Pik A Pie Bakery, McLaren Vale; Old Bush Inn, Willunga; Minko Wines Cellar Door, Willunga; Leconfield, McLaren Vale; Almond Train Carriage Café, McLaren Vale; Pranava Yoga, McLaren Vale and McLaren Vale Florist.
Teardrop banners tend to “disappear” when the sail is held flat, but when the wind blows, the OzFeathers’ feather banners simply wave faster, and the advertising message literally jumps out for better results.
Make sure your feathers / flag banners are made from Type 6.6 Bright Nylon, the same fabric the Australian Flag is made from which sits above Government House in Canberra, or they’ll fade & wear out too quickly for long-life use. (The nylon is 200 denier and used to be called “SolarMax” as created by DuPont. Any other fabric is only 50 denier polyester, so a quarter of the thickness.)
CONCLUSION – 2012 Santos Tour Down Under and OzFeathers feather banners – a win-win situation!
We had a flag but it’s ripped – can we get teardrop banners repaired?
Feather Banner is all NEW again!
Expert repairs can prove difficult on flags unless the base fabric has a high-denier count, like 200 denier flag nylon. This means the weave is strong enough to accept re-stitching.
SolarMax by DuPont is a special coating applied to flag nylon which resists fading… important in Australian weather conditions, and the only one we use.
Check out the Solarmax website
Many lightweight banners are made from 50 denier polyester, which is lighter in weight and in weave, but when you start with 200 denier flag nylon banner repairs (like the ones at OzFeathers) should be invisible to spot!
TIPS on extending the life of flags / banners –
1. Stay away from trees, shrubs, power lines and gutters. In fact, stay clear of anything sharp.
2. At the end of each day, roll feather banners around the poles before carrying them at shoulder height, without dragging along the ground.
3. Banners made from 200 denier flag nylon can be washed on gentle cycle in the washing machine. Soiled areas (grease, mud) will clean up well with a pre-wash spray beforehand.
4. When you first spot damage – which looks like it might turn nasty – contact us and ask about our repair service. Your banner should go home looking like NEW when repairs are caught early.
5. If used every single day, rain, shine, windy gales or sheeting hail, flags & banners will wear out quicker. Why not consider keeping them “off work” during the extreme-weather days and save them from a little wear & tear?
6. Last, but not least, read the instructions. They’re a valuable source of how-to-use-wisely TIPS!
And wise tips can save money!
What’s the BEST design for a flag or a banner?
First, determine if you want passing traffic to find your location (hidden behind buildings, set back from the street, overshadowed by competition) or if you want to list all your products or special services (for close-up reading)?
Waving feathers in Burnside
Feather banners guarantee they’ll attract attention at distance. Their waving presence stimulates curiosity by jumping into the consciousness of drivers and passers-by.
Remember “Domino’s” and the junior staffers standing on roundabouts and roadsides waving their signs? That got your attention, right? Now see banners doing the same for Santos Tour Down Under in Willunga 2011
Think of the time you’ve driven on a main road, traffic on all sides, while searching for an elusive street number or business sign? If this is what your customers deal with, then feather banners are ideal. Colourful & waving, they’re easy to see, often up to 500 metres ahead, and giving drivers plenty of time to slow down so they’re not zooming across 3 lanes of traffic to get into your car park!
A well-designed “LOOK, I’M HERE!” banner should feature no more than three (3) key words. Large enough to be visible at half a kilometre, waving to show customers the exact location, and in colours which don’t all blend together in the sunlight.
Now think of your key products… what you’re known & respected for. Alternatively, if you know you’re tricky to find, why not use your street number and business name? That’s like a waving, over-sized envelope – addressed and ready to open.
Some business owners select words from their U.S.P., those words which make them stand out from their nearest competition, e.g. “Fresh”, “Hottest”, “New”.
Including a descriptive image / icon / logo can certainly have a greater effect e.g. adding a steaming cup of coffee to a “Café” design will appeal to those who react to pictures before they see words.
Do ask the designer to select colours which make strong contrasts in sunlight. Usually from opposite sides of the colour wheel. Keep fonts simple, and words large & bold where possible. The waving nature of the fabric can distort anything too fancy, too small, or too long, especially when viewed from cars passing by at 60 kph.
Now, go and BE SEEN!