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By Their Signs
Shall 2e Know Them/
By WILLIS PARKER
Where the music dealer wants to pre-
sent a message to the entire community a
sign placed as No. 1 is excellent. The
Darrow Music Co. in Denver has such a
sign, but the building is not quite so high.
Sign No. 2 is effective where the dealer's
store is so located that the sign may have
"straight-on" position and be seen for sev-
eral blocks down the street.
A store on the corner catches traffic
from both directions. Hence a small sign
such as No. 3 has very little competition
and is very good.
As one gets farther from the corner the
larger must be the sign if it would attract
attention of people passing the street in-
tersection. Comparative sizes are shown
by signs Nos. 4 and 6. In Denver the
Knight-Campbell Sign is like No. 6.
Competition may often be met by using
a sign of unusual design. See Sign No. 5.
A sign placed along the top edge of the
building, such as No. 7, and signs placed
flat against the building over the display
windows, such as No. 10, are good if they
contain vivid colors or action in the dis-
play.
The Denver Music Co. obtains real
value out of a vivid sign placed along the
edge of the canopy over the sidewalk is •
shown by Sign No. 9.
Where there is very little sign competi-
tion in the immediate vicinity, the dealer
can get along fine with signs such as Nos.
8 and 11.
I
T would prove helpful to every music
dealer who contemplates placing an elec-
tric sign in front of his establishment if
he would interview representatives of the
general public to get their reactions. But, since
few dealers would take the time to gather in-
formation from these sources, the information
which we have gathered from interviewing
scores of the public may prove helpful. They
were interviewed along the following lines:
(1)—Do you notice electric signs?
(2)—What type of sign strikes you most force-
fully?
(3)—What color of illumination gains your
attention first?
(4)—Does an electric sign help you remember
the locationt
(5)—What is your reaction totvard a flasher
sign?
(6)—Does a large sign arouse more interest
than a small one?
(7)—Do you notice signs placed flat against the
building ?
(8)—Do you read electric signs in show
windows?
. (9)—Do you notice electric signs inside the
store?
Precise and unqualified answers to these
queries were unobtainable; there were many
"ifs" and "ands" owing to varieties in human
temperaments and the conditions arising from
sign competition. But we may well conclude
that the public looks for signs and generally
accepts the music dealer's signs in much the
sanve manner as it accepts the furniture and
fixtures, the interior decorations, and the ex-
terior architecture and decorations as represent-
ative of the character of the firm. It considers
the sign as part of the business.
The music dealer must take into considera-
tion two factors in making his ultimate de-
cision. First is the amount of travel past his
door after 6 p. m., and the second is whether
he is endeavoring to cater to the entire city or
only the section in which his store is located.
Theoretically the more traffic that passes the
dealer's store after 6 p. m., the more he is
justified in spending for a sign and the larger
it may be. On the other hand, if he is cater-
ing to only a small section of the city, he will
waste "circulation" with a sign large enough
to convey a message to the entire community.
What we really, are concerned about is
whether or not a small sign cannot be made to
accomplish just as good results as a large one.
Our investigation revealed that ofttimes small
signs attracted as much attention and were just
as effective as large ones because the design,
the color scheme, or the position of the sign
was such as enabled it to catch the attention
of a large portion of the public in the close-
vicinity of the store, while the message from
the large sign must be presented while the
people are at a distance. The large sign is too
big to be optically assimilated when close to
it, much in the same manner that it is impos-
sible to see the beauty of the mountain when
one is near it, but it is quite possible to enjoy
the scenic qualities of a small canyon or a little
glen while one is in or near it.
The type of sign to be chosen—Neon, electric
bulb, opalite, etc., depends, in most instances,
upon the amount of competition offered by elec-
tric signs of other business establishments in
the immediate vicinity. One differing from
those of the majority in color, in size, or in
design or placement, should be used. The most
attention-arresting color is the penetrating,
vivid orange-red of a Neon sign, but if the
majority of the competition is of that color,
the dealer should choose a different color. Our
public declares that where there are four or five
signs of the same color in the same vicinity,
their attention is attracted by the mass of color
11
Store Signs Sing
Sales Symphonies
r
l 'H£ accompanying article presents a very
X interesting and constructive discussion on
a subject that should be of vital interest to
all music dealers. It has to do with Store
Signs. Do they blink out a strong and im-
pressive selling message for you, reaching the
greatest number of people in the community?
Are they properly located on the building?
Proper type? These are but a few of the
many pertinent and vital questions that are
asked and answered by the writer of this
cleverly written article, who has made a care-
ful study of the subject and discusses it from
the viewpoint of an expert. It will pay every
music dealer to read this valuable exposition.
—Editor's Note.
rather than by any one of the individual signs.
Consider the huge sign down the face of the
building occupied by the Knight-Campbell
Music Co., on California street, Denver. This
huge, vivid orange-red sign has much competi-
tion from other signs in the block, most of
which are of the same color. It meets com-
petition by its huge size and by the small blue
light given to the circle that contains the trade
mark at the bottom of the sign. The sign
reads both ways and catches the attention of
persons traveling in either direction on Califor-
nia street. But since the store is situated be-
tween Sixteenth and Seventeenth streets, both
heavily traveled, the sign attracts attention of
persons passing the corners where these streets
intersect California.
This brings up another point. The farther
the dealer is from the corner, the larger must
be his sign to attract attention of persons pass-
ing along the intersecting streets. However, we
found instances where small signs were un-
usually effective because of the lack of com-
petition, because of color scheme, because of
design or because of action elements.
The Darrow Music Co. has a large sign or.
top of their two-story building, and placed
so that it can be seen down two intersecting
streets. It is of the characteristics found in
signs placed as an indication that the firm
seeks business from all parts of the city.
The Denver Music Co. is located on Stout
street, between Fifteenth and Sixteenth streets.
They are meeting competition of neighboring
signs, and are drawing attention of persons
passing the street intersection by placing a vivid
sign on the edge of the canopy that extends
over the sidewalk in front of the door. This is
a trifle above the level of the spectator's eyes.
It would be a toss-up which sign was the more
effective—the Denver's or that of the Knight-
Campbell Co.
Our investigation indicates that signs placed
flat against the building, the message running
horizontal just above the transoms, will attract
attention if the color scheme, the design or the
mechanical operation is unusual. The public's
reaction to flashing signs indicates a variance of
human temperaments. This is the action age,
(Concluded on page 35)