Print marketing and signage are all around us. From the products we consume to the different ways we get from point A to point B, both are an inherent part of our day-to-day lives. We see and interact with printed materials and signs routinely – sometimes without even realizing it. These types of marketing tools contribute to the overall brand experience customers go through when interacting with your business.

For small business branding, print materials and signs contribute to creating an immersive environment for your customers to interact with. It could be a stack of printed menus on the counter in a bakery or a window sign advertising a new patient special at a dentist’s office. Either way, both tools play a huge role in how people perceive, interact with, and experience your brand. Here’s how to leverage an experiential marketing strategy and use print materials and signage to forge deeper connections and create immersive experiences for your customers.

What is Experiential Branding?

Experiential branding is a marketing strategy that focuses on creating memorable and meaningful interactions between a brand and its audience. Instead of solely promoting products or services, the goal of experiential branding is to foster emotional connections by immersing consumers in unique, engaging, and interactive experiences. These experiences help communicate a brand’s values, personality, and promises in a way that resonates deeply with the audience.

This approach can look differently depending on the type of business, but it can include everything from live events and unique in-store branding to community-building activities. The purpose is to leave a lasting impression that not only encourages brand loyalty but also turns customers into advocates and cheerleaders for the brand who share their positive experiences with others.

By appealing to the senses and emotions, experiential branding moves beyond traditional advertising, offering a personalized and dynamic way for consumers to engage with the brand. Successful experiential branding aligns with the company’s core identity and creates touchpoints that are authentic, innovative, and memorable. When used appropriately, print materials and signs facilitate the experiences that make a brand memorable.

How do signage and print contribute to the brand experience?

The beauty of print and signs as marketing tools is that they go a step beyond just showing off your logo. They set the stage for an immersive experience and ensure every touchpoint is branded and reminds your customers of you.

Take a coffee shop as an example. When you spot a large storefront sign on a local coffee house you’ve never visited before and decide to stop in, you’ll follow the signs to find where to park. When you walk in, directional signage reading things like, “line begins here,” “order here,” and “pick-up here,” guide you through the experience. On the other hand, large format signage displaying their menu and small printed materials advertising their seasonal offerings enhance your overall brand experience and solidify your memory of this new coffee shop.

Do all businesses need experiential branding?

Not all businesses need experiential branding, but it can be a powerful tool to have in your small business branding package if you’re aiming to deepen customer engagement and differentiate yourself in a competitive market. Experiential branding is particularly effective for businesses that rely on emotional connections, storytelling, or immersive customer experiences to build brand loyalty. Industries like retail, entertainment, hospitality, and tech often thrive with experiential branding because their products or services benefit from hands-on or emotional involvement.

However, businesses with a highly transactional or utility-based focus may not need to prioritize experiential branding as much. For example, companies selling commodities or B2B services with a more practical value proposition may find that incorporating just a few experiential touches is sufficient to convey their message.

That said, even in industries where experiential branding isn’t a necessity, it can still offer value. A well-executed experience can humanize a brand, generate buzz, and create long-lasting impressions. The decision to invest in experiential branding ultimately depends on the brand’s goals, resources, and customer expectations. For businesses seeking to stand out, especially in competitive sectors, it can be a game-changer.

Experiential Branding for Non-Retail Businesses

Immersive brand experiences aren’t just for retail-based businesses. If you don’t have a storefront, your small business branding package should still prioritize your customer experience. For example, think about businesses like service providers, consultants, or real estate agents. If one of these professionals wanted to ramp up their marketing efforts, they could send a direct mail postcard about an upcoming event or open house to a list of prospective clients.

On the day of the event, they could park their custom-wrapped vehicle outside and set up additional signage like sidewalk signs or feather flags to attract more attention. From there, every guest could receive a brochure or booklet with more information and their business card to create warm leads out of every person through the door. 

How to Create a Stand-Out Brand Experience

As consumers ourselves, we see thousands of messages and advertisements every day. On the brand side of things, you need your messages to cut through the noise and get your audience excited about working with or buying from you. The key is to appeal directly to your customer base. In order to grab – and hold – their attention, you need to have a deep understanding of who you’re talking to. What problems are they trying to solve? What do they value most? By keeping these things top of mind as you create your messaging, you deliver messaging and branding that resonates with your customers.

Once you have your ideal customer in mind, it’s easy to figure out what kind of print materials or signage would create that perfect brand experience. Consider a busy sandwich shop in a busy, commercial area. The owner knows her average customer has only a 30-minute lunch break, so she uses sidewalk signs, window graphics, and flyers to advertise her menu of grab-and-go sandwiches on fresh-baked bread. It’s an example of a can’t-miss message with a value proposition that makes the shop’s target customers pay attention.

When you’re creating your small business branding package, here are some great print materials and signage options to consider including:

Print Materials

Print marketing, whether its materials sent to prospective customers to get them through the door or its something given to them after a purchase, can start or extend a customer’s time interacting with your business. These are some examples of printed items that could create a memorable, immersive brand experience:

• Postcards: Give your customers a small card with their purchase to say thank you or tell them about your upcoming events or sales.

• Labels, stickers, and decals: Brand your products so your audience thinks of your business with each use.

• Custom stationery, envelopes, and letterhead: Send your customers a fun, branded note or invitation for your customers to engage with your business.

Signage Options

Signage is the marketing tool that stops people in their tracks to tell them about your business. Whether they’re driving by your location or walking down the street, a well-designed and strategically-placed sign can kickstart a potential customer’s experience with you – as long as it’s the right kind of sign:

• Window and wall graphics: Capture the attention of window shoppers by letting your branding liven up your location.

• Sidewalk signs: Encourage walk-in traffic with signs that stand-out on any crowded street.

• Backdrops: Once someone’s walked through your door, a branded backdrop can be the fun, Insta-worthy element that engages people to create user-generated content and get your name out there.

Invest in Your Brand Experience with AlphaGraphics MIDDLETON

Take a look at how your customers interact with your business today and ask yourself how you could create a brand experience that turns customers into brand advocates. Are your messages aligned with your customers’ needs? Are you taking full advantage of the print materials and signage options at your disposal? At AlphaGraphics, we’re here to help guide you through your choices and find the right print and signs to reach your goals. Contact AlphaGraphics MIDDLETON to get started.