Signs of the Times - June 2016 - (Page 16)

T e c h nology Upd at e strive to minimize threats to our survival by following the path of least resistance, through scanning conditions, seeking confirmation and maintaining comfort. However, self-protection instincts are a source for forming stereotypes, prejudice and discrimination. Sometimes, however, we just say dumb things. Even so, it's beneficial to remember that we're not imprinted with subjective meanings from birth; instead, our opinions are formed through particularized norms and interactions with others. Meaning, we can change. Stewart's report included Brookings Institute data that said 71% of a surveyed workforce had experienced some form of workplace incivility - disrespectful behavior - over the previous five years. Of the reported incidents, 32% related to gender; 28% related to race; 20% related to age; 14% related to sexual orientation and 6% related to religion. Smart managers know the cost of negative interaction and work to discourage it in their shops. One way to avoid conflict is by discouraging it. Other methods involve encouraging social interaction - awareness brings knowledge, which builds empathy, identification, consideration and respect. n Tips for Effectively Marketing Your Signs to Millenials By Dean Derhak Dean Derhak is a product director at SAi with 19 years in RIP software, management, marketing, sales and engineering technologies. Dean visits signshops and large-format print businesses to learn what processes they've employed to increase their profits. Here, Dean discusses unique characteristics of the millennial generation and offers tips on how to sell and market signage to them. Reach Dean at deand@thinksai.com. W hen seeking new sign-buying customers, no group is more important to understand than the millennial generation, which presently embodies persons between the ages of 18-34 years. Today, this group represents 75-86 million US consumers, 7% fewer than the baby boomer population. Last year, millennials made up half the workforce and by 2020, they will make up 75%. Their annual spending power is projected to surpass the boomers' by 2018. This means millennials have become an escalating population for your sign business to target as potential customers, but there is a challenge in that millennials behave and respond differently than previous generations. For example, millennials are digital natives, meaning most of them have always lived in a world flooded with technology. Therefore, they are adept, comfortable with the digital world and highly active on social media. It's not just Facebook, either, because YouTube, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, Buzzfeed and others are information sources that affect millennial's purchasing behavior. Does your sign business have a presence on any of these networks? Do you know which source your market-plan millennials prefer - or what such networks offer that you might explore? Consider talking with your existing millennial-type customers to gain ideas for an effective social-media 16 SIGNS OF THE TIMES June 2016 marketing strategy. Also, if millennials are to find your business, you must be searchable on various sites: Google, Bing, Yahoo and Apple Maps, for example. In addition, your website must be mobile-friendly and your products and contact information immediately accessible on smartphone screens. Your competitor's listing is only a click away. Many millennials search for and trust online business and product reviews, especially those written by other millennials. You can leverage this trait by asking satisfied customers to post good reviews of your business online. Reviews on the Google business listing and Facebook page are the most commonly seen. However, ask your local millennial customers which other online places they prefer for reviews, so you can get reviews posted on those sites. These approaches to your signshop marketing will help you more effectively reach the millennial generation.

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Signs of the Times - June 2016

Signs of the Times - June 2016
Columns & Departments
ST Update
Technology Update
Tips for Effectively Marketing Your Signs to Millenials
Vinyl Apps
Strictly Electric
LED Update
Software Update
Technology Review - The Summa F Series F2630 Flatbed Cutter/Router
Technology Review - The Durst Rhotex 180 TR
Shop Opps
Sign Museum News
New Products
Second Generation
Undertaking Monumental Tasks
The Light of Our Lives
Cool Digital Printers
Enter ST’s Vehicle Graphics Contest
Advertising Index
Editorially Speaking

Signs of the Times - June 2016