As 2020 has shown us all, adapting to the market and actively looking for opportunities to help your business fit into a new marketplace is an inescapable new reality. To continue being successful, it’s important to get ahead of the game and start producing graphics that your competitors aren’t before they get a chance to do the same.
The following list was compiled by Roland DGA product managers who are in a unique position to see what our sign and graphics customers are producing right now.
Antimicrobial signage and printed products
Companies like Ritrama and Drytac have developed overlaminate film to use with sign and graphics output that contains an antimicrobial agent to inhibit the growth of microorganisms— the overlaminate protects signage against bacteria growing on the sign surface, reducing the chance of contact infection.
These types of products are an ideal solution for hospitals, schools, restaurants, office buildings, and anyone looking to make their environments safer for patients, pupils, customers, and workers. In many cases, it not only means adding essential social distancing signage but also re-installing old signage to bring that in-line with new safety measures.
It could also be applied to menus for restaurants, handouts in hospitals, and displays in grocery stores, for example.
Specialty outdoor graphics
While everything is moving outdoors, there’s a new need for pop-up tents and canopies to answer state health requirements. With the switch to outdoor dining, promotion, sign-ups, etc., sign and graphics providers are in a unique position to supply company branded products to restaurants, gyms, and other businesses.
As businesses have to remodel or temporarily close down, products like fence screens for construction sites and barricade graphics are also a niche outdoor application that is often overlooked as a great source of revenue.
Garden and home businesses
With a dramatic rise in people starting home-based businesses or moving their operations to their homes, you may want to start considering signage for decks and porches, as well as garden flags and garage door and wall graphics. As people spend more time self-entertaining in their homes, there is also a need for products like permanent pool and patio signs.
While many events move from retail and business spaces into homes and gardens, consider a new opportunity in providing custom signs and displays for birthday parties, family gatherings, and events.
Home accessory and décor
While in their homes, people are looking to make their home environments as comfortable and personal as possible. Now would be a great time to showcase personalized products like duvet covers, pillowcases, sheet sets, shower curtains, children’s play tents, pet beds, and other décor items.
While floor graphics are clearly not a new application, they’re something that has suddenly come into view for many people because of social distancing— generating new interest in this previously underserved application. With a new-found interest in floor graphics, you might consider offering décor products, such as faux rugs, tiles, and other floor graphic applications for households.
In addition to this, as places of business start to open up again and want to make a big impression, you may also consider producing floor graphics for store branding or special effect floor graphics for unique in-store promotions.
Although all these niche markets and applications represent a view of new and growing opportunities, please don’t take our word for it. As a company, you need to be aware of what’s happening in your neighborhood— identifying the immediate customer needs around you that are not being met in the local marketplace. Especially in these difficult times that have created a new need for face mask products, outdoor signage, social distancing signs, and other previously niche or non-existent applications.
As graphics providers, we should always be looking at the entire business landscape, brainstorming within our companies, paying close attention to what competitors are doing, and speaking to customers to find new leads, ideas, and application avenues.
