If you are interested in designing a shopping mall advertising strategy with print graphics at its heart, you may be surprised at the number of options on offer to you. With modern printing techniques and a creative mindset, you can launch a memorable and impactful campaign, filled with inspired shopping mall advertising ideas which get your brand noticed.
Print advertising strategies can be effective for many types of businesses, including:
- Brands based within the shopping centre who want to encourage customers instore, and alert people to offers and campaigns.
- Pop-ups appearing on a temporary basis and who need to make a big impact in a short amount of time.
- External businesses wishing to take advantage of the high footfall and extended reach of shopping malls can offer to reach new audiences.
The specifics of any campaign are, of course, dependent on the needs of the business being advertised and the space they are advertising in. The design features shared across the majority of shopping centres, however, provide a framework for our imagination – helping us to find innovative print ideas that will really catch people’s eye.
Idea One: Take Advantage of Negative Space With Tension Fabric Systems
With high ceilings and airy atriums, shopping centres have plenty of empty space that’s just waiting to be utilised by savvy marketers and forward-thinking brands. If you want your print graphics to make a statement and be one of the most noticeable things in store, using a tension fabric system is a highly effective way to make that happen.
Tension fabric frames are a means through which you can present print marketing materials in a 3D or double-sided format, with the frames suspended from the ceiling in a manner that can’t fail to be noticed – which is particularly useful in cases where there isn’t a lot of empty wall space brands can use to advertise. They are also cost-effective and recyclable, with the option of using interchangeable graphics according to the needs of a campaign, and they can even be internally lit.
In tension fabric system, graphics that have been printed onto fabric and edged with silicone are held at tension within an aluminium frame. This technology can be utilised to create installations in a variety of shapes and sizes, including cubes and cylinders. The result is a memorable piece of print advertising that takes advantage of the impressive, high-ceilinged architecture of shopping centres and makes a lasting impression on visitors.
Idea Two: Get in Front of People in Their Downtime
One of the reasons why so many brands want to advertise on the London Underground is that, whether they are sitting on a train or waiting on the platform, people naturally look around them in moments of downtime, and are more likely to read any text they find in front of them. The way that shopping malls are designed and the manner through which people move through the building offers brands a similar opportunity to capture people’s attention in moments of quiet.
For example, lift graphics are a fantastic advertising medium, and can be placed both externally and internally on elevators for maximum effect. Similarly, escalators are a fantastic platform for print graphics, particularly with branded escalator step graphics now presenting an eye-catching and unique marketing opportunity. With well-designed and engaging graphics, you can make a huge impression on people as they wait for escalators or lifts, and engage them still further as they interact with them.
It is also worth remembering all those people who visit malls simply to keep one or several more enthusiastic shoppers company. Consider where people less interested in retail therapy may sit or stand as they wait for their friends or family to finish browsing or trying on clothes, and whether you can place an advertising banner in front of them.
Idea Three: Consider Every Surface
There are many surprising ways to take advantage of the different architectural features you can find throughout a shopping centre. A set of escalator graphics, for example, can be installed on both the sides and the stairs of an escalator, while window graphics gives brands an opportunity to use glazing to their advantage. It is even possible to use the floor as advertising space with printed floor graphics – in fact, you can argue that shopping malls offer a canvas for unlimited creative potential.
Idea Four: Make It Experiential
Whether it’s the innovative use of one-piece wall graphics or imaginative retail branding, one way to guarantee to make an impact is to make your print marketing materials as experiential as possible. Whether you convey an incredible sense of style or create something striking and unexpected, using print marketing to produce a rich visual landscape and evoke an atmosphere can take your campaign from the mundane to the memorable.
It is also possible to create a buzz of conversation around print graphics and encourage social sharing. Making your shopping mall marketing materials interactive – whether it’s possible to take photos with them as a backdrop for a great Instagram post, or including a puzzle people are encouraged to work out – can hugely elevate the impact you make. This way, it is possible to use social media to your advantage, and spread brand awareness far beyond the walls of the building where your print graphics are installed.
At PressOn we have years of experience in collaborating on shopping mall advertising strategies, helping clients bring their most creative ideas to life. If you would like to find out more, we are always happy to chat.
