There are many different types of sign holders you can use in a retail merchandising campaign. The most important decision on which sign holder to use if based on the type of environment they will be used in.

A "harsh" environment will need something a lot stronger in a display, even though it is not as attractive as a acrylic sign holder. Metal sign holders and re-enforced plastics are much more resilient to breakage in this type of environment. An example of a rougher retail environment would be a Walmart Store. High traffic, high volume and long store hours will take there toll on point of purchase displays. An example of a more forgiving retail environment would be say a Bed and Bath Store or a Pier 1 Store, which can use a more upscale or eye catching display.

The reason long life becomes an important issue, even for temporary displays, is it must look good for maximum effectiveness as well as exposure. The longer a display is in "usable" condition, the higher the number of people who can absorb the marketing message. Just like any type of marketing you need a high number of contacts to make a sale, so the longer the message is in working order, the more people exposed to it, increasing the overall number of sales conversions.

The most important thing to remember when using a sign holder is to treat it just like any other type of marketing effort, it's effectiveness is based on the numbers game which governs all marketing efforts. When you take these factors into account, you can better plan your marketing of sign holders for maximum exposure, effectiveness and most importantly long sales life.

Chuck Thibaudeau is a Senior Vice President at Progressive Displays, Inc., a large display and fixture manufacturer in Rhode Island. You can see 1,000's of stock displays at their web site: http://www.pop2go.com