One of the most important factors when purchasing advertising space is how often the advertisement will be viewed. Businesses want to advertise in areas where they know people will see their message. Organizations that sell advertisement space benefit from the ability to guarantee that their advertisement will be seen often. The same principles hold true for organizations that aim to strengthen branding. Highly visible signage is vital for reinforcing a brand image. There are many places to display branding and advertising signage at sporting events, but scoreboard signage takes advantage of an area that consistently draws the attentions of visitors.
Scoreboard signage is an efficient use of space and maximizes the usefulness of your scoreboard. Any athletic facility requires a scoreboard, so why not increase its functionality. Scoreboards are obviously a great way to keep fans engaged in the game, but they are also a great way to strengthen branding and feature sponsors. Below we will look at how some organizations have effectively used scoreboard signage in the past.
The Martone-Mejail Field at Merrimack College in North Andover, Massachusetts is home to their men’s and women’s soccer teams and softball team. Since this field is in use for the majority of the school year, scoreboard signage was a logical investment for the school. Selling the ad space for Merrimack College was made easier by the fact that they are in close proximity to many businesses. A Fuddruckers located across the street from the school purchased the space, knowing those attending the game would be more likely to visit their location when they saw an advertisement within such a short distance of the restaurant.
Outdoor scoreboards can also be used to strengthen branding. A common trend in college athletics is using the blank backside of the scoreboard to feature a school slogan or logo. Doing so not only cleans up an otherwise unsightly display, but also helps to promote team pride and greets fans as they enter the stadium.
Jordan Field at Harvard University is home the men’s and women’s soccer teams. With a walkway facing the backside of their scoreboard, visitors to the stadium were met with a view of the support poles and electrical boxes for the scoreboard. Harvard decided to cover these with signage featuring their logo. In addition to covering the uninviting facade, this signage strengthens branding by creating a display that matches the overall signage theme on campus. This space could have been used as ad space, but Harvard chose to use it for branding instead.
Indoor arenas that are home to basketball, hockey, ice skating, and more also have the opportunity to use scoreboard signage. Indoor scoreboard signage can differ from outdoor signage in that some interior scoreboards use backlit signage. Below we will look at both backlit scoreboard signage as well as traditional scoreboard signage.
The University of New Hampshire used traditional sponsor signage on their scoreboard in the Whittemore Center where the men’s and women’s hockey teams play. To help make this signage stand out, UNH used signage with a white background to provide a stark contrast to the blue scoreboard. Contrasting colors is an effective way to make signage pop, especially when it isn’t backlit.
Many arena scoreboards feature sections of backlit signage. For these styles of scoreboards, we either print graphics directly onto a polycarbonate (Lexan) material or use an adhesive graphic without any type of blockout material on the backside so the light can shine through and illuminate the graphic. The adhesive graphics adhere to clear polycarbonate material and display signage vividly. The Florida Everblades of the ECHL use backlit scoreboard signage to promote sponsors.
No matter the size of your scoreboard, adding signage to it can increase its functionality. Whether that means adding sponsor signage to increase ad revenue, or adding organization slogans and logos to strengthen branding. Could your organization benefit from adding scoreboard graphics? Contact the experts at AMI now and let’s take your scoreboard to the next level.
