The high school marquee signs are featuring scholars, not athletes, this week. And while some of the scholars who are featured on the school marquee signs around town, this graduation week is a focus on academics. In fact, the schools are highlighting National Merit Scholars, students with 32 or higher on the ACT test or a 4.0 or higher grade point average, and students who have been honored with full ride scholarships through the military academies.

Outdoor signs for schools serve a number of different purposes throughout the school year, but it is especially exciting during the days leading up to graduation ceremonies.

Very often in our country, we focus on sports and athletics too often. Graduation is a time, however, when there are many schools who shift the focus from the playing field to the classroom. From scrolling marquee signs that recognize a school’s top scholars to letting the community know the date and time of the graduation ceremonies, there are many important end of year messages that are viewed during the last weeks of school.

What Does Your School or Church Use Its Marquee Signs For?

At the complete opposite end of the spectrum, there are also many times when elementary schools are also making use of the outdoor school signs to promote their activities. They, too, might publicize end of the year celebrations, but many of these elementary buildings also use their sign space to advertise important fundraisers. For instance, if your son or daughter’s elementary school has an amazing spring fundraising event to earn monies for an improved playground then why not let the neighbors know? Between sponsorships, pledges, flat donations, and Restaurant Give Back campaigns, you may only be $7,000 short of having the money you need for Phase 1 of the new playground. playground. From reminding parents that all the money pledged for student(s) gets paid to connecting with others like friends, family, and neighbors, many schools can reach their goals.
Schools can also advertise for volunteers for fun runs and school carnivals. Inviting the neighbors to attend a school carnival provides a way to make sure that everyone who has benefitted from a school’s facilities in the past, as well as those in the future, can contribute as well. Often times we think of signage for businesses when it comes to the installation of new marquee signs, but there are also many non profits that benefit from the exposure outdoor signage provides:

• 32% of poll respondents visited the retailer they saw on a billboard later that week.
• 71% of people indicate that they often look at the messages on roadside billboards, both traditional and digital combined.
• 85% of a business’s customers live or work within a five-mile radius of its location.
• Marketing research indicates that the value of an on site sign is the same as running 24 full page newspaper ads each year.
• 35% of people indicate that they would not have discovered a business had it not been for their sign.
• 68% of poll respondents frequently or sometimes make their shopping decisions while in the car.

Although the majority of these statistics indicate information about commercial revenue, it is important to realize that non profit groups can also benefit when they make use of the latest digital technology. Churches can invite people to worship services and schools can encourage community support. Finding a way to upgrade the sign at your non profit can help you get the exposure that your group needs to be more successful.