The power of well-branded signage – North Shore Crossing case study - by Richard Poyant

In today’s competitive retail environment, the strength and relevance of your brand image is more important than ever. Signage and “streetscape” play a major role in your business and are an untapped opportunity to target a critical mass audience of potential customers so close to your front door.

How can retailers create a unique and exciting experience that will draw consumers to their center rather than shop online? Building a vibrant, fresh, bright, and striking environment will attract new customers and businesses and will strengthen and enhance your new brand.

Creating an effective visual solution is the first step in an overall business strategy that conveys a clear message of what your customers will experience when interacting with you. Powerful visual branding is the most cost-effective way to maximize your impact on shoppers. 

When considering different visual design options, consider the following: 

• Keep it consistent, visible and legible – Your “streetscape” is your “first impression” and must project the powerful image you want the public to have of your center.

• Tell your own unique story – Consider what your tenants, visitors, and customers will value about your location, tenant mix and unique property features upon opening your center. Determine what they will like about the products and services that you offer and leverage those characteristics in the design. This will ensure a strong and successful brand for years to come.

• Design – One of the most important factors for an upcoming brand is the design development. Your design must make a commanding statement. A design that can be read and understood with a quick glance will create the most effective sign. Keep it simple.

Your “streetscape” will make thousands of impressions every day, creating top of the mind awareness. A well-researched and well-engineered branding program will promote a better visitor experience, improve traffic patterns to your location, and reflect your overall brand image.

CEA Group Inc. approached Poyant in early 2019 to develop the signage package for the brand-new retail development, North Shore Crossing in Beverly, Mass. CEA Group Inc. is a leading real estate developer in the Northeast, working to develop new retail destinations and transform existing properties. The vision for this new development was to create a space that residents of Beverly, and the surrounding area, would visit for all their retail needs. 

North Shore Crossing spans 68,000 s/f and includes a variety of premium retailers, restaurants, and other institutions. Some of these tenants include Whole Foods Market, Caffé Nero, North Shore Bank, and Mathnasium. This new project is located directly off Rte. 128, providing easy access for potential customers.

Poyant collaborated with CEA Group Inc. on the goals for the project:

1. Solve the problem of the lack of retail centers in the large and growing community of Beverly, Mass.

2. Create a memorable and unique gateway to the center and a landmark for the area.

3. Maximize the visibility and traffic exposure for the new property.

Focusing on these goals, the Poyant team began work on several signage elements that would be installed throughout the North Shore Crossing property. Poyant designed, fabricated and installed a signage package that would align with the main goals of the project, helping to create a striking destination that the local community would be able to appreciate and easily navigate. 

As part of the signage package, Poyant designed, built, and installed two monument signs, working in large scale and using multiple masonry textures, such as brick and stone. The entrance sign features a custom wood-grain paint technique on a custom fabricated cabinet to complement the modern architecture of the plaza. The monument signage also features halo-illuminated channel letters painted blue, red and white to align with the branding of the property. Poyant also created double-faced non-illuminated flag mounted aisle markers for the various light posts in the plaza. The aisle markers include the North Shore Crossing logo and match the other monument signs. Overall, the signage comes together to deliver an inviting design for shoppers to enjoy the retail experience.

Poyant was proud to have partnered with CEA Group Inc. on this new development. Our singular focus is and always has been…Building Your Brand, Building Your Success. The North Shore Crossing project was completed in July of 2019, on-time and on-budget, and is considered a huge success by all involved. 

Richard Poyant is the president of Poyant Signs, New Bedford, Mass.