Signposts Blog

Former ISA Chairwoman Teresa M. Young posts recent survey results on her blog, Sign Brain, which underscore the determination of the digital sign industry entrepreneur to remain optimistic about the state of digital signage.
Young explores the results of a recent survey her organization conducted of independent sign business owners asking for their business outlook for 2009 and beyond. What she found was surprisingly positive, particularly in comparison with the pervasive “doom and gloom” economic reports in the general media.

New York Times columnist David Brooks has recently written about a study showing that Americans are still optimistically mobile. The Pew Research study found that the majority of Americans still – despite the economy, or maybe because of it – want to relocate and travel across the country. This trend, notes Brooks, seems contrary to what the planning community wants, i.e., an end to urban sprawl and less dependence on cars.

Designated Blogger:
David Fellman, David Fellman & Associates

I’ve come to realize over the years that one of the keys to success in sign sales is simply to think like a winner. Most sign salespeople don’t. They think of themselves as “second class citizens” who have to take a subservient role to their customers and prospects. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard salespeople talking about “finding an excuse to call on a customer.”
Hey, you don’t need an excuse. Granted, you do need a reason, but as I’ll tell everyone who attends my two Discovery Series sessions at ISA’s Sign Expo in April, “I want to sit down and talk with you” is reason enough!

Designated Blogger: 
David Hickey, ISA Government Relations Director

Despite the taxpayer-funded bailouts of Wall Street, banks and the automotive industry the past few months, our economy is still obviously in serious trouble. The unemployment rate is now more than seven percent, the stock market continues its precipitous decline, houses are still losing value and news about retailers going out of business is in the papers seemingly every day.  

Designated Blogger:
Denise Miller, ISA Communications Manager

If you could add the designation “award winning sign designer” in front of your company’s name, you would, wouldn’t you? ISA can make that happen.

Designated Blogger:
Lori Anderson, ISA President & CEO

Here at ISA, we’re diving into our third week back at the office after the holidays, and looking ahead to the next 51 weeks with a degree of cautious optimism. It’s been a roller coaster ride getting to this point, and the industry’s collective concern about what the coming year holds for our businesses, our workforce and the economy as a whole, are grounded in a very true, very worrisome reality.

Designated Blogger: Bill Dundas
ISA Director of Technical & Regulatory Affairs

As 2009 begins, a flood of forbidding reports from the retail sector indicates this could be a very tough year for the sign industry. The International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC) estimates that, globally, approximately 148,000 retail stores closed their doors in 2008. This represents the highest number since 2001, when about 151,000 stores closed. What’s more ...

Designated Blogger:
David Hickey, ISA Director of Government Relations
One of the main arguments we use with local officials when fighting restrictive sign codes across the country is that well-designed, well-placed on-premise signs are extremely important to the success of small businesses.

Designated Blogger:
Lori Anderson, ISA President & CEO

A few months ago, we set up an ISA sign industry group on the social networking website LinkedIn to provide our members with a unique forum for interacting with one another in between face-to-face conferences and meetings. The idea was to develop an online space for members to share best practices, connect with potential partners, customers and suppliers and to get their questions answered.

Designated Blogger:
Lori Anderson, ISA President & CEO
David Huether, Chief Economist for the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) , wrote in his Monday Economic Report e-newsletter that eight of the 10 major economic factors worsened last week, signaling that the economy is on track in the fourth quarter to post the largest decline since the 6.2 percent drop in the first quarter of 1982.