Transcript ISA`s Power Point Presentation

Presenting The
Industry Perspective
By: Ken Peskin
Who are We?
• Greater DFW Sign Association represents
30+ local, regional, and national companies
operating in the north Texas area
• In addition to companies serving the local
market needs, DFW sign industry features
several large “export businesses”, building
products for other cities and states
• Sign manufacturing in Texas is a $746 million
industry, with a payroll in excess of $190
million (Probe Economics/ISA 2008)
2
This Isn’t a Sign Issue; It Needs to
Be a BUSINESS Issue
• “Signs” aren’t viewed favorably by city officials and
politicians
◦ At best, officials are ambivalent or consider them a
“necessary evil”
◦ Communities restrict all sorts of things that are
unpopular or undesirable (multi-family housing, liquor
stores, adult businesses)
• Though “signs” aren’t important, successful businesses
are VERY important
Adequate On-Premise Signs = Successful Businesses
3
On-Premise Signs are the Lowest
Cost Form of Advertising
Form of Advertising
Cost per Thousand
Exposures
On-Premise Signage
$0.30
Outdoor Advertising
$1.65
Newspaper
$3.47
Radio
$5.70
Television
$13.20
4
How To Make the Signs=Business
Argument
•
Small businesses are most dependent on on-premise
signage advertising
◦
Only form of advertising for many businesses
•
1997 UC-San Diego study measured benefits to
business from on-premise signage
◦
New façade signage increased sales 2.5%-7.1%
◦
New pole sign increased sales 4.9%-12.3%
(attributed by researchers to enhanced visibility)
◦
Interior directional signs enhanced sales 4.0%-12.4%
5
Sign-Increased Sales Benefit
Community
• Based on Pier 1 study in TN, inadequate signage
cost: 30% of gross sales, 81% of profits, and …
• Total State Taxes
• Total County Taxes
• Total City Taxes
• Total Taxes Paid
$66,000
$46,200
$5,616
$4,320
$29,613
$20,910
$101,229
$71,430
Inadequate signage can cost almost $30,000 in
unrealized tax payments to government from just
one retail store
6
Use Value of Signs To Educate
Potential Allies
• Local Businessmen
◦ Compete with national retailers w/o help of economies
of scale or targeted media buying
• Chamber of Commerce
◦ Vibrant business community attracts additional
businesses; higher business tax collections lower
personal taxes
• Bankers
◦ Inadequate advertising lowers success rate of new
businesses
• Commercial Realtors
◦ Lack of signage limits opportunities for reuse
• Developers
◦ Multi-tenant developments need adequate signage
allowance for all tenants
7
Questions About All Sign Codes
• Can any business obtain a sign?
• Is the sign visible? (At night? With parked cars?
Through landscaping?)
• With proper signage, can the business achieve its
maximum economic potential?
• Does the sign (or system of signs) allow the business to
communicate a message of temporary or short-term
interest?
• Are illegal signs subject to citation and/or removal?
8
Allowable Sign Area
• Size minimums should be determined as factor
of driving environment (speed limit, lanes of
traffic)
• Minimum size required for visibility and timely
response
◦ Simple Env. (25 mph, 2 lanes) 50 ft2
◦ Complex Env. (40 mph, town commercial
area, multilane) 128 ft2
◦ Multi-lane Env. (40 mph; urban commercial
area, multilane) 200 ft2
9
How does Sign Code Interact with
Landscaping and Parking Regulations?
• Clear line of sight is basis for many standards
• Real-world situations often cause sign to be obscured
• If tree cover, shrubbery, cars, or street furniture block
signs, accommodations need to be made
• Industry-distributed model codes discourage monument
signs based on safety impacts of obscured signs
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