If your customer has a physical shop or displays products in stores, they’ve probably thought about in-store branding and how merchandise will be displayed. But, many companies don’t realize the prime real estate that floors can offer. A shop or storefront is a prime advertising location to help keep a brand top of  customer’s minds. Using branded items, like a floor mat at the entrance or near a display is like putting up indoor billboards; they will instill an instant branded message and help each visitor remember your company.

Subtlety and Power

When you walk into a major store, like Target, you probably didn’t even realize that everything, from the trash cans to the grocery carts were branded to give the entire place a cohesive feel with a constant subliminal message of the brand. If it’s done well, you don’t feel bombarded by advertisements and logos, but you do feel as though the entire space works together and you walk away with a very strong understanding about that brand.

Consistency

Using a logo on your floor mats, for example, is a great way to personalize your space with your brand and keep the focus on your company. It doesn’t matter if you are an aquarium selling an experience or a fisherman’s store selling bait — at the end of the day, branding your location is about presenting your values and underlying inspiration in visual form. It is especially important to choose set colors (usually established brands choose a Pantone color to be very specific with printers) that will not change from one item to another. While you might think that the Lowe’s blue is just blue, it is very different from the HP blue or the Facebook blue. And, if a company was not precise in what colors were used, every different branded item would have a slightly different look, throwing the whole cohesive strategy right out the window.

Investment

Of course, you don’t want to spend money branding in ways that don’t last or aren’t very impactful. It is important to consider the cost per impression (CPM) for each item. A branded floor mat can can have a CPM of less than a penny. When choosing a branded floor mat, you will want to consider the traffic levels and location (indoor or outdoor) so that your investment will hold up for a long time, providing a great CPM.

So, whether you are branding your own location, or helping clients choose the products that are right for their locations, look for ways to incorporate smart logos, brand colors and subliminal advertising into the space. From your website to your lobby, your brand should be one seamless experience for the customer.