Brand protection through on-demand sign printing

Brands matter in adverse situations

A leading UK airport operator has to handle facilities breaking, and irate customers. With maintenance outsourced, there are dozens of outside contractors working on site.

Passengers have to be told when something’s broken, where to go if there’s a diversion, in a way that crosses language barriers, reinforces the brand, and helps manage expectations.

To protect their brand and professional image, the airport management wanted a solution to keep the brand consistent no matter which contractor is doing work. It needed to be easy for staff to use, give clear instructions to inconvenienced passengers, and look more professional than a quick Microsoft Word sign. Or worse, a message scrawled in pen.

Improving public perception

A quick investigation and it was clear you can never predict what sign might be needed next, and keeping a cabinet of pre-printed signs would be impossible - as well as inefficient to distribute over a 1000+ hectare airport.

To put the airport back in control and limit brand damage, I built a web-based sign generator which could be accessed by maintenance staff from any computer terminal around the airport, and the sign printed on the nearest printer.

With a set of standard signs, plus a template-based custom sign builder, the system was quick to use and flexible enough to cope with any eventuality.

Results

Client confidential. Let’s just say it took off.