For a business, brand recognition is maybe not everything, but it counts for a whole lot. The more ways you can expose your brand to the world with printed variations of your logo and look, the better: people will begin to recognize you, and then to gravitate toward you. A surprisingly effective tool? Customized, printed marketing umbrellas.

Believe it: branded umbrellas can be a seamless way to create a useful and helpful object while also acting to promote your business. Not only will you create a functional item and pleasant decor, but you will also create a powerful marketing tool which can expose new customers in unexpected settings to your business. This post details some of the sometimes unexpected benefits of market umbrellas for your business.

What is a market umbrella?

So...what is a market umbrella? Basically, picture the umbrellas at the tables of your favorite outdoor restaurant or bar. This is the type of umbrella we are talking about here: a large, sturdy specimen with a large span (7 to 9 feet). While it opens similarly to an umbrella you’d use for the rain, the quality and durability is much more advanced: the “ribs” holding the umbrella top is wood, and the center pole is far thicker, making these umbrellas suitable for outdoor use and better suited to survive elements such as rain or wind due to an added extra crown of fabric known as a “wind vent”.

The umbrellas can be fit through holes in patios, or picnic or bistro tables, or can be fitted into weighted umbrella stands. They can be created in the round, traditional umbrella shapes, or hip, eye-catching square shapes.

But wait, there’s more! In addition to being sturdy and strong, these umbrellas can also be personalized. Above All Advertising offers full digital dye printed umbrella canopies, which leave the creative design completely up to you, so you can create a unique expression for your business. Just about any custom PMS/Pantone color can be matched to create umbrella canopy panels that form a unique expression for your unique business. You could work with a graphic designer to create a multicolored design divided among each panel or create an all-over print featuring your logo on the flaps. The sky’s the limit!

What are some ways marketing umbrellas are used by businesses?

You might be tempted to think that market umbrellas are really only suited to restaurants featuring outdoor seating. While this is a great way to utilize the umbrellas, it’s far from the only use. There is a myriad of creative ways for marketing umbrellas to boost your business, whether you’re selling food or cars or even vodka! Here are just a few.

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5 ways that marketing umbrellas can boost business.

Here’s a collection of five ways that market umbrellas can help to boost your business, including potential benefits and tips for how to put each idea into action for your business.

Make a comfortable space for customers to escape the heat and discover your business.

Picture where your business is located. Does it get sunny? Does it get hot and humid? If so, a marketing umbrellas can be an easy asset to add to your business’s offerings. By placing umbrellas outdoors around your business, you’ll not only create a spot for potential customers to catch some shade but will create a safe space for them to observe your branding. No, not everyone who catches some shade under your umbrella will become a customer, but you’ll be one step closer to reeling them into your business, and you might be surprised by how many people’s interest you pique. Plus, the umbrellas act as a conversation starter if approaching a customer under their shade!

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Offer marketing umbrellas in common areas.

Guess what? Your marketing umbrellas don’t even have to be installed at your own place of business. You can partner up with a local restaurant or cafe and offer to pitch in (or even sponsor) the umbrellas, provided they are branded with your information. Many businesses are open to such arrangements, as everyone benefits. If you install market umbrellas in high-traffic places, it’s like a billboard for you business; you’ll have a captive audience and capture the attention of those whom you might not reach otherwise. For the establishment on the receiving end, they receive free shade for their valued customers!

Make your mark at outdoor festivals.

If you’ve ever been at a big outdoor festival or street fair, you’ve probably noticed branded items such as advertising inflatables, branded furniture or flags, or...you guessed it, umbrellas. Providing umbrellas for an outdoor festival can be a powerful advertising tool. The show organizers might even allow you a small table to hand out business cards and brochures!

Make your trade show booth stand out.

Is an umbrella opened indoors bad luck? Not for your business when you use a market umbrella as part of your trade show Indoors or out, an umbrella branded with your business information and logo is an eye-catching and engaging way to draw customers in. Plus, you’ll create a unique look that differentiates your booth from others at your next trade show! Consider this as a unique way to display your offerings. 4

Use your umbrellas at outdoor street fairs.

Umbrellas can be a great shelter and a way to promote your business at outdoor street fairs. Whether it’s an art festival to a farmer’s market, chances are, organizers would be open to allowing you to set up a mini-booth to hand out brochures, cards, or offer swag for those who join your mailing list. This is a trick that newspaper subscription services have used for years; why not your business?

Conclusion: A marketing umbrellas can be a creative and innovative way to advertise and market your business. Market umbrellas allow you to promote your business in unexpected places, with successful results and greater brand recognition. So what are you waiting for? Invest in a market umbrella (or two or three) today!