Making The MOST Out Of Your Mural
From the blog series: Art in Business
You read the research from the Sign Research Foundation: 60% of businesses reported average sales increases of 10% or more by updating their signs. Now, you considering updating your signage; perhaps a logo, mural, or painted social media photo op. The final question is, how do you as a business make the most of your mural? Hiring an artist does not need to be a mysterious or ambiguous process. Here are some tips to make your next mural install easy and the most profitable:
Establish your signage goals. Are you looking to build your brand? Contribute to art in your neighborhood? Increase your social media presence by creating a client photo-op? If logo signage is what you are interested in, do you have rights to your own logo that you would like installed on you wall or are you looking for a muralist/sign artist to create a logo for you? Figuring this out ahead will save you time and also help narrow your search. You’ll find some artists will create full branding packages, others will install your company’s owned mural, while others will be open to both options.
Find a professional and be a professional. It can be 100% worth taking a risk with a new artist with zero to little experience - everyone has to start somewhere and I am so very grateful for the companies who took a chance on my small portfolio as a start up many years ago. Some of my favorite murals have been installed by new up-in-coming artists with little install history. However, regardless of how little or how much experience one has, it is in both parties best interest to make sure you both establish terms via a legal contract. Make sure that contract includes number of mock-up revisions, a project timeline, price, and project description. It may be prudent to establish early in your inquiry that the artist carries, or is prepared to carry, their own liability insurance for the duration of the installation.
Forgo any ideas about an art contest. Art and mural design contests are industry degrading for art businesses, excessively time consuming for your company (expect hundreds or even thousands of submissions depending on your call reach) and - frankly - looks bad for your business. Do you really want to be known as the business who can’t afford to hire a professional, like a professional? How many people hiring a roofer will request submissions and after each team works forty hours for free you pick your favorite? You also get what you pay for - serious artists with strong portfolios wont be wasting their time or yours by submitting their designs for free. If you really like the excitement of a contest, hire an artist, sign a contract that includes three mock-ups, pay your deposit, and have your fans/customers pick their favorite mock-up. This is an incredibly popular way to engage followers while simultaneously ensuring a quality and experienced artist completing your design and installation.
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