SPRING TRAINING, MARCH MADNESS, AND THE PIVOT
The Ricketts family increased the Cubs franchise value from 700 million in 2009 to an estimated 3 billion dollars by 2020. Then March 2020 covid emergency procedures shut down Spring training, and poised a possible profit-loss situation, across the board, in the sports realm. Rumors, of March Madness being ‘covid canceled’ for 2021 circulated as football season ticket holders waited in anticipation for covid regulations to be released.
The past year showed signs of maintaining an interest in the game without a live-audience experience, however, people simply want to experience a game 'In Real Life" and, people watching a game from their couch or phone, want to see people at the game. Let alone, hear all the sounds from a game, which includes, the hustle, and bustle of stadium life, as hot dogs, beer, and peanuts are divided amongst the paying crowd. Some creative attempts to emulate crowd noise with sound effect boards, and create the illusion of a crowd via impromptu ‘signage’ cutouts placed in the bleechers, seemed to temporarily distract everyone.
Even high tech versions of the cardboard cutout, like digital screens, or projection mapping, failed to recreate the ‘live-audience’ experience. The WWE broadcast team blazed the trail with digital screens, and projecting the audience, and uncovered PR problems when a fan streamed KKK content instead of their face. This prompted quick decisive legal action against the perpetrators of this hate crime, to avoid the capital-crippling cancel-culture attack from the masses. So it would seem that although solutions were created, the tv audience was slightly appeased with these hilarious ‘finger in the dyke’ style plans. Also, new techniques were not without a few challenges. In the end a few of those people who had saved on tickets this past covid season, had a chance to burn some dollars to pay for their own cutout to be placed out in the plastic viewing audience, or for their face to be digitally represented in the crowd. Now in the world of Arizona, the live-action experience of spring training is open to the lucky few who can score some tickets.
Although the world appears to be settling down into a post-pandemic system. The evolution of signage vis-is-vis the beginning, middle, and now the apex of the Corona-19 nightmare, demonstrates how fragile the concept of ‘normal’ really is. Procedures change, and society adapts, and signage shows everyone the way. CDC procedures were implemented universally through all businesses, and institutions via signage. Stickers on the ground keeping crowds 6 feet away from each other, mask use regulated via vinyl imaging on the walls, and CDC explanations on A-frames.
Digital signs already in play, now broadcasting pandemic related directions, as crowds move through traffic, to work, out shopping, to school, and home. Soon this signage will all be replaced with the next chapter of data, which will direct society to the next phase of humanity, post pandemic. Yet always, there will be signs. Point of fact, each disruptive change to society will continue to beget yet another batch of signs. And regardless of how long it takes to transition into a post-pandemic world, construction is full steam ahead.
At any given point of the year, over 1.2 million new bids continue to batch in on the various construction third-party connection apps, and most projects have slowed down a bit only due to covid procedures limiting the scope of the already limited bureaucracy involved with permitting and licensing. The capital backing the whole of all new enterprise is too big to fail. There will always be a need for building services, and signs, and what separates your institution from the rest, is your ability to circumvent any obstruction of time.
During this pandemic, the restaurant brands showing the most success pivoted to drive-thrus, pick-up windows, and carside services. And curbside pickup added another signage necessity. New signage during this process would include banners, a-frames, monuments, menus, and vinyl imaging to mark where people stand, park, or wait, and direct them on procedures as they navigate the queue. Even as the new normal shifts to a post-pandemic world view, the drive-thru boost will continue to evolve more companies as they transition into a new model of business.
Finding peace of mind! We're all looking for it - and going through 2020 taught us that the most important people that matter are those that are right next to us. Our partners get it - they stay and fight - they deliver results - they get creative and are flexible. At Indie Signage we get it - we are your partner, and we are committed to delivering a remarkable experience. Our business model is based on giving the client vision - full-color renderings of the signs they would like to buy - surveys, code, and the necessary landlord research to make sure we fit you with the right signs. It all starts with a simple email; [email protected].
-b
www.indiesignage.com
post script
the power of IS.....
is YOU!