By signcraft
Posted on Monday, February 2nd, 2026
A couple of weeks ago, we featured an article by Jeff Cahill titled, “Should you emphasize the company name or their product/service?” Jeff shared his thoughts on this issue, which surprisingly is overlooked when it comes to both sign and logo design.
We included a survey, asking readers what their approach was. Many thanks to all who participated in that—especially those who added their own very thoughtful comments. Most of the respondents were experienced sign makers, with the vast majority having 20 years or more in the business. All were owners of typical sign companies, with a shop size of 3,000 sq. ft. or less.
The late Doc Guthrie, long time Sign Graphics instructor at Los Angeles Trade Tech College, had a lot to say about this issue of what to emphasize. He shared his thoughts on that in “Doc Guthrie on getting the emphasis right in a sign layout” and he made a strong case for emphasizing the product or service.
It’s obvious from the comments on what factors they felt influenced whether the name or the product/service gets more emphasis that these sign makers see themselves as marketing professionals who help their customers get signage that works. Here’s what nine of them had to say:
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“If the name doesn’t clearly convey what they do, I typically emphasize the product/service. We’re a commercial wrap shop, and customers frequently want to include ‘too much’ info or imagery. We advise them that they get one glance to earn a second look. If their message can’t be conveyed in that glance, they likely won’t get that second look.”
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“One determining factor is how well established the client is. Start-ups, in my opinion, need to focus on their products and services more than their name. In the last 27 years, I have run into too many people starting out thinking their brand will be as identifiable as Nike, Starbucks, or Kleenex. If a company is well established, even just locally, greater emphasis should be put on their name as they are already known for their products/services and are likely competing with other established companies.
“When we work with advertising agencies, they almost always emphasize the company name. Part of that is ego on the part of the end-client. If the end-client is paying a lot of money to an ad agency, they want to see ‘their’ name! I don’t think that should be entirely discredited. Sometimes stroking the client’s ego is enough to get that down payment and signed contract (we are running a business after all!).”
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“The biggest factor is the audience! A massive tow-truck doesn’t really need ‘TOWING’ on it. In this age of social media, I’ve moved toward the camp that will emphasize the name, and the TOWN! In our touristy valley, there is no point having just ‘Bob’s Bagels’ on the side of your food truck—people need to know where to find you! If you are two towns away when someone posts a pic of your great Bagels, that doesn’t help your business (immediately).
“This is a great example where business owners get their business cards printed first (with a lame design), then want their store and truck to match exactly!……D’oh! They have three totally different functions. (Think knife, fork, spoon!)”
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“In general, when I look at a vehicle I want to see what they do first. After that the name, but I think also it is important to be sure people can google them easily. If they can’t, then the name and number become pretty important, too. Also, some companies just want their name on their vehicle. They are not looking to advertise, so in that case it would make more sense to lean into name recognition vs. trade.
“On a stationary sign, I’d use the same principle: If the business wants their current clients to be able to find them, then the ‘who’ should be primary. If they are looking for new customers, the ‘what’ becomes the most important. That is always a question I like to ask: Are you looking for your current customers to be able to find you, or are you looking for new ones?
“It’s always important to figure out a customer’s intent with their logo. We can guide them, but an understanding of what they want to achieve is important to factor in.”
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“Considering the sign you posted, the size of the business, the recognition of ‘Susan’ as a brand unto herself, the size of the city, town or area all come into play when making this decision. If many people know Susan and her shop, then the sign you posted makes sense because locals know Susan, but potential customers that don’t know Susan will understand that she sells Candles & Gifts!
“Nice sign by the way! Super clean and easy to read!”
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“The value/benefit to the viewer is what will motivate potential customers to action. The action the business owner desires is more people calling or coming through the front door. This will not happen if the value/benefit statement is missed. This makes the name secondary to the primary value/benefit statement to the viewer.
“In other words, I don’t care if your name is Bob or Susan if you don’t offer me first the benefit I want or need. Answer the heart of the marketing question first. ‘What’s in it for me?’ Get that right and I am much more likely to slow down and get secondary and tertiary details from the sign or to stop and go in, get a phone number, or ask for your card at a stop light or in the parking lot!”
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“Whether there are multiples of the same business in the area, or if they already have a large name recognition, are both important factors. I work with the customer on a case by case basis to help them decide what they think will be best for their business, while helping steer them with recommendations based on the info they provide.”
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“In most situations the name is secondary. However, we now have to consider that many customers are finding a business’s name first online and then using GPS to navigate to the storefront. In the client’s mind this makes their name equally important so we have to trick viewers into seeing both messages equally while still giving the product or service first priority.”
