Vinyl Banners - Hang Em High

Last year I had a rather large vinyl banner of my own on display on a roadside not far from my place of business. While driving past my banner one morning (I always enjoy seeing my banners on display working hard to generate more business), I noticed that my banner was on the ground. It had been untied.

Naturally I stopped, retied my banner and continued on to the office. I didn’t think much more about it. I thought it may have been a strong breeze or my less than “Boy Scout” ability with knots that sent my banner to the ground.

While driving in the next day, I encountered the same problem again, only this time my banner had been cut down.

Recently, I found out I was not alone with this type of problem. I have spoken with several of my vinyl banner clients who were in exactly the same boat (or worse). They too have had their banners slashed or destroyed completely while in use and on public display.

These banners were for the most part being displayed on roadsides (as temporary roadside bill boards) close to, or on the way to their respective owner’s businesses, just like mine was.

I have had no reports of any banner damage being caused when the banners were in use at the place of business.

The damage (let’s call it vandalism) always seems to occur overnight, so it is safe to say that bravery does not appear to be an attribute of our frustrated “Banner Slasher”. Regardless of the gripe these people seem to have, this cowardly act is costing these business owners money.

This cost is not only the replacement cost of the vinyl banners in question, though in some cases this is considerable. More importantly, it is the opportunity cost of not having the banner on display, working when it would otherwise be creating more business for its owners.

If someone does have a genuine concern about seeing a vinyl banner displayed on a roadside somewhere, I would have thought a phone call would be the most civilised way to air your grievance. Destroying someone else’s property is well… criminal.

I wonder of the “Banner Slasher’s” frustration also goes to street signs, billboards, traffic control barriers and of course the ever popular Corflute telegraph pole ad.. who knows?

There is no cure for this problem with regard to the banners construction. There is no banner fabric I know that is impervious to a knife attack.

The one solution I have tried that does seem to work however is elevation.

My simple solution was to raise my banner higher than arms reach, and up until now this has solved the problem. I had to use a ladder to re-hang my banner, though from this time onward, I have had no problem whatever with someone vandalising my property.

This was probably a little easier for me as my banner was tied between two trees, so lifting it higher was not a real problem.

The moral to this story is that though our heroic “Banner Slasher” is well equipped with a sharp knife, always at the ready to happily destroy someone else’s property, a ladder does not seem to be part of the standard equipment.

So if you are using your vinyl banner on the road somewhere, like Clint Eastwood did.. Hang Em High!

Cheers

Steve

PS. My clients who did send me pictures of their very sorry looking slashed vinyl banners have since had them replaced. I only charged them my costs plus 10%, just to help them out. After all their success with my banners is my success too. When they do well, I do well. Isn’t that what capitalism is all about?

Kind Regards

Steve