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.V

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; sales@indiesignage.com.

-b

www.indiesignage.com

post script

the power of IS.....

is YOU!

STREAMLINED SIGNS AND THE JFK DESIGNS

Sign designers may take notes from the legacy left by a chance meeting between Jackie, JFK, and the French-born industrial designer, Raymond Loewy. Loewy had at this point created icons for Coca-Cola, Lucky Strike, and Greyhound. He had already created logos for TWA, Exxon, and Shell. It was the consensus of this trio that the current 'military-orange' design was "garish" and did not reflect the current position of the presidency.

The orange tipped Boeing 707 showcased the identity of Eisenhower's administration and it represented the military brand, which was a very apt connection to make, due to the fact, that the 'Presidential Planes' were still military craft. The Air Force One design revamp is a great example, of the necessity, for evolving a brand. Signage is the key to representing a brand evolution, and even a color change and a subtle font, and graphic redesign, can help the prospective clients identify a company'a relevant icons and logos. JFK infused a certain level of new diplomatic elegance, via an incorporation of 'seafoam' blue. Loewy integrated iconic logo placement, and a streamlined graphic layout to convey a sense of elevated power. He used silver to cut a stark contrast between both blues and entice the movement of the plane to the center of focus. The font for the legend, "United States of America" was converted to Caslon, in order to pay homage to the typeface of the Declaration of Independence. In a sense, the new design conveyed, youthfulness and hope.

How powerful is your company's logo? How universal is your company's icon? JFK's redesign of the Air Force One was so signature, and streamlined, that it has remained the general aesthetic of all 'Presidential Planes" since 1962. Its icon is so universal, that the very mention of Air Force One conjures JFK's 'seafoam' blue rebrand in the collective consciousness.

Progress builds upon itself, and the evolution of a company via branding, logos and icons can be metaphorically illustrated by the transformation of the US Air Force Lockheed Super Constellation, named Columbine III (Used by Dwight D. Eisenhower on Nov. 26, 1954) to the first Presidential Jet, the Boeing 707 (also flown with Eisenhower on board) to the 1962 Boeing 707, to the 1972 707 (tail code SAM 27000) to the 1990 Bush era Boeing 747 (tail code SAM 28000). Although the 747 is a Leviathan amongst air craft, It still maintains the iconic JFK aesthetic, and only time will tell if the latest Boeing contribution to the 'Presidential Hanger' (Boeing 747-8) will maintain this icon, or evolve it to the next genesis of its being.

THE NEW NORMAL?

Many areas within the realm of signage and construction have remained consistently active during this pandemic despite COVID 19 slowing down the bureaucracy involved in the permitting and licensing process. Often times, the catalyst to beginning new projects is the speed at which the bureaucracy is handled. Although set-backs have occurred during these times, new development has continued to fuel this industry as a whole; and now, more than ever, the importance of utilizing the right Project Manager is the key to the perfect signage solution. Retail has proven that by embracing the 'new normal' with pandemic related industry changes, the rate of new development is able to move forward until projects are completed! Experience ease of service with Indie Signage as we navigate these challenges for your company! Leave the signage to us, and go develop your next project.

-b

www.indiesignage.com

THE POWER OF SIGNS

Signs are words. Letters, numbers, and pictures are words. The word is a tool. A powerful tool, one possesses, and yields, often, with a cavalier attitude towards the damage caused; and whom operates said tool, with a laissez-faire attitude, concerning this tools' creation potential, and which may as well be the best tool in our entire repertoire: are words.

What kind of words are we speaking to one another? While considering, also consider, James 3:1-12 [e.g "...From the same mouth comes blessings and cursing..."]

Therefore, remember, what comes from your mouth is a manifestation of who you are and you can manifest life or death over your environment, and especially over the people in your environment.

Consider, Proverbs 18:21 [e.g. "...Death and life are in the power of the tongue..."]

Also, Proverbs 12:18 [e.g. "...There is one whose words are like swords thrust, but the tongue of the wise brings healing..."]

Always be reminded by Ephesians 4:29 [e.g. "...let no unjust words come out your mouth."]

Two, modern science experiments, can verify the truth of these scriptures, in a lexicon familiar to our contemporary explanation of the inner workings of the biological realm.

One experiment involves speaking positive and negative words over plants, and documents the effect, if any, said words have over their prospective plants. The second experiment, concerns, the crystal structure of water, from samples spoken over with positive words and elements, and their antithesis, in order to evaluate key differences within the over all water crystal shape formed from each words, phrase, or external stimuli.

A group of approximately 2,000 people in Tokyo focused positive intentions toward water samples located inside an electromagnetically shielded room in California. That group was unaware of similar water samples set aside in a different location as controls. Ice crystals formed in both sets of water samples, yet only certain kinds of formations were present within the water they were concentrating on. That group was unaware of similar water samples set aside in a different location as controls. [A similar test was held for plants during their growing stages. In the plant experiment, positivity allowed the plant to flourish, and negativity stunted growth and could cause premature death.]

Using high-speed photography, Dr. Masaru Emoto discovered that crystals formed in frozen water reveal changes when specific, concentrated thoughts are directed toward them. He found that water from clear springs and water that has been exposed to loving words shows brilliant, complex, and colorful snowflake patterns.

WATER from tainted sources, or which had been spoken too with words of destruction and hate, formed ugly, less aesthetically appealing crystals.

Remember both science, and scripture, and especially consider that many differences of opinion concerning other elements of both entities, may be simply a difference in the lexicon used to describe theories of both, areas of study, which require faith. How should you speak considering these examples of life and death, derived from words?

Consider the following verses and model your conversations accordingly.

e.g. [ PROV 16:24]

"…GRACIOUS WORDS ARE LIKE A HONEYCOMB…"

[MATTHEW 15:18]

"…WHAT COMES OUT OF THE MOUTH COMES FROM THE HEART…"

[PROV 15:1]

"…A SOFT ANSWER TURNS AWAY WRATH…"

[PROV 21:23]

"…WHOEVER KEEPS HIS MOUTH… KEEPS OUT OF TROUBLE…"

[HEBREWS 14:12]

"…THE WORD OF GOD IS ALIVE AND ACTIVE…"

Spread love, in all areas of your speech, and utilize your words to create, not destroy. Now, metaphorically, and literally, consider finally, Romans 6:23

[e.g. "...the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ, our Lord..."]

Metaphorically, Jesus Christ is considered the 'CHIEF Corner-Stone' of life, and is also represented by the Greek word, 'logos', which translates into the Modern English word; 'word'.

Ephesians 2:20 “…built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the chief cornerstone,”

Consider, that for one, to choose Christ, is how one chooses life, and to speak life with your words is, how one models his speech, after Christ. This concludes that words, must be, intrinsically, the 'CHIEF Corner-Stone' of life, love, and peace, and positivity. And consequently, their anti-thesis. Amen.