It's no cover-up
    from The Marketer - date unknown

Today's commercial awnings do more than protect customers from the rain - they help market businesses and increase customer traffic.

They're probably one of the most visible storefront trends of the past decade - seen almost everywhere - spanning strip malls, office building entryways, and specialty shops. They provide protection from weather, increased sinage and illuminumation, and often, a complete visual "makeover." They're awnings, and they're popular for a good reason, says Kohler Awning, Inc. vice president Marty Kohler.

"An awning is an opportunity not only to provide protection," says Kohler, "it's also an opportunity to change the facade of a building without making structural alterations, to increase entryway lighting and add graphics or signage. It's a very economical way meet a variety of goals."

Kohler says his family's 75-year-old firm does all it can to help business owners visualize their new facade before making a commitment to purchase. In fact, thorough planning is actually a requirement considering how awnings help market the business underneath.

"Our clients go through a complete planning and design process. We talk with the customer to see what they're hoping to accomplish with their awning. We generate ideas for them. Then we show what the different options will look like on our computerized preview system."

With the preview system, customers can see how different awning colors and styles might look, and they can look at possible changes that relate to landscaping, lighting or other external elements.

"For many businesses, it's a major change," says Marty's brother Craig, who serves as secretary/treasurer for Kohler Awning. "Our customers need to feel confident that the awning is going to be an improvement, and we can give them that confidence."

Craig Kohler says the most popular commercial awning today is constructed with a welded framework attached to the building, then covered with a durable material such as vinyl or a vinyl laminate and finished with a coating of acrylic or Tedlar. The covering can be imprinted with the store's name or other information, and the whole structure can be backlit to increase nighttime visibility and visitor safety. "It gives a smaller store a real advantage," Kohler says, "because suddenly their storefront stands out and attracts attention."

Kohler Awning also provides permanent and retractable canvas awnings in the residential market, where awnings are most commonly used on patios. This type of awning is also popular with restaurant owners who need to provide overhead protection for patrons dining outdoors. A sun-sensitive motorized mechanism extends and retracts the awning automatically, so there's no second-guessing the weather forcast.

Years ago you could walk down the street and pause under the grocer's canvas awning to pick over the produce displayed in bushel baskets on the sidewalk. As storefronts (and indeed, the very nature of the neighborhood store) have changed, most bushel baskets have been replaced with indoor display cases. Awnings have taken on a whole new attitude, offering a cost-effective way to break out of the strip-mall sameness. With quality products and specialized service from Kohler Awning, the humble awning can give any business owner a real marketing edge.