Floor graphics have been popping up in retail establishments across
the country. Advertising is still one of the largest money makers in
the world and companies are always looking for new places to put their
name and gain attention.

Floor & Sidewalk Graphics Signs

Floor graphics are a great way to tap into typically unused spaces
for relatively little money. Instead of building expensive display
units, a company can print on a mid-priced removable pressure
sensitive vinyl and laminate with a mid-priced slip resistant textured
film to create an eye-catching graphic for the existing floor
structure.

Wide-Format Imaging: May 31st, 2006

http://archives.wide-formatimaging.com/publication/article.jsppubId2&id316

Floor graphics

- Sales are projected to reach $2 billion within five years.

- Prices are in the range of $12 per sq. ft. for the printed piece.

- Floor graphics have gained popularity because it stimulates sales.

Excerpts:

Many grocery and discount stores use floor graphics to announce their
hottest specials and introduce new products. Unheard of a few years
ago, sales for this new medium are projected to reach $2 billion
within five years.

()

Floor graphics are as effective as more conventional POP displays in
stimulating sales of impulse products, such as snack foods, by as much
as 10%. Sales for some consumer products are reportedly 20-30% higher
at stores with floor graphics.

ground level advertising is effective because most people naturally
focus their eyes downward, looking where they walk as they push their
shopping carts.

As an advertising medium, floor graphics complement and reinforce
other advertising messages and campaigns. Compared to newspapers,
outdoor advertising, radio and TV, floor graphics are cost-effective,
with prices in the range of $12 per sq. ft. for the printed piece. By
dovetailing
with other marketing programs, floor graphics strengthen brand
recognition. Plus, by reinforcing an advertising message, these
graphics influence buying decisions most consumers don’t choose
which brand to buy until after they enter a store.

Materials

Companies such as Avery Dennison and 3M offer a wide range of
materials for floor graphics.These materials typically entail a vinyl
print-media layer and slip-resistant overlaminate that must meet
demanding requirements. Various floor-graphics materials are designed
for standard, digital-printing technologies.

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Like screen printed graphics, these substrates are often affected by
temperature and humidity. Ideal shop conditions are ambient
temperatures of 65-75° F and 45-60% humidity. When processing, the
print media should be removed from its packaging, sheeted and allowed
to relax at least 24 hours prior to printing. The conditioning period
also allows the liner to stabilize by
gaining or losing moisture.

Overlaminates

Floor graphics must withstand the extraordinary abuse of foot
traffic, dirt, grease, grit and chemical cleaners. Several
overlaminates are specially designed for floor-graphics applications.

()

Polycarbonate and vinyl most of which are pressure-sensitive
are often used as overlaminate films for floor graphics. Printed
graphics should only be laminated after the inks are thoroughly dry.
In high humidity, extra curing time may be required.

Heat-activated overlaminates are also available. Clear protective
films can be applied to encapsulate the front and back of the paper
print. The overlaminates overlap the print on all sides by 1/4 in. or
more to form a waterproof barrier.

Polycarbonate films without an adhesive coating are also used to
produce floor graphics. A mirrored or reverse image can be printed on
the film’s second surface. After the ink is completely dry, a mounting
adhesive is laminated to the print. In this construction, the film
serves as both the print and overlaminate.

R Tape Corporation

http://www.rtape.com/pdf/GRAPHICS%20TECH%20CTR%2017.pdf

Materials

A floor graphic consists of a base media, overlaminate, and adhesive.

Base Media

Pressure-sensitive vinyl is a popular choice to use as base media due
to its high stability, durability, and built-in adhesive. Vinyl offers
ease of use without crinkling or folding during the printing and
application process and often provides a better picture. Traditional
paper is not recommended. Despite a protective overlaminate,
traditional paper is vulnerable to moisture and offers little
resistance to outside elements if the overlaminate is compromised. For
photographic images, a film-coated paper can be used as long as the
edges of the print are completely sealed.

Base media is offered for almost every printing technology, including
water- or solvent-based inkjet, screenprinting, and e-stat transfer.

The adhesive can be included as part of the base media eliminating
one step in the process and also providing added weight and stability.
For non-pressure-sensitive materials, a mounting film will need to be
added during the laminating process.

Overlaminates

There are two classes of overlaminates suitable for floor graphics:
polycarbonate and textured vinyl. Polycarbonate films have superior
abrasion resistance, making them suitable for high-traffic
applications or long-term installations.

Floor graphics will continue to evolve

With continuing advancements in printing technologies and the
ever-expanding POP medium, floor graphics will continue to evolve as a
graphic offering. The cost of print media is declining and people are
turning to floor graphics as a way to change an environment.

Wide-Format Imaging: July 2004

http://www.wide-formatimaging.com/pages/issues/2004/704/finishline.shtml

3M

3M Floor Graphics can be applied directly to the surface of waxed
vinyl, sealed concrete, marble, terrazzo, ceramic tile and finished wood floors.

There are no size restrictions; 3M Floor Graphics can be printed in
any size and produced in any shape.

3M

http://www.3m.com/intl/ca/english/centres/graphicarts/media/Visions2E.pdf

Avery Dennison Floor Graphics

- Slip-resistant, durable, and easy-to-remove floor marking system

Technologies used in this application:

Offset Printing
Solvent-Based Ink Jet
UV-Curable Ink Jet
Water-Based Ink Jet

Avery Graphics http://www.averygraphics.com/pls/avery/avery_ext_applications.detailp_site_nameWORLDWIDE_AVERY_GRAPHICS&p_product_application_id1062

MPI 3101 Glossy Opaque Calendered Vinyl

MPI 3101 features an opaque, removable adhesive for mid-term
promotions and cover-ups. MPI 3101 is well suited for applications
such as Floor Graphics.

Avery Graphics http://www.averygraphics.com/pls/avery/avery_ext_products.series_detailp_site_nameUNKNOWN&p_product_series_id1630

Floor-graphic films undergo the ASTM D2047 test, which measures the
traction the media provide, assuring a non-slippery surface.

Signweb: 01-31-2006

http://www.signweb.com/index.php/channel/1/id/40/

According to Craig Campbell, product manager, digital imaging/screen
print films, Oracal USA, floor graphics are “rapidly gaining
popularity in today’s world of POP displays as a powerful way to fully
encompass the consumer in the advertising message.”

” in the grocery store where shelf space is a premium, the brand or
product can still be displayed for effective advertising.

From a retail point of view:

- Floor graphics provide a highly visible advertisement on space that
is readily available to promote product awareness and drive sales.

- They usually have high visual impact because they normally stand
alone without distractions from other advertisements.”

Profitability

- Floor graphics can be the same or even more profitable than other
wide-format graphics.

- In terms of overall dollars, the square footage opportunities are
typically lower for this application than others.”

Solvent and eco-solvent inkjet printers

“Today, more floor graphics are being produced using solvent and
eco-solvent inkjet printers. This allows for more cost-efficient
production in short-run situations, and well as more customization of
the final graphic,” says Campbell. “Solvent and eco-solvent inkjet
printing also allows the use of uncoated, durable PSA vinyl to produce
a graphic that will last under different degrees of mechanical
stress.”

The vinyl used should be at least 4-mil, very opaque, and have a
removable adhesive so that no residue is left on the surface when it
is time to remove the graphic.

All experts agree:

Floor graphics should incorporate a non-skid overlaminate to reduce
the possibility of friction on the graphic. This is probably the most
important part of the graphic component in that it both protects the
graphic image and reduces the likelihood of slips or falls.

Wide-Format Imaging: April 3rd, 2006

http://archives.wide-formatimaging.com/publication/article.jsppubId2&id66

Floors – Acceptance Study of Scotchprint Graphics for floors in retail stores

GfK,a well-known and wellaccepted consumer research company located
carried out an acceptance study of graphics for floors, in retail
stores, on behalf of 3M.

The results of this survey confirm that floor graphics have a good
unprompted recall effect and a high acceptance level among consumers,
compared to other forms of advertising. The survey also proves that
colorful, original, real-life layouts are very important to attract
higher audience numbers.

3M

http://tinyurl.com/mp62a

The key element of floor graphics is the sturdy, slip-resistant
laminate on the top. Seal, Mactac, 3M and others have these
laminates.

http://www.wide-formatimaging.com/pages/issues/1998/97-04/feature1.html

FLOORgraphics

FLOORgraphics provides In-store advertising through a network of over
12,000 retail locations. The company emphasizes the benefits of
point-of-purchase advertising when compared to more traditional
promotional marketing techniques. Serving a variety of industries, its
client list includes Procter & Gamble, Kelloggs, Johnson & Johnson,
and Unilever.

Yahoo

http://biz.yahoo.com/ic/106/106654.html

FLOORgraphics

Background, History , How it Works , Pricing

The company would lease floor rights from retailers and then sell ad
space to manufacturers in four-week cycles. He would design,
manufacture, install, maintain, and remove the graphics. He’d only
sell space to one manufacturer per product category in each
store-keeping the competition out.”

“Three years later, FLOORgraphics Inc., has ads in 15,000 grocery,
mass-merchandise, drug, and convenience stores. It expects $30 million
in revenues this fiscal year, and it’s profitable. And a rarity for
a low-tech company these days it has venture capital. “Floor ads
just make sense,” Potok declares proudly.

Kmart signed on in April, 1998. The next month, $5 million in venture
capital came through from Interlaken. With Kmart’s 2,000 stores on
board, FLOORgraphics was breaking even. A&P, Winn-Dixie, Grand Union,
Osco Drug, ShopRite, and Food Lion signed on as well, giving the
company space to sell in 8,000 stores. Advertisers included Procter &
Gamble, Campbell Soup, and RC Cola.

An ad for four weeks in 8,000 grocery stores costs $256,000, plus
about $90,000 for production.

Businessweek http://www.businessweek.com/smallbiz/news/coladvice/reallife/rl990916.htm

Flooring it

“We believe we have the most crucial piece of real estate in the media
world,” proclaims Richard Rebh. “Right where every manufacturer wants
to be, right in front of their product, right at the moment of
decision.”

Rebh is CEO of Floorgraphics Inc., in Princeton, N.J., which installs
colorful two-by-three-foot self-adhesive billboards on the floors of
supermarkets, drugstores, and mass merchandisers.

()

But hitting the ground running wasn’t easy. Previous attempts by
other companies required tearing up supermarket floors to install the
ads, leaving scuff marks on the concept. “It’s taken a long time and a
lot of missionary work and education to demonstrate the sales lifts,”
says Rebh, citing the early skepticism of retailers (trained to keep
floors clean and uncluttered) and consumer goods companies (“You want
people to walk on my brand”). Rebh claims to have hundreds of studies
showing that his ads produce a 25% to 27% sales increase, nearly the
same lift that the instant-coupon machine gives, but at full price.
“Other advertising products, like ads on shopping carts, give only
about a 10% increase.

INC.com

http://www.inc.com/magazine/20000301/17271.html

Inc. 500 Reveals America’s Fastest Growing Private Companies

FLOORgraphics, Inc.
The fastest growing, in-store media company in history,
FLOORgraphics, Inc., ranks #11 on the list, with five-year sales
growth of 7,480%. http://www.forrelease.com/D20030930/nyw072.P1.10012003000542.25822.html