42% of Americans told us they’ve been unable to locate a business because its sign was hard to read. Think about that from the owner’s perspective. Someone wants to find your business, but the sign makes that last step harder. That’s a problem worth solving before spending more money getting people interested.
As Signarama marks 40 years in business, we commissioned The Harris Poll to survey over 2,000 U.S. adults about how signage influences their decisions. We wanted to understand what happens when people encounter a business’s signs, from finding the location to deciding whether they trust it.
39% said they’ve entered a business solely because of its sign, and 82% said a business’s signs affect how much they trust it. Those findings explain why I talk about signs as a sales channel. They have a job to do in the customer journey, and they do that job really well.
When I look at signage industry trends for 2027, I start with those customer decisions. The following five trends connect what people need from signs with changes in design, materials, and the kinds of projects businesses order.
Physical Signage Demand Is Growing, Not Declining
Our consumer research helps explain why physical business signage still matters. When noticing a business for the first time, 63% of respondents included the main storefront sign among the formats most likely to catch their attention. Even when customers find you online, a clear storefront sign helps them recognize the right location.
The wider market points in the same direction. Mordor Intelligence estimates global printed signage spending at $43.63 billion in 2026, growing to $49.58 billion by 2031. For a local owner, the useful question is what creates that work: openings, rebrands, and businesses updating how they present themselves to customers.
I see physical and digital signage working together in that process. A restaurant might need a permanent building sign, window graphics promoting its opening, and digital menu boards inside. Each serves a different purpose. The right recommendation depends on the location and what the owner needs customers to understand, rather than choosing one format for everything.
Consider what happens when that restaurant opens a second location. It needs a new signage package that carries the same identity into a different building. Later, a menu change could call for updated graphics. A rebrand could mean replacing exterior signs and interior branding together. Those are different projects at different points in the business’s life.
For a prospective franchise owner, this is a useful way to think about demand. New locations create work, while existing businesses have reasons to update their signs as they change. The opportunity is to understand those moments, recommend products that fit, and build a relationship that brings you back into the conversation when the next project comes along.
AI Is Changing How Signs Are Designed, Not Who Orders Them
AI deserves attention because it can change how a team develops ideas and handles the work behind a signage project. AI-assisted design tools can help generate starting concepts or explore variations. That can make the early conversation more efficient, provided someone still checks the design against the client’s brand and the requirements of the finished sign. That might mean showing a client several approaches to window graphics early in the project, then refining the option they choose. The time saved is useful when it helps the team reach a clear decision.
Last year, we announced a series of powerful tech-driven enhancements including financial benchmarking, sales tools, and better use of installation data. We also shared plans for automated design tools, smart inventory systems, and predictive marketing to help our franchise owners work more efficiently and grow their businesses.
The practical value of AI-assisted design is giving the team more time to work through decisions with the client. A business owner still needs to decide what the sign should communicate. Someone has to consider viewing distance, materials, installation conditions, and whether the approved artwork will reproduce properly. A concept generated on a screen doesn’t settle those questions.
Our Harris Poll survey found that 73% of consumers agree innovations such as LED and AI-integrated digital signage help businesses stand out. It shows interest in newer formats, while leaving the project team responsible for recommending where those formats make sense.
If you’re evaluating a signage business, I’d look at how technology supports the whole project. Reducing repetitive design work can help move a job toward approval sooner, but turnaround also depends on production, scheduling, and installation. The goal is a more efficient process with a clear result for the customer. The people ordering signs still have businesses to run, and they need someone who can connect their goals to a finished product.
Sustainability Is Becoming a Bigger Part of Signage Procurement
Sustainability remained part of the industry conversation at ISA Sign Expo 2026, where industry leaders identified it alongside AI, automation, and efficiency as a trend shaping the signage business. If a business has environmental standards, the materials and printing process can matter as much as the design. A proposal may need to meet specific requirements for recycled content or include documentation from suppliers. That makes sustainability something to discuss at the start of the project.
For a prospective franchise owner, this changes what it means to understand the customer. A government agency or university may have purchasing rules to follow. A business updating several locations may have its own material specifications. Asking about those requirements before quoting helps you recommend a suitable option and avoids having to rework the proposal later.
Recycled substrates and water-based latex inks are among the options a signage team can evaluate. Before recommending a product, I’d check its performance and supplier documentation. Environmental claims should be supported by documentation or certifications specific to the material. You also need to consider whether the finished sign can be recycled through the programs available to that customer.
I’d also look at how the customer will use and update the sign. A retailer changing its promotions throughout the year may benefit from replaceable graphics that work with existing display hardware. A permanent outdoor sign has different demands for durability and maintenance. The recommendation needs to account for the intended use, the budget, and what happens when the sign is replaced.
For Signarama franchise owners, the value is in making those decisions easier for the customer. Knowing the materials, understanding the supporting documentation, and explaining the tradeoffs in cost and performance can help you recommend the right option when environmental standards are part of the buying decision.
Healthcare, Education, and Government Have Ongoing Signage Requirements
Healthcare, education, and government projects bring a different reason to invest in signage. People need to find the right entrance, identify a room, and move through a building safely. Our survey found that 91% of consumers consider an easy-to-read font important when deciding whether to shop at a business. That emphasis on readability is useful here too, alongside the accessibility and safety requirements that apply to the facility.
These projects come with specific requirements. The U.S. Access Board explains that signs identifying permanent rooms and spaces, where provided and covered by the ADA Standards, generally need visual and tactile content. Directional signs have visual requirements. OSHA also requires workplace exits to be visibly marked and requires directional signs when the route isn’t apparent. The project has to be built around the applicable requirements.
For a medical office adding an examination room, the work could include a room identification sign and updates to the signs directing patients through the building. A school renovation could change how visitors find the office or an accessible entrance. The purpose is practical: help people use the space, with the relevant accessibility and safety requirements accounted for.
Renovations, new facilities, and changes in building use can lead to additional signage projects over time. Earning that work takes knowledge of the requirements, accurate production, and strong coordination with the client’s facilities or design team.
Vehicle Branding and Fleet Wraps Create Ongoing Opportunities
A business’s visibility often extends beyond its address. Delivery vans, service trucks, and trade vehicles put its name in the communities it serves. I’d apply our survey’s findings about trust to that first impression, too. If you’re sending a team to a customer’s property, the vehicle’s graphics should make the business easy to recognize and the information easy to read.
For a plumber or landscaping company, the first project might be lettering on one truck. As the business adds vehicles, the owner may want consistent graphics across the fleet. A rebrand creates another reason to update them. The customer needs a design that fits each vehicle while making the business recognizable wherever its team is working.
Electric fleet vehicles can create another occasion for that conversation. When a client replaces a van with a different model, the graphics need to fit the new vehicle. I see that as a branding opportunity tied to fleet replacement. It still requires the same attention to the client’s identity, vehicle dimensions, and installation schedule.
Signarama’s vehicle wraps and graphics capabilities include lettering, partial wraps, and full wraps. That range gives owners options for different budgets and needs. A fleet project also calls for planning around how long vehicles can be out of service. Understanding that constraint, coordinating installation, and keeping the graphics consistent can help an owner become a useful ongoing partner as the customer’s fleet changes.
What These Signage Trends Mean for Signarama Franchise Owners
If you’re considering a Signarama franchise, these trends help explain the range of clients and projects a local owner can pursue. A new retailer may need storefront signage and window graphics. A facilities team may need accessible room signs. A service company may start with one vehicle and later need a fleet package. Each conversation starts with understanding the business.
Looking toward 2027, I’d focus on learning how to recommend those solutions and deliver them well. Technology can improve the process. Knowledge of materials can help a proposal meet purchasing requirements. Experience with a client’s signage can make the next update easier to plan. Those capabilities can help turn a one-time project into a longer-term client relationship.
At Signarama, our training and ongoing support help owners learn the systems and skills involved in running their businesses. The Harris Poll gives them evidence to bring into client conversations: what catches someone’s attention, what helps them find a business, and what shapes their trust. Owners can use those findings to ask better questions and explain their recommendations.
Explore Signarama Franchise Ownership
If this is the kind of business you’d like to build, explore Signarama franchise ownership and speak with our franchise development team about the opportunity, training, and support. We’ll revisit these signage trends for 2027 as new research becomes available, so this annual article continues to reflect what the data says and what it means for owners.
About the Research
The Harris Poll conducted this online survey for Signarama from July 9-12, 2026, among 2,007 U.S. adults ages 18 and older. Read the survey findings and methodology for more information about the research.