Products Showcased: Printed Fabric Banners, Vinyl Banners

Interview By: 

Ken Johnson Jr. : Assistant Athletic Director

What Was Your Experience Before Using Accent Banner:

Q: Summarize three challenges or points of frustration you faced before you started working with Accent Banner. How has Accent Banner specifically addressed those problems?

A: We were looking for a comprehensive banner and signage company to fill needs within our department from a branding perspective, but also from a practical perspective and for events (our athletics golf tournament for instance). We priced out a variety of projects (dating back a few years now) and Accent came in at a great price. We have since spent a significant amount with them and have plans for future projects as well. The customer service and willingness to go the extra mile has been big for us. It's nice to be able to make a phone call and get a quick response. It's completely different than it was working with the other vendor.

A: We had some limited signage in the gym for our golf tournament sponsors and I don't believe it had any sort of impact or visibility. It did nothing for our brand and once we changed our logos and started to embrace our brand, we needed to get away from that and fast. I think Accent has done a good job of realizing our end goal here and I think its just the beginning.

Your Experience Using Accent Banner:

Q:What was the big a-ha moment when you decided you needed to try Accent Banner?

A: Quite frankly, it was after the Accent Banner quotes on our first round of jobs came back much lower than our previous company. Our previous vendor then refused to even return our calls and as we got to know both Derrek and Jim, it became evident that we had found a reliable vendor that we could count on.

Your Results With Accent Banner:

Q: What specific problems has Accent Banner addressed that other companies of your size/type might be able to relate to?

A: In our facility, we are constantly undergoing renovations and changes to our locker room areas, hallways, etc. We have another round of locker room renovations coming up soon after a fundraising campaign and I'm sure signage will be a big part. We have had issues with adhesion of SAV's to various walls and Accent has been extremely diligent and fair in replacing those failed areas with quality products in a quick time frame. The reliability and striving for a great end product is exactly what a small athletic department like ours relies on.

A:I think our brand recognition has gone thru the roof for a variety of reasons and one is the impact that our signage from Accent has had. When you walk into Laska Gym and the Plourde Recreation Center now, you KNOW you are in an athletic department and that's a huge step for us. We are now looking at outdoor signage, both standing alone and mounted to our facilities, and I think all that will do is further increase our brand recognition.

Would You Recommend Accent Banner:

Q:What is the single biggest reason you would recommend/why you love Accent Banner?

A: Customer service and willingness to give us feedback and listen to our ideas. We are a little bit all over the place sometimes with things at our various facilities and I think Accent (Derrek in particular) knows what our end vision is and we have made big strides to get closer to it. We are looking forward increased signage at our stadium in the spring and then also the possibility of signage on the outside of our recreation center. Recommending Accent would be a no-brainer and I already have to people.