A teacher once told him signage was a dying industry. Five years and a team of five later, Toby Marsh is proving her very wrong.
In this Marketing 4 Business episode, Scott chats with Toby Marsh, owner of Universal Sign Co, about why signage might be the most undervalued marketing tool in business.
From a design teacher who wrote off the entire trade to building a word-of mouth business on consultation rather than catalogues, Toby shares what over 10 years and 1,000+ jobs have taught him about branding, budgets and standing out.
Toby shares insights and lessons you can put to work straight away, including:
- Why his old design teacher calling signage “a dying industry” put fuel on the fire instead of putting him off
- The “concept to completion” model that lets Toby control quality without middlemen cutting corners
- Why AI-generated branding often looks cheap, and what gets lost when you skip the professional advice
- The “be big, be bold, be memorable” rule that should drive every vehicle wrap, sign and building façade
- Why Toby turned down paid search for years and grew purely on word of mouth and referrals, until that stopped being enough
- The real cost of good signage, broken down to cents per day rather than a scary upfront number
- A full-circle project: designing the entrance signage for the primary school both Toby and his mother once attended
- The hiring rule that shaped his whole team: your first hire should be your most valuable one
If you’re a business owner wondering whether your signage is pulling its weight, or want to build a brand people actually remember, this episode is well worth your time.
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