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Hotels (Taiga Suzuki)
Strategies for appealing
In The Visual Effect of Signboards on the Vitality of the Streetscapes Using Eye-Tracking, the authors Kim & Park states the following:
Signboards (outdoor advertisements) traditionally provide information about stores and help consumers make decisions on purchasing goods when consumers tour cities or engage in consumer activities.
Through the observation of a number of hotels in Kabuki-cho, we came to a conclusion that what is written on the signboards is not the only important aspect in attaining customers. That is to say, it is essential to look into how the message is conveyed and with what kind of object is being used. This page will discuss seven examples of the ways that hotels in Kabuki-cho present their “signboards”.
Unique Building Exteriors
Building exteriors might be the most apparent distinction among the types of hotels; hotel, business hotel, city hotel, etc. Although there are no clear boundaries among them, lobe hotels are relatively easily found with their uniqueness. The hotel Malta, for example, has tilted words, corrupted pillar designs, peeled-off walls with bricks designs, and mechanical designs being exposed. “Unorganized" and "corrupt" seems to be the two words that accurately describe the exterior of this hotel. The concept of Hotel Malta is most likely to be cryptic; giving a mysterious and intimidating impression to the viewers.
Hotel PAL, a signboard that has both Japanese and English text
Hotel Bali An, a standing signboard that has no 敬語
Use of Neon Lights
Name signs: One of the major characteristics of some of the hotels in Kabuki-cho is that they have large name signs with neon lights.
Illumination: Some hotels have not only the neon signs but also some illuminations as the picture on the right. (see figure)
Both types of neon lights clearly draw attention to pedestrians or make it easier for guests to find one. In addition, Lin (2001) states that hotels protect privacy “by using dark lobbies”. Perhaps the flashy lights from the neon signs and illuminating make the entrance look darker to some extent so that the guest feel a sense of “protecting privacy”.
Billboards
In Kabuki-cho, we see a number of billboards that seems unnecessarily large for the amount of information that is written. Having observed people pointing at this kind of billboard, it can be assumed that they were built to make it easier for people to find the hotel or read what is written on them. Moreover, since there is no necessity of getting closer and taking a close look in front of the hotel, the large billboards play a role in protecting people’s privacy in a sense.
On the other hand, there are some billboards that do not have much information compared to the above one. For example, the hotel Bali An has a huge billboard that is about the size of the building but it says a very simple message.
In Use and Effectiveness of Billboards: Perspectives from Selective-Perception Theory and Retail-Gravity Models, the author Charles R Taylor states the following:
A survey reveals four primary reasons why businesses use billboard advertising: visibility, media efficiency, local presence, and tangible response.
This indicates that this hotel might be utilizing the billboard just to enhance a sense of presence in such an intense hotel market.
Standing Signboards
In front of some hotels in Kabuki-cho, you will see standing signboards like the figures on the right. On the signboards, they use words like “今だけ！”, “Special Price”, and “無料” which attracts people walking by with the effect of prospective theory (loss aversion).
Posters on the Wall
While many of the signboards that we see at hotels are made of solid materials, there are some hotels that use posters instead. Usually, they are placed at a height at which people walking by can easily find them. These signboards use words like “対策実施中”(says implementing measures for Covid-19)and “期間限定”. Unlike solid signboards that are hardly replaced, it seems that these kinds of posters can be easily replaced.
Wall at the Entrances
This signboard was actually a wall of the entrance of a hotel. On the wall it says “Welcome, Such an enjoyable place, You can spend wonderful time, Please enjoy your time”. The purpose of this signboard seems to be just to pull customers into the world of the resort and make them relax as it was seen at a step inside of the building. Unlike signboards that are put outside to attract people walking by, this might be placed mainly for people already going inside.
Screen showing Slideshows
Among a number of types of signboards that can be seen at hotels, a kind that is often seen at newly looking hotels is a digital signboard. The screens show any kinds of content including the hotel’s name, room pictures, price, etc., with captions saying fancy words as you can see above. According to Jeong and Kim (2021), a digital signboard “was able to significantly increase the time the observer stayed with the advertisement while walking by it.” The hotel Stellate might have perhaps intended to increase the time pedestrians see the advertisement.
Describe your image
Describe your image
Describe your image
Describe your image