Montgomery Mall, North Wales, PA

When Jack Fazio came on board as general manager in 2012 the mall’s manual reader board was failing. The company that installed it had relocated to Florida, which made repairs time consuming and frustrating. He saw LED signs in the area and knew changing to something sim­ilar would meet their needs with noticeable and colorful content.

As a multi-unit retail shopping center, engaging the tenants was essential. They had recently attracted the first Wegmans Food Market to be attached to a mall. Wegmans, named a top gro­cery chain by Consumer Reports, planned to utilize some of their advertising budget to pur­chase time on an LED sign for special promotions.

Maintaining the existing footprint of the older sign was key for Fazio, as was the rebranding needed to remain consistent with the mall’s parent company, Simon Property Group. Working with Forman Signs, the new installation took up the same space as the previous signage but projected a more modern, vibrant look.

“We bid this project to three different companies,” said Fazio. “When we saw the on-site demo with Forman Signs, it was obvious that the Watchfire product was sealed better, built better and had better image quality.”

The mall’s marketing department manages sales of spots on the sign, creates content and schedules messages. The mall allows some tenants to purchase a full year of spots, but also offers affordable weekly packages. All of their packages deliver a very effective cost per thou­sand impressions when compared to other traditional media in the area.

Barry Jacobson at Forman Signs knew the mall would be happy. “There are many inexpensive, fly-by-night LED companies out there. We only use a company that has a reputable history, provides great customer service and maintains the same high quality standards we do,” said Jacobson. “In the end it’s our reputation on the line. That’s why we recommend Watchfire.”

“Our Watchfire sign is exactly what I thought it would be,” said Fazio. It looks great, works without issues and helps promote our property and its tenants.”