2.

TEXT FOR PUBLIC COMMUNICATION:

POSTER
1. Short Description
Poster is one of the communication media that is used to convey a
message or an information. The message contained in a poster should be
written briefly and clearly in order to establish communication between the
creator and readers of poster.
A banner is a typically rectangular advertisement placed on a Web site
either above, below or on the sides of the Web site's main content and is
linked to the advertiser's own Web site. In the early days of the Internet,
banners were ads with text and graphic images.

a. Definition of Poster and Banner

Picture 1:Tropical Dreams

Poster
Picture 2:Mindfulness Poster

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 Picture 3:Sale
Poster

The three pictures (Picture 1, 2, 3) are the examples of poster. Respond to the
following questions related to those examples of poster.

1. What information is included in the three posters above?

2. Do you think the posters above are interesting? Why/why not?
3. What is the difference between Picture 1, Picture 2, and Picture 3
related to the aim and information of the posters?
4. After answering the questions above, what do you think a poster is?
 2. TEXT FOR PUBLIC COMMUNICATION:
BANNER

Picture 1. Premier League Banner

Picture 2. Stand Banner

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 Picture 3. Stand banner

Picture 4. Gym Membership Banner

a. Generic Structure of Poster and Banner

This part of module will describe you about the difference structure
between poster and banner. It will show you about the structures or parts of
poster and banner. Are you ready to learn about the structure of poster and
banner? Check it out!
• Generic Structure of Poster
Posters should vary and give creativity its space. However, there are
certain basics that are very common. The following order is random and
not binding. For the design of a poster the use of rasters or guides may be
helpful. Two, three or four columns can be used. Text and images can
run over more than one column.
Below are the parts or structures of a poster.
Header area

Not all posters require a header or heading. In general, this is the area
where a logo is placed, the logo of a department for which the author is
working. There can be guidelines as regards the correct placement of a
logo; just inquire at your organization.

Title area

A title should be clearly visible (from a 5 – 10 m distance), significant,

and not too long. Due to space restrictions it is often placed next to the
logo, which may not be in accordance with your organization's
guidelines (e.g. the University of Zurich specifies that the space to the
logo's right side has to be left blank).

Author's photo and address

At poster fairs, where authors are not always standing next to their
posters, we recommend providing a photo in order to be recognized and
approached, if necessary. There should at least be an address (an e-mail
address is often sufficient). Make sure to mention all authors and their
affiliation (the latter can be put in the footer area).

Main area
The main area can be structured and sub-divided, e.g. by using several
columns or an image across all columns, etc. In this area, you present
the poster's main statement.

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 Footer area

Header and footer can be seen as a kind of framework tying it all

together. However, the footer is not just a graphic element; this is where
you can indicate references and contact details as well. This is also the
only area where the font size doesn't necessarily have to be read from a
distance of 1 - 1.5 m.

Background
Often there are posters highlighted not only with colors but also with a
structure or an image. This background should be appropriate as regards
the poster's topic and not be distracting at all. If in doubt, it is always
best to choose an unstructured background color.

Fonts
In a poster you can use serif as well as sans serif fonts. For longer texts
sans serif fonts should be avoided, but since you should not use longer
text blocks in a poster both types can be used. Avoid decorative fonts
since they are not so legible. Use boldface for emphasis, avoid
underscores or italics for a poster.
If you use justification for text blocks, make sure that hyphenation is
on. In order to avoid too large spaces between words better use ragged
alignment. Lines typically do not contain more than 70-90 characters.
Texts with longer lines should have bigger line spacing to render them
more legible. Typical line spaces are 20-30% bigger than the font (i.e.
for a 40 pt font you should use 48-52 pt line spacing).
• Generic Structure of Banner
When you want to create a banner, you must consider some
components below as the structure of banner.
Logo

The company’s color scheme and guidelines should be referenced and

apparent in the design of banner. It should link to a landing page about
the offer or information on the banner, so make sure it looks consistent
to avoid any confusion or anxiety. Remember your logo must be
included to build readers’ awareness and recognition. Make sure that
it’s visually dominant, but not as dominant as the value proposition and
the call to action. Also consider including your tagline or other
memorable/recognizable program or product.

Note: Without a logo, there is no way of knowing who the advertiser

is and if they are trustworthy.

Value Proposition

The value proposition should be the most prominent element on the

banner. It should take up the most space and be the first thing that
attracts the viewers’ eyes. Use this space to showcase the benefits of
your service/product, grab the visitor’s attention and instill a sense of
urgency and desire. This is a great place to showcase special thing of
your event or program such as offers and prices, i.e. ‘High Quality,’
‘50% off,’ ‘Limited time offer,’ or ‘Free!’.

Note: The value proposition is big, bold, and commands attention

above all else.

Body Copy

The goal of display is to get the visitor’s attention, pique their interest,
and earn their click. You don’t need to, and should NOT, put every bit
of information on the banner itself. Include just enough information to
get the readers interest and leave them wanting more. It may take some
creative, original verbiage to convey all you need to in about 10 words.
But remember a simple banner will have higher click through rates, so
if the banner takes more than two seconds to read, there is too much
text.

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 Note: A banner should provide a clear, concise description of the
product or event, giving just enough information to want to
learn more.

Image

Choose relevant images, graphics, or photos that enhance the message

contained in the banner and that are directly related to your product.
Avoid abstract concepts that require too much time and thought to
decipher. Images should help bring a sense of visual urgency to the text
by using contrasting, bold colors or a sense of clarity to a non- tangible
service. However, it is not always necessary to use photos or images in
your banners. Text of banner with nice typography on a contrasting
background can be just as effective. Use imagery well, but only when
you need it.

Call to Action (CTA)

One of the most critical elements of a banner is the call to action or ‘the
ask’, and not including a CTA will assuredly decrease click through
rate. The call to action is text or a button that asks the user to ‘interact’
with the banner ad, whether it’s implied or direct. This could be as
simple as adding a ‘Get the Guide,’ ‘Test it Out,’ ‘Watch Now,’ or ‘Join
the Fun’ button encouraging the reader to click through to your landing
page. Be as clear and specific as possible with your CTA text. You must
ensure visitors know what they’re getting in exchange for the click.
Note: With no call to action, you don’t know what you’re really
supposed to do here.
Now then identify the parts of banner as you studied before in the
following samples of banner.
b. Social / Language Function of Poster and Banner
After you learnt the materials about poster and banner above, this part
will show you about the social or language function of poster and banner.
• Functions of Poster

There are many functions or purposes of poster. It is usually used:

to alert and engage the viewer
to challenge and call an audience into action.
to promote an event

Since posters can be stationary as well as portable, they can be used:

At your place of business, to welcome customers and create that

all-important symmetry.
In public places that draw regular, steady crowds, such as stores,
shopping malls, elevators, coffee shops, train stations, community
centers and bus stops. Keep in mind that you probably will have to
seek permission, or pay a fee, to hang a poster at these places.
At trade shows and conventions, where some large and
unconventionally sized posters could be exactly what you need to
stand out in a crowd.
At other businesses with whom you have created strategic
alliances. These businesses may ask you to return the favor and
post some of their marketing pieces. But if you've created a solid
alliance, the crossover appeal should be evident.
As perks to vendors and suppliers.
As customer prizes at the end of a contest or competition.

• Function of Banner
A banner is a flag that signals something. They are connected by a pole
such as signal flags on a ship which gives conditions or status of the ship.
Some banners are used to advertising or naming of college or

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 universities. Some banners are also used as a media to promote a product,
event, or service. Basically is an announcement so that everyone can see.

c. Language Features of Poster and Banner

In this section, you learn about the language features of poster and
banner. Let’s check them out!

• Language Features of Poster

To create effective poster, you must consider the language features of
poster below.
Short Text Elements
It is suggested to keep text elements to 50 words or even fewer (depends
on the size of poster). Do not write too long, you can make it shorter by
using some pictures or images, or even graphs.
Phrases and Active voice
Use phrases rather than full sentences. Try to always use active voice.
In most English sentences with an action verb, the subject performs
the action denoted by the verb.

These examples show that the subject is doing the verb's action
 Serif font for text and san-serif font for title and Heading
(Optional)
A serif is a decorative line or taper added to the beginning and/or end
of a letter’s stem, which creates small horizontal and vertical planes
within a word. So, in a nutshell, serif fonts have those decorative lines
or tapers (also commonly referred to as “tails” or “feet”) while sans serif
fonts don’t—hence the “sanes” in their title. Without tails, sans- serif
fonts are made up of simple, clean lines that are the same width
throughout. Some of the most commonly used serif fonts include Times
New Roman, Garamond, Baskerville, Georgia, and Courier New. Some
of the most popular sans serif fonts on the black include Arial,
Helvetica, Proxima Nova, Futura, and Calibri.
You can see the difference between serif and san-serif font in the picture
below.

• Language Features of Banner

When you want to create a banner, you must consider the language
features of banner. Have you known its feature before? If not, this
following explanation will help you to comprehend the features of banner.
Use Simple Present Tense

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 Sometimes the present simple tense doesn’t seem very simple. Here we
will sort it all out for you!

We use the present simple tense to express the following ideas:

1. To state facts or general truths

2. To express habits or customs
3. To relate future plans (often regarding programs and timetables)
4. To tell jokes and stories or to report sporting events in real time.

Examples of the Present Simple

1. The sun sets in the west.

2. We produce lasers for cosmetic surgery.
3. They move into their new home next week.
4. So, I go to Mr. D and say “I deserve a better mark in this class”.
5. Jones stops in mid-court and passes the ball to Schuster.

Forming the Present Simple

Subject verb rest of sentence

I / You / We /
sleep late on Saturdays
They

to the beach every

He / She / It goes
weekend

Use simple phrases or statement

The use of simple phrases or statement here is as the slogan that reflects
the program or event showed in the banner. This is usually written in
large font in order to grab the readers’ attention. The
 phrases can be in the form of important information about the event or
program. This sample may visualize you about the phrases in the
banner.

Before dealing with creating a poster and banner, you should think about what
a good poster and banner should look like. Additionally, you should check
which software and visual material (photos, graphs etc.) can be used. Before
you start creating your poster, make sure that you know its main message, why
it is important, what is new about it and how you are going to support this
message.

Like a cook, prepare everything you need before you start writing and drawing.

▪ A good poster and banner presents reduced information while getting to

the point of what the audience should remember.
▪ It is appealing to the eye while inviting to read.
▪ What is most important can be spotted right away.
▪ It invites to ask questions while sparking a debate.
A good poster and banner should say:

▪ Look at me!

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 In order to be read at all, a poster has to attract the observer's attention,
just like an advertisement. One second must be enough to get the viewer's
attention, fifteen seconds to understand the main message.

Its title should be readable from a distance of 5 m while presenting the

shortest summary as possible, in other words, its «take-home message».
This title should be special, to the point, and significant in order to attract
attention. It is not always easy to find a good title. The following steps
can be of help:

Make a summary of the poster's content using only five sentences,

for banner it usually has a statement as the slogan of company or
program
Condense these sentences into one sentence
Select keywords and key terms
Then finally combine these words to form your title

▪ Read me!
There should only be a text as necessary on a poster and banner, what
needs to be known but not what would be nice to know. Reading running
text is generally more time consuming than listings; it is therefore
advisable to make only little use of running texts.
Images (photos, graphs, tables, etc.) should be self-explanatory and
contain titles as well as references. Background images are an exception
since their purpose is only illustrator.
▪ Ask me!
Ideally, a poster delivers food for thought and sparks a debate. This can
be achieved by surprises or uncommon comparisons; however, it is
important to stick to the facts. Question marks, used literally or
figuratively, can also stimulate a discussion.

Reference

Saefurrohman. 2019. English for Public Information. Banyumas: Kemendikbud.

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