Article - Branded Gazebos for South Africans
25 Mar 2021
Exposing Branded Gazebos to South Africans
The truly fortunate ones amongst those of us who make up the sunny South African population, may be lucky enough to have been presented with a really great gift – a gazebo – by a corporate entity. In such an instance, the gazebo would invariably be boldly branded with the donor’s corporate logo, because the gift has corporate significance.
Gazebo Retailers
Sadly, most members of the South African public will have to visit a large retailer’s outdoor section or a garden centre that stocks unadorned gazebos to buy and pay for their own, with which to enhance the comfort of gardens and outdoor areas at home.
Gazebos provide shade and a degree of shelter wherever this innovative, spacious alternative to an outdoor umbrella is erected. Umbrellas nevertheless retain an important place in the outdoor leisure and branded exposure product markets.
A store-bought gazebo is normally plain, unadorned, and it’s usually offered complete, in a limited range of colours and fabrics, with or without side walls or curtains, which may be drawn for protection from the elements. It is nevertheless very visible, obvious and functional – such is the nature of the gazebo, ever since the first of its kind was invented and erected.
Options of All Types
Gazebos may be solidly constructed, fixed outdoor structures, or nowadays, collapsible, mobile items, which are erected easily and quickly by assembling a series of metal or aluminium interlocking poles that support the product’s canopy and optional side walls, usually ranging from one to three in number, while the addition of a fourth wall, though unusual, is possible.
A single panel or wall would typically form a closed back on the unit, to which one or both actual sides may be added. A fourth, front panel or wall would only really be used to indicate that the gazebo is “closed”, and its occupants are unavailable – no “business as usual” from within or custom from without, for the time being.
Origins
In approximately the mid-1700s, “gazebo” entered the English lexicon, subsequently becoming popular as roofed, open-sided structures, built on a high or vantage point in a scenic garden or outdoor setting that offered a pleasant, soothing view. It is suspected that the word was made up of “gaze” – “to look upon”, and “ebo”, the Latin suffix that indicates “I shall”, so the gazebo becomes the spot from which I shall gaze.
During ancient times, Egypt, the Roman Empire, Greece and various Middle Eastern and Asian countries made use of gazebo-like structures featured in gardens and near, around or inside temples and spiritual centres, also signalling affluence and the superior status of property owners and governments. However, discussions and speculations about the probable and highly likely ancient origins of these items are lengthy, and thus left for another occasion.
Exposing and Expanding
XCO Group has evolved and grown into one of South Africa’s major brand-building, brand design, brand customisation, brand expansion and brand exposure groups of companies. Additionally, XCO launched an online ordering and brand management tool – ETAIL – in 2011, as well as the XCO Group’s unique, highly innovative and user-friendly Brand in a Box solutions.
The founding of our own in-house XCO embroidery and screen printing studio, which takes care of our customers’ corporate identity requirements, took place in 1994, since then omitting the need to involve subcontractors whose mistakes and oversights are beyond our direct on-site, stringent quality control measures.
Gazebos are part of the XCO Group’s Exposure range, because when branded, your XCO product exposes your company, its presence, significance and your corporate identity widely, very visibly and functionally – wherever it may be, outdoors and indoors, at an expo, an event or other location or occasion, where/when you wish to attract attention, queries and potential custom.
Numerous options in our now expanded XCO range are on offer:
· A variety of sizes and dimensions
· Expert in-house brand design and application services
· A comprehensive collection of hardware, carry bags, kiosks and accessories
· Skin only canopies, full or half walls are available as replacement parts, additions and options
· A combination of 3 half wall skins, plus 2 full wall skin
· Frame only or frame with integrated shelf
· Larger units – 6m x 3m – now also available, allowing a bigger, bolder, more exposed and visible logo to be displayed
At XCO Group, your choice of branded gazebo and allied products is extensive, as are the options and combinations, which are sure to delight the most discerning brand owners.