Digital Signage, Need to Know: Brand Enhancement Using LED Displays

It does not matter if your company is a multinational operation or you work alone in the backroom of a small shop, you already have a "brand" whether you like it or not. A brand is nothing more than the world’s perception of you and your business.

Some say that “perception is reality” and it is derived by those who use your products or services, travel by your storefront, hear what’s being said about you on the community “Coconut Telegraph” and know how your business behaves when the chips are down. Somehow, either by your deliberate efforts, or by lack of attention to the matter, your “brand” has already been created!   

Yes, you can still influence the world's perception of your business, of course. And, you may as well start today, right now, after reading the rest of this article.

Branding has been called your “identity” and it’s the accumulation of all that you are.  It’s the way you are defined internally and externally. If you have not worked to create and improve your brand, then you should consider some strategies which can help:    .

        1)   Identity and Definition: Who are you? Where does your business fit into the marketplace? Think of your brand as a person, or even yourself,  and define your values, appearance, dialogue and goals.    

        2)  Customer Communication: How do you speak consistently to your customers and what do you say? What can you do to influence the customer perception and improve the relationship and lock them in for longer term? How do you respect their intelligence in your message and also create excitement?

        3)  Values and Originality: Don’t be afraid to be original, and stand up for what your company believes in.  Don’t copy other brands- who wants a copy? Always consider what the company is about and what are the values that drive decisions and actions and promote that. Just putting your logo onto everything does not create a brand.

These items point to one key word- Communication. If you are in the Sign Industry then you already realize that it’s a proven fact that on-premise digital LED signs are highly effective in communicating with passersby. Studies done have  proven that digital LED signs can generate enough new business to actually pay for themselves.

But are digital LED signs really the complete answer to branding? Of course not! Branding is the sum total of how your business is perceived but a digital LED sign is a great start to establishing a strong well-known brand, or repairing the brand image you currently have in your community.  Here are 5 suggestions, or rules, of digital LED signs that must be followed for the branding  “magic" to happen and to "Wow" those who pass by your location:

        1)     Quality Content   

        2)     Consistent Messaging

        3)     Hardware Reliability

        4)     Warranty

        5)     Network Control

Quality Content- The fact that quality content is vital cannot be overstated. Professionally created custom slides and videos are mandatory to establish a credible brand. Ten years ago, it was okay to have ANY message on an LED sign as they were “new and cool” and simply owning one re-enforced your brand. That is not true today.  Unless your entire audience is the 9^th grade class at your local JFK High School, do not use content created by a student from that school, no matter how talented. Using professionally created content can make a $10,000 sign as effective as a $30,000 sign, and vice-versa.

Consistent Messaging-  Remember that customers are smart. They may not wish to think about the message you had on the LED sign last week, but part of their brain forces them to recall it when the new message is displayed. Don’t repeat the same thing over and over, but a certain consistency is important. It’s easy to spot the source of new TV commercials before it’s revealed to be Coke or  Geico. The sound is similar, the colors may be similar, the way the ad “feels” is consistent. So, as your team formulates an integrated advertising campaign remember to be consistent and build the brand.

Hardware Reliability- Not all LED signs are alike. If your LED sign fails with regularity, you probably are trying to build a brand using bricks made of marsh mellow.  Do your research before purchasing an LED sign. Use the Internet but also use the telephone- call some LED manufacturers and see which ones will speak with you. If you are perceived as that Taco Stand with the LED sign that flickers constantly and is blinding bright at night, your brand is in trouble.

Warranty- With a solid, long-duration warranty, one that is insured by a 3^rd party and is guaranteed to exist, even if the manufacturer does not, you can keep the LED sign looking “perfect”. If you have an LED sign and you have a small problem  that may cost several hundred out-off-pocket dollars to repair, are you less likely to have it repaired? It’s only a couple LED modules that are out! Can’t  you wait awhile? Sure you can wait but can your brand wait? Several thousand cars travel by your business daily and they see what you stand for- procrastination, if you delay repair. But with a great warranty it’s fixed for no charge or a token charge. Having a sign that partially works is like having a sales rep that wears torn blue jeans to call on customers. The warranty protects your brand.

Network Control- An LED sign is a tool- not a lifestyle. It should work for you, not you for the LED sign. Flexibility in changing the message is important. Do you have to do it from a computer at the office? Really? What happens if you need to change the message on the weekend?  iPad platforms exist these days, and for the on-the-go businessman of 2014, being an “office lizard” is non-revenue generating annoyance. Do research on what is available- it’s far more than a gimmick, it is a mandatory access method.

Building a brand is a long-term effort that requires everyone understanding that everything they say and do impacts the brand. Good is quickly forgotten and bad is always remembered. Be careful, go slow, and use a quality, USA manufactured, LED sign to help jump start your brand name and image.

if you are a sign company, it's not good enough to just plant an LED sign into your customer's parking lot and leave it at that. You should champion these rules and educate the customer to help them create a strong brand. 

This blog post represents my personal perspective and does not reflect the opinion of Vantage LED, Inc. or SignVine, Inc. or any other person or organization. The images for this post are mine and I retain all copyrights. Thank you to Vantage LED for allowing me to pen a guest blog every 3 weeks. If you have constructive feedback please email me at michael@signvine.org.  - Mike Prongue 

Digital Signage, Need to Know: Importing LED Signs From China, Re-visited

China sourcing is alive and well, and when properly designed, controlled and managed, products made in China can be very impressive. But,  any serious American company utilizing China as their manufacturing source will have an on-site quality engineer, or preferably an engineering and production support team because with China “you get what you inspect, not what you expect”.

Apple does not phone in a sales order to its Chinese factory for 1,000,000 new iPhones, whatever the next generation, then sit around and drink wine and play ping pong until the boat arrives. 

Let’s face it, for today, China still has a “cost of labor” advantage. But, it’s rising fast, and sometimes when you factor in shipping, communication costs, and hassle, many companies are starting to practice “on-shoring”- bringing production back to the US.  

Some companies utilize Chinese production facilities and actually “rent” time for their own proprietary production run. They may have discovered a well-engineered and manufacture sub-component and then applied strategic modifications to improve its performance. It’s not the typical “off the shelf” standard component but it may have started off as one. There are many ways for the “China Connection” to be successfully exploited and maximized.

So, it does not matter if you are a major US LED sign manufacturer, Apple, Boeing, GM or thousands of others, somehow China is in your operation’s life- for better or for worse!

My concern centers on the LED sign product designed and engineered in China, built in China, Inspected and certified in China, and shipped from China without American talent involved in the process at all. Just like when ordering from the “Mail Order Bride” catalogs of the 1800’s, what you get may not be what you expected. And it’s probably harder to ship your double-sided 4x8’ LED screen back to Shenzhen than putting that person on the stagecoach and sending her back to Chicago.

My worry falls into 5 categories and while I will not identify Chinese manufacturers, these are personal experiences and first-hand accounts from industry professionals.

NRTL certification (Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratory certification- sometimes generically called UL certification), design issues, hardware quality, control software usability, and communication are the 5 Horsemen that ride roughshod  across the backs of LED sign importers. 

So let’s start:

NRTL Certification: It’s been a big deal in the LED Sign Industry and in the last 5 years more and more Chinese Manufacturers are paying attention and becoming ETL, MET or whatever “testing lab” certified. That is generally a good thing. No one wants unsafe or poorly constructed product on the streets, it‘s foolish and dangerous to pretend that certification is unimportant.  

The claim that Chinese product shipped, does not match the specifications of the product submitted for NRTL certification was alleged by 3 separate contacts, unrelated to each other.  In other words, it was alleged that they send the Lexus to the testing lab and ship the Yugo to the US.  Simply inspect (for example) the quality of the electrical wiring insulation and the way electrical supply lines are secured. If it looks like a duck and walks like a duck, think it over.

Since most of the world does not require NRTL certification, some wonder if the Chinese effort to provide NRTL certification is to merely placate the US market rather than to improve the product.

Design Issues: Oh where to start? Let’s be simple- for years one US distributor of Chinese products had a high failure rate of the LED signs they sold- real high. Water intrusion, cabinet hinge issues, locking issues, odd mounting holes in the cabinets that had to be plugged up were just a few concerns. 

Then, during one ISA Trade Show a Chinese Marketing Director revealed the truth “In China, most LED signs are mounted within a water-resistant structure or shroud that protects them from the elements. In the US, many small LED signs are simply put on a pole without any surrounding protection- not designed for this.”

This is just one example that importers (and customers) face when assuming that an LED sign is “an LED sign”. They are not all alike, universally.

Hardware Quality:  If I had a dime for every time I found a re-manufactured LED module shipped on a new LED display… well, I’d have a big stack of dimes. Even when confronted with this assertion over and over the manufacturer claimed an “accident”. The truth is that when you push too hard for a deeply discounted price, unique ways are found to meet that demand! 

Power supplies, wiring, cabinet construction, controllers, electrical sockets, and more can fail on any manufacturer’s product. But if you believe that a well-made US LED display is not significantly more reliable than a Chinese designed, manufactured and shipped LED sign then there is some wet land in Florida you might be interested in. 

Sure, some Chinese sub-components are well designed and used on US produced LED displays. I have no argument here. But when that reasonably good product becomes part of an LED sign totally originated in China, the overall reliability is a lot less. 

It’s your hair, pull it out if you want to!

Control Software Usability:  I like Science Fiction. How many times in a movie have I seen the control panel of some captured alien spaceship? A well-meaning scientist accidently activates the control panel and suddenly it’s all aglow with strange shapes and symbols that meant something to some being from some world, but is gibberish to humans. 

Well, for me, trying to use Chinese control software is exactly the same experience. It is designed for an engineer or someone with a lot of patience and time. I am neither of those.

Communication: What do you expect? As Americans sometimes communication is difficult within our own borders- different accents, different manners, different customs, and different time zones.There are tremendous communication issues involved in a trade relationship with China- 8,000 miles, 10 hours difference on time zones (or more), language, meaning of words, and the frustrating time element required to resolve anything. And, oh... find a decision maker, I challenge you!

If you have a problem on Monday, it can literally take until Friday to get an answer that has been misunderstood and must be asked again. What you think you are saying, is not what they may be hearing. If you are impatient, check with your doctor for a prescription of tranquilizers because you will need them.

To the Chinese Manufacturer’s credit, they usually appoint a representative that is well-versed in English. That does not solve your problem. It merely gives you a shoulder to cry on and someone to share in your misery.

It’s a complex world. Just ask Boeing. They access 500 suppliers, many international, to obtain 3,000,000 parts to build their 777 Dreamliner Jet Airliner. And you thought you had problems!

Boeing had to make a lot of choices to assemble their supplier list. If every supplier is operating at 100% efficiency and without incident, it is still a monumental task to integrate the vast universe of variables together to create the end product- a safe, well engineered, state-of-the art machine.

LED signs do not, of course, require 3,000,000 parts, but smart choices still have to be made and all the facts have to be known when choosing a supplier. Quality, technology, reputation, and communication are the time-tested factors of success. 

Choose wisely, choose USA.

These comments are my personal perspective and do not reflect the opinion of Vantage LED, Inc. or SignVine, Inc. or any other person or organization. If you have constructive feedback please email me at michael@signvine.org.  - Mike Prongue

 

Digital Signage Need To Know: LED Display Evolution

There is little doubt that the modern outdoor LED display is a cost-effective advertising machine. 

With a very low cost-per-exposure for your advertising message, and 24/7/365 functioning there’s no worry about this employee updating their Facebook page instead of doing the job assigned. 

Not only cost-effective, it is also willing to do what you tell it, when you tell it, and for as long as you’d like. If you want a new slide to advertise your Easter Egg hunt at the church, type your slide description request in and soon the glitzy piece of artwork has automatically been produced by a professional designer and downloaded into the LED display's ad rotation. Not every LED display can do this function, so do your homework and determine what your business needs and where to find these professionally produced slides.

LED displays are becoming smarter and the mystery of the control software is dissolving as leading manufacturers build user-friendly platforms and interfaces. Perhaps someday, you may even go to your local Sam’s or Costco and buy a “plug and play” LED display not unlike a 60” Samsung TV. There are market forces commoditizing everything!

Ah yes, we live in a marvelous age of advanced technology being focused on outdoor signs. But it hasn’t always been that way. How and from where did today’s signs come to be?

There may have been some industrious cave dwellers scratching images into cave walls, to document and tell stories but these efforts are not generally considered to be the first signs. Most historians date the beginning of signs well past Fred Flintstone and Barney Rubble into the Greek and Roman era.

Stone and terra-cotta symbols and drawings were used since most of the world was illiterate. Perhaps these early sign builders were visionary as LED displays today seem to “say it” more in pictures than in words. Pictures capture the imagination and communicate ideas as well, if not better than, text- words. A symbol for a tavern, for example, communicated the idea to all.

Here is an example of what appears to be a tile sign, early Roman- a warning that the owner of the home had guard dogs. It is simple and effective.

Religious groups used the symbol of the cross, and tradesmen used their sign symbols to advertise their specialty.

As time marched on the use of symbol signs became law. In the late 1300’s a law was passed that any tavern selling ale “must” have a symbol sign. Meanwhile those “trade signs” became more ornate and unique and featured logos of dragons and lions as business identities were established.

With the onset of the 19^th century (1800s) the world’s advancing technology began to shape the sign industry. The invention of the printing press established the course centuries earlier but the advent of the industrial printing press, the innovations that expanded the print area and drove the printed output to thousands of pages per hour. This was a step towards the modern sign industry of today.

The excitement of the modern sign industry did not begin until the widespread use of electricity became common place. The incandescent bulb was the backbone of the new trendy signs and designers made the best use of them.

Neon signs followed the incandescent bulb era (1910- Paris Motor Show) and glass blowers and artists began to produce not only messages but works of art. But a neon sign is unchangeable and permanent. 

In the mid to late 40s, technology again changed the sign industry with the introduction of plastics which included the changeable letter signs. Flexibility and messaging was improving.

In 1962 Nick Holonvack, Jr. of GE, developed the first red LED lamp that produced light in the visible spectrum and the race towards todays LED sign industry began.

The LED displays we see today evolved from simpler designs of the 1990s.The early LED sign industry began to gain prominence and traction in large-scale sporting venues and other commercial applications. Las Vegas and Times Square became the glowing beacons for what technology could develop.

Today, as software evolves, animation, live video and other “mind-blowing” graphics have transformed both the digital billboard industry and the on-premises signs (smaller than the billboards and owned by the resident business).

The sign industry of today produces about $50 billion dollars a year in sales. Digital signs have driven much of the excitement and the sales within the sign industry and it’s only expected to get better. 

One could say… our future's so bright… we gotta wear shades! I'm sorry, I couldn't resist!

These comments are my personal perspective and do not reflect the opinion of Vantage LED, Inc. or SignVine, Inc. or any other person or organization. If you have constructive feedback please email me at                                                          michael@signvine.org.
                                               
                                                    -- Mike Prongue

    

Digital Signage Sales 101: The Tech Train is Leaving the Station

When everyone was “day trading” stocks during the hot stock market, back in the late 1990s- I was there. I eventually became a stockbroker but cut my teeth on day trading tech stocks. I was enthralled with emerging technology probably more so than actually the financial technicals of the underlying equity- DSL, communication systems, cellular system evolution and manufacturing the machines that make the machines.

As with any market there was a underground of scallywags who manipulated the penny stock market with false stories and message board posts. A common title might read “The train is ready to leave the station, all aboard!” So foolish investors would rush in to buy, and drive up the price of the penny stock. Then the scallywag sells out, makes a pocketful of loot, the stock price plummets and the late investors get burned. It happened all the time.

But regarding technology, when do you jump on that train? Note that the “technology train” never really leaves the station with you standing on the passenger platform waving goodbye. It’s track is a circle so it leaves the station to the North, just as it’s caboose enters the station to the South. You can’t really miss technology, it just depends when you want to jump on board.

Why would an LED sign end-user not buy today? Why do so many pizza joints and doctor’s offices still stand on the passenger platform in that technology train station and watch the train go by, over and over again.

I think the primary reason is that end-users (and perhaps their sign company) really still fail to see the LED sign as paying for itself with superior, cost-effective advertising, and increased sales revenues. Do you believe it?

Many of you are expecting me to toss that old Small Business Administration (SBA) study that everyone uses down onto the table and quote it verbatim. I could, because it’s correct, but I’ll do my own worse-worse case scenario on revenue generation.

Quoting only one line from that study:

“ Businesses who added an outdoor LED sign enjoyed typical sales increases of 15%-150%.”

Let’s say they only see a 10% increase in their business. Further, another SBA report says that the average sales revenue of a small business (100 employees or less) is $3,000,000. We all know that is very high because so many very small businesses are viable customers. So, let’s divide that number by 10, and say the average sales revenue is only $300,000, per annum.

Math time:

Sales increase of $300,000 x 10% is $30,000.

Assume a margin of 33%, ie- every dollar brought in, 66% is used to cover the cost of goods.

So, about $10,000 of increased income  is coming from those hot ads running on the LED sign.

If a $25,000 LED sign is financed for 4 years at 8% interest, the payment is, about $600 per month or $7,200 per year.

So if you can increase profit by $10,000 for a $7,200 expense, is that a good deal, or what? And, what if this “worst-case” scenario is too conservative?

Think about it. What happens after the 4 year financing period? The display will probably last a lot longer than that assuming the pizza joint doesn’t want to re-visit that technology train early and get a better one. Say it lasts 8 years. Years 5-8 don’t have any payment or interest charges associated with them. “Free Money” so to speak.

My guess is that the sign company either doesn’t show these facts to the pizza joint owner, or the sign company doesn’t believe it. Another possibility is that the sign company estimator is not that used to this simple scenario and could benefit from some role play on improving  his presentation. A simple “fill in the blank” worksheet could help and it’s simple to create.

Somehow you have to convince your customer that now is the time relinquish all fears and  jump on that “Technology Train”. Some manufacturer’s make it easier on the customer by providing professional content and easy-to-use, yet powerful, software.

Remember too that you can overcome customer objections but not excuses. Fear of complex technology is an objection- make it simple for them by doing your homework and finding the manufacturer that is shifting industry paradigms. Professional content and great software is not a promise of the future its out there right now.

Do your due diligence and figure it out!

These comments belong to me, Mike Prongue, and do not reflect the views, opinions, hopes or dreams of anyone else, anywhere else and this includes Vantage LED. I appreciate your constructive opinion which may be sent to me at michael@vantageled.com. 

Digital Signage Need To Know: Full Color LED Signs vs Single Color Red or Amber

-Scott Hofheins

Full color LED sign,or single color (monochrome) sign? Decisions, decisions; what is the better investment? This is an important question presented to many potential LED sign buyers that will have long term consequences. Traditionally, single color signs are less expensive and you can get a larger physical size for the same amount. Unfortunately this is where the benefits end, and the reality of the current trends in LED signage begin.

Look just above the following pictures, not directly at them:

Which one draws your attention more? For most people, it will be the color graphic. Human instinct tends to focus on the most prominent object in a given area, perhaps an ancient survival tool used long ago. The public is going to make the decision to look at your sign, based heavily on their peripheral vision.

Which advertisement looks more appetizing? Its a proven fact that colors communicate specific messages to the human subconscious. Fast food companies like McDonald's and Wendy’s have been capitalizing on this for decades.

Which message communicates love and peace more effectively? Its not just corporations that can use colors to maximize the effect of their message. Supporting graphics, and colorful text add much more meaning to the LED sign content.

Separate Yourself

In a world of static signs and manual copy boards, single color LED signs create quite an impression. However, in a world of higher resolution full color LED signs, single color signs just don’t stand out like they used to. The public is much more picky about where to divert their attention.

This is not to say that single color signs are completely out of the game, far from it. They still have some very effective applications that focus on pure data delivery and where viewers are somewhat captive. Locations like factory floors, outdoor way-finding areas, stock tickers, loading bays and security checkpoints are all great examples. However, when it comes to demanding the attention of the public, full color signs are the way to go.

You want to separate yourself from the others. Drivers have plenty to look at, why choose you? By using a color sign, and rich content, you give them the push they need to see your messages. It’s not just text anymore, they are seeing close up shots of great food, great products, or important religious symbols. Simple text advertisements are replaced with a fully branded call to action, colorful and exciting.

Investment

The cost gap between full color and single color is continuing to close. New technologies, manufacturing techniques, and the proliferation of LED signs across the globe have been extremely helpful in making these signs affordable to churches, schools, small businesses and municipal organizations everywhere.

This means that the extra investment in a full color unit is much more valuable (in most cases) than the money you would save on a single color.  If you intend to advertise anything on the sign including products, your organization, or offsite ads, you're going to want to lean toward a full color unit, especially if you are in a high visibility location.

An LED sign is a long term investment, and it’s worth a little more upfront cash to ensure a maximum return on the investment over the lifetime of the sign. I recommend you really look at the reasons you need an LED sign. Are you trying to draw attention to your location? Are you advertising products, people, events or righteous path? Is your sign have access to a large number of potential patrons or advertising partners? If the answer is yes to any of these, seriously consider a full color unit.

-SH

I hope this post has been informative and helpful. As usual, I welcome ALL constructive comments. Please feel free to comment and add anything I’ve missed, or additional tips you may have regarding this topic. Please visit www.vantageled.com for many other resources, white papers, and of course: Great looking LED Signs!

**All posts/thoughts/writings are strictly the viewpoint of me and me alone and do not reflect nor speak for Vantage LED’s beliefs, attitudes, thoughts, etc. unless specifically stated.