Vantage LED: 2013

Wednesday, December 18, 2013

A year (plus) of Digital Signage information!

-Deacon Wardlow

It's that time of year again. The days, weeks, and months have FLOWN by and we're all in the countdown scramble to finish, close, and clean things up before the year's end. We hope the blog articles have been informative and helpful for you all and we're thankful for your readership, feedback, support, and encouragement. This makes article #151 (not bad, 151 articles written since this blog was started in April 2012).

We hope you all have safe and wonderful (very likely hard-earned) time away from work coming up over the holidays. We'll be picking up the articles again from January 8th. So much has been written and said over the last year and a half, it's worth a breakdown. If you find yourself with a moment (or a client in need of some answers), check out the information below (broken up, as best I could, into categories for easier information sourcing). Click on any title to go to the article. You can also search (in the search bar above) by a specific topic, author, or subject you're looking for. If you're a Vantage LED partner (or want to be one) definitely go to our site www.vantageled.com and checkout Vantage University. We've got some great courses (videos, presentations, resources, and tools) coming out in the year ahead and plenty in there for immediate use.

Happy Holidays (whatever you're celebrating) and have a safe and happy new year. See you in 2014!

-The "geek speak specialists" at Vantage LED blogspot.

Digital Signage Sign Tech & Spec:

Digital Signage Content:

Digital Signage Sales 101:

Why LED Signage?:

Costs for Digital Signage:

How much can an LED Sign Cost?
Short term gain, long term costs (cost of a "cheap" LED Sign)
"Value Line" vs. Single Level of quality (i.e. why there aren't iPhone or Droid "lite" versions)
Is an LED Sign (or any Digital Signage) an investment or a purchase?
Selling the value of a Digital Signage Solution (LED Sign, LCD, or other)

Digital Signage 'How To':

Digital Signage 'Need To Know':

Please comment here or send questions or requests for information to deacon@vantageled.com. Vantage LED has white paper resources and more educational material on the website (http://www.vantageled.com), please check it out when you have a moment. Note 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 noted.attitudes, thoughts, etc. unless specifically noted.

Wednesday, December 11, 2013

Digital Signage Need To Know: The New Expectations for LED Sign Content

-Scott Hofheins

You guessed it; another post on content. I know we hammer on this pretty hard (content), but it is for good reason. We see too many people using LED signs ineffectively, and we truly want to change that. Let me preface this by clarifying that I am talking about outdoor LED signs, viewed by moving vehicles. Specialized LED signs like indoor wayfinding screens, or stock tickers have their own unique approaches to content.

Today, I’m going to talk about what an LED sign IS, is NOT, and what it CAN be. But first, let’s begin with what an LED sign WAS. The first outdoor LED signs were an evolution of incandescent reader boards that used a matrix of lights to create messages like Time and Temperature, or scrolling stocks. Using smaller, more efficient lights like LED’s were a natural evolutionary step. Their operation is reflected by some of the terms carried over from that era like, Moving Message Center, Scrolling Marquee and Electronic Message Board. Seeing text move across a message center, away from Las Vegas, was a unique experience for viewers who were used to static signs or manual letter boards. If the business could afford a full color unit, it was even better. Text was king, and simple stick figure animations were top of the line.

Cut to 2013/2014. The power of our technology has increased exponentially since the 80’s, 90’s and early 00’s. We hold smart phones in our hand that we watch HD movies on, take calls, level and hang a picture, and play games with flying birds. We get news, media, and updates on our friends in rich full color content. Static signs, neon, and letter boards aren’t even a blip on the radar compared to what viewers expect to see these days. They want their information Fast, Relevant, and Beautiful.

An LED Sign is: An outdoor advertising tool able to demand your viewers attention through colorful, fresh content.

It is NOT: A outdoor wrist watch with a date feature, or a massive temperature notification device.

This used to get peoples attention, but not anymore. Use conditional messaging instead if your software offers it. That way, your temperature message will only play when people want to see it, if it’s extremely cold, or extremely hot.

An LED Sign is: A place to provide relevant, colorful communication that is direct and to the point

It is NOT: A bulletin board with as many listings of events as possible on one screen.

Drivers have so many other things to focus on, including other LED signs. You must make sure your message is simple, quick, but still colorful and memorable.

An LED Sign is: A dynamic call to action, with regular content updates and real time information.

It is NOT: A Ronco “Set it and Forget It” rotisserie grill.

The content must be fresh and updated to speak directly to your target viewership. Display your message, then tell them what to do next.

An LED sign is: An outdoor display, meant to be viewed from a distance by moving vehicles or cars.

It is NOT: An HD television.

Content for an LED sign must be formatted for the sign size. LED signs may contain thousands of pixels (64x128), but an HD television contains millions (1920x1080). Thats a pretty big difference and it MUST be accounted for to produce readable content.

I believe this last comparison is one of the most important. You cannot scan a business card or event poster and put it on a typical LED sign. It will NOT look good. It would be like taping your business card to a wall 6 ft away, and trying to read it while driving past. .

So what CAN your LED sign be? Content plays a significant role in this. Just “getting the information out there” isn’t enough anymore.

Demand Attention

I don’t mean sign twirling, flashing, or crazy messages. Viewers are smarter than that and those approaches will give you negative attention. I’m talking about demanding attention by classy, professional content. It’s more than just formatting the resolution of an image or typing the right text , you have to format the layout, text size, contrast, colors and shape.

Readable

“Come on in and see our beautiful new bedroom and living room sets, on sale now until new years day” might be just fine for a print ad, but it’s effectiveness drops considerably on an LED sign, even though it may technically fit on the screen. Your message has to be to the point and readable. Put yourself in the viewers shoes, are they really going to need all that text to get the message? The answer is usually no. Simplify your messages, and make them readable. Grab their attention with “Big Sale!” then follow up with details “ New Bedroom & Living Room Sets” then close with “Sale Ends New Years Day!”.

Relevant

Keep it updated! Talk to your audience directly throughout the day. Schedule specific messages for groups like commuters, lunch goers, families, and tourists. Know your audience, and talk directly to them.

Beautiful

As I mentioned before, viewers demand much more out of their content these days. The content has to look good. Details matter, and will be noticed by viewers sometimes consciously, but often subconsciously. This will determine in the few seconds they have whether they want to pay attention to your sign, or not.

If you don’t have the time to focus on managing your content, then do not be afraid to have someone do it for you. Use a content creation service, or contract a designer who specializes in LED sign content. It will be well worth it.

I challenge you to take a new look at your LED sign, and see what it CAN be. Even older LED signs can be improved by quality content and management. Talk to your sign company, search on google, see what you can find out there to help you utilize the full potential of your LED display.

-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.

Wednesday, December 4, 2013

Digital Signage Need to Know: Boiling Down the 7 Key Elements of Digital Signage

There are a million lists that define "Must Haves", "Absolute Requirements", "Sage Industry Advice" and "Never Dispute These Points" in our LED sign world today. Promises are made and assurances are given and specifications are sworn to and sealed with a few drops of the CEO's blood before the project is shipped.

So many claims, so little time. How does a Sign Company wade through all the hyperbole and overstatements and make the correct choice when selecting an LED display manufacturer?

It's hard to trust anyone or their claims made . Even Holiday Season claims are in doubt 'He's making a list, checking it twice, going to find out who's naughty or nice!" How did he do this? A phone tap or CCTV installed in a kid's room? No, more than likely just a way to try and control the behavior of an unruly child for 364 days per year.

But, borrowing from the spooky 1990's, American TV show the X-Files- "The truth is out there!"

In the LED Sign Industry, the holy grail of reasonableness regarding LED sign selection is called "The 7 Key Elements of Digital Signage". This list is embraced by the Digital Signage Federation and the list makes a lot of obvious sense:

1. Hardware
2. Software
3. Connectivity
4. Content
5. Operations
6. Design
7. Business

During a recent MSSA (Mid-South Sign Association) seminar mentored by Brian Gorg, Director of the Digital Sign Federation, he suggested focusing on just 2 of these elements rather than all 7. The assumption is made that top manufacturers all execute at a high level with respect to hardware having had many years to refine their product. What then to focus on?

Brian suggested that Software and Content were perhaps the top 2 of the 7 Key Elements. Adding to these 2 elements he further suggested that "Partnering" was an additional component to consider. The following is my review of these elements:

Software: Cloudware, Cloud-based software is the future. No need to store, edit, constantly update software and waste time with antiquated systems. What about simplicity? Plug and play is not quite a reality yet, but it's a lot closer than just a couple years ago. Speed? Reliability? Yes, and more yes!

There are superior choices available in the marketplace- do your research but state-of-the-art software is now a reality.

Content: Many end-users buy an expensive LED sign and then run poorly produced content. In the early days, when LED signs first hit the streets, their uniqueness and rarity brought a lot of attention to any business running any message. Even a gray-scale (monochrome) LED display used to attract a lot of attention even without animation or graphics. This is not so true today. Great content is must to deliver on the economic promise of the LED sign. What manufacturer provides content as part of standard offering?

Much debate also exists as to "great" content. If you are an end-user, skilled in making world-classs pizzas, and your 9-year old gifted son, a master of Photoshop provides you with and example of "great" content, it may or may not be all "that great"! Professionally produced content, using USA designers and digital artists, is the way to produce consistent and high impact content!

Partnering: Trust is the key word. Is your manufacturer committed to making your Sign Company an outrageous success by doing end-user demos and not selling their LED sign directly to your customer and "allowing" you to install it? What about listening to your issues, responding quickly to changing business conditions and having engineering talent available to support you?

The 7 Key Elements of the Digital Sign Industry are comprehensive and are a good source of reference. The assumption that only 2 (or so) of the Key Elements are vital is based on the assumption (again) that you are working with a top supplier. First you have to identify and select a top supplier. If you are still importing or trying to find some miracle LED sign product that gives you world-class quality at a deeply discounted price then then you need to study all 7 Key Elements and perhaps another dozen or so before buying anything. There is a difference in suppliers.

The truth is still out there and is easy to find. The "Googler" awaits! But don't stop there. Call manufacturers and speak to real people. Ask to speak to and engineer and find someone to verify and validate how they support the 7 Key Elements.

Execute due diligence or discover the phrase "Caveat Emptor", let the buyer beware, the hard way.

Check 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.

Wednesday, November 27, 2013

Digital Signage Sales 101: Without a defined desire, there is no sale.

-Deacon Wardlow

Thanksgiving is upon us in the USA. A time to come together and look back at the year on what we have to be thankful for. Vantage LED has had a great year thanks to our partners, dealers, and team. We're thankful to be a part of your organization and for the opportunity to help however possible with your business' success and growth. How do we spread the message more effectively and how can we help organizations receive the benefit of a great Digital Signage solution?

In the children's book series, Doctor Dolittle encounters a "gazelle unicorn cross" with two heads (one of each end of its body). The Pushmi-pullyu (push me - pull you) is at odds with itself and requires either a push or a pull to go in a given direction. We're all "Pushmi-pullyus" to some extent. People often want to achieve something but need a little push or a pull to get it. The trick is figuring out when to push and when to pull.

Creating pull means creating desire. Creating desire requires not only knowing what people want, but how they decide what they want and working with that decision to get to a "yes." The great thing about Digital Signage (DS) is it immensely helps organizations with communication, outreach, brand recognition and awareness, all in a direct and efficient manner. Most people desire a DS solution for their organization, but see a lot of difficulties in overcoming the hurdles to getting one in place. Once the pull has been identified and outlined (what is the desire? how can the proposed DS solution help the organization achieve a return on their investment and/or objective), it's time for a push.

The push doesn't have to be a big one (after all, the client wants to get there and just needs a little assistance). The push can be as simple as outlining financing and leasing options (to show how the system can be more affordable over the long run as opposed to a lot of money up-front), perhaps giving incentives to get things moving (including custom content at the start so the system shines from day 1), and other times a little hand-holding and additional information so the decision makers the client will go back to get the full message of how the system will benefit their organization.

A DS solution is more than just another sale to chalk up and add to the books. Ideally, a great solution is something that is going to help the client's organization be even better than before. You're helping that organization get their message out to more people in a more direct manner. You're giving the organization a tool which can help grow their business or group and make it stronger and more tied-in to the community they're a part of. There's still a hill to climb to achieve a better economy, but we (the LED Sign and LCD system integrators, sales people, technicians, and developers) are finding new approaches for organizations to take and new ways to help them grow. Find the right pull by defining the desire and the right push will lead to a thankful client.

Wednesday, November 20, 2013

Why LED Signs: Use Outdoor Digital Signage to Give Thanks, Spread the Holiday Cheer, and Grow Your Organization.

-Scott Hofheins

The holidays are coming! Retailers, charity organizations, churches and small business owners look forward to this season for different reasons, but with one common goal: communicate to the public. The message can be the need for donations, Sunday services, or charity events. It can also be advertising your holiday specials, black Friday sales and Christmas gifts. LED sign owners are resting easy knowing that these targeted messages are playing 24/7 to help spread their cause, grow the organization, and/or increase sales.

LED signs have revolutionized the way we advertise to the public, and have made it even easier to focus your message in relation to specific times and seasons. A static sign lets everyone know you exist at that location. A changeable copy board will give you limited control of your message. But an LED sign gives you 365 days per year of customized messages and targeted advertising 24 hours a day. I posted about this last year, and included some tips on pre-planning your messages. This year, I would like to focus on why you should consider an LED sign for your organization in general.

Powerful and Easy

LED signs do not require manual letters to be changed outside in the weather. You can program the schedule from the comfort of your home (if your software is cloud based) or office. This means a boost in the quantity AND quality of the messages you put on the sign.

Targeted

Your messages can be targeted to a range of groups and demographics, depending on a host of variables like the time of day, day of the week, holidays, and current events. Messages can be tailored for these groups in ways that would be much to difficult with traditional signage.

Instant

Messages can be changed instantly to suit your needs. When local or national events occur it takes just minutes for you to customize your messages to match. Charities can advertise immediately for local disaster relief, businesses can use media trends to highlight their own content.

Full Color - High Res

LED signs are now able to communicate your message in full color and at a much higher resolution than ever before. The LED’s are brighter, last longer, and manufacturers are increasing their warranties to match. Full color motion and graphics have replaced the old pixelated one color signs of the past and owners can display their existing branding to the LED sign with little effort.

The Return

LED signs have rightly become an investment, not just a business expense, with a return that typically pays for the sign very quickly. Many organizations are now investing a significant portion of their yearly advertising budget to invest in a sign that will provide advertising benefits for 5+ years. Unless they've purchased a sub-par product, it is extremely rare to see an organization that does not get a full return on the investment.

Growth

Your LED sign will make you stand out and help the public recognize your organization from the rest. As more traffic passes your sign and more people see your messages they will respond and remember you. This will help grow your business, expand your congregation, or increase donations and awareness for your cause.

If you don’t have an LED sign yet, I encourage you to consider the benefits I've mentioned here and that are exemplified so well during this holiday season. For those that already own LED signs, don’t forget to use it! Remember to keep it updated and relevant to the season. Use this time to expand your message to a wider audience by tailoring the content to align with the public’s thoughts. Family, Food, Good Will, Happiness, Giving and Receiving and Thankfulness.

-SH

**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.

Wednesday, November 13, 2013

Digital Signage Need to Know: Isn't "The Cloud" the Same as Wireless Connectivity?

Isn't "The Cloud" the same as "Wireless" connectivity?

Let's lay this interesting misconception out and discuss how the two concepts are related (or not). A definition fresh from the Mirriam-Webster dictionary, of the World Wide Web opens the topic:

Definition of WORLD WIDE WEB-

: a part of the Internet accessed through a graphical user interface and containing documents often connected by hyperlinks, also called the Web

And the definition of INTERNET-

: an electronic communications network that connects computer networks and organizational computer facilities around the world

The Web is a part of the Internet. There are other parts of the Internet and the most well known are:

FTP and Gopher Sites

Communication Programs

Newsgroups

Chat Rooms

Social Networking

Definition of THE CLOUD-

: anything that involves delivering hosted services over the Internet

So, The Cloud, as it were, is really a process, or a service.

Think of it in terms of the early days of personal computing (which extended up until a few years ago). You are a wheat farmer in Kansas and you use a service that predicts the weather, estimates the cost of the wheat at market, provides technical assistance and allows you to talk to other wheat farmers on-line. You pay $50 per month for this service and they send your CDs out whenever they update the software- let's call this service Wheat-Max.

The nice people at Wheat-Max just upgraded their software so the introduction screen is prettier and the cost per bushel estimator for International shipments is running real time. They sent out the new update to your farm last week and your wife dropped the CD on your desk this afternoon.

Now, you have your desktop fired up and insert the upgrade disc into the DVD/CD reader on your computer hoping everything runs smoothly from a technical perspective, while keeping an eye on that approaching thunderstorm (would hate to lose power 1/2 way through the upgrade) and not wanting to miss your dinner. Twenty minutes later an error code is displayed to your screen that says "insufficient RAM: process aborted".

Hasn't this happened to you? Well maybe not the Wheat-Max upgrade, but my point is why do we manage our software this way? Why didn't Wheat-Max just upgrade their software on-line, then after dinner you could sign on and just use the software?

The same concept holds true for LED sign software. How many LED sign companies open up their newly arrived LED sign project, remove the LED cabinets, set it up in their shop and look for the CD to make it all work! Whoopsie- they did not ship the CDs with the LED display!

Let's not play that game. Let the LED manufacturer do the work. You, the LED sign company, have enough to worry about finding new customers and sealing the deal. You don't need the headaches of trying to run a data processing center too.

So, the Internet is the network of computers, the World Wide Web is part of the Internet, and The Cloud is just a cool name for accessing and using the software on some other company's computer so you don't have to have your dinner missed updating the program with yet another revision.

But the question was: Isn't "The Cloud" the Same as Wireless Connectivity? Clearly it is not the same. Wireless connectivity allows a user to communicate to an LED display (for example) remotely but the controlling software may be on their PC. With Cloud control the software is resident on the computer of the LED manufacturer. To make it even less clear- when using the cloud software to control your LED display it communicates remotely (wireless). You just don't have to fool around maintaining the software because it's on a remote computer online.

It works... its great... get into THE CLOUD!