Are Brightness guarantees a bright idea?

-Deacon Wardlow

Companies do a lot to standout in the marketplace. Some focus on USP (Unique Selling Points), others have an established name/brand, while other businesses focus on innovation in the marketplace and/or performance and strong support. Lately, instead of innovating, many companies are claiming they have a great solution already in place and innovation isn’t necessary, i.e.  “don’t fix what isn’t broken.” They’re redirecting the buyer's’ attention by claiming performance “guarantees.”

First, a guarantee and a promise are two different things. If I promise someone I’ll help with a move - I may or may not back that up when they need me. If I guarantee I’ll help with the move - maybe I’ve put something in place (like a bond, surety, or a third-party) where if I’m unavailable someone will step in and take my place (because they’ve been paid to do that). Guarantee vs. a promise, pretty simple stuff.

Lately there has been a 10 year brightness guarantee thrown about. The “brightness” guarantee is interesting. LED Sign manufacturers are still leaning on the tried/true 5 year parts warranty when others are adding (standard) a promise and/or guaranteed 5 year on-site service program. Rather than step up and put a better warranty in place, they’re claiming 10 year brightness “guarantees” (really a promise). If a display is installed, the end-user can go back 10 years later and the display will be just as bright as when it was first installed. If not (and they can’t fix it to be as bright) they’ll pay a cash refund.

They’re throttling brightness and claiming uniformity:

The display starts at 7,500 Nits (a respectable, if somewhat low, brightness level). The LEDs are likely capable of about 11,000 Nits. The system is set to increase brightness overtime. Most LEDs depreciate their light output at a set level overtime and the system can be calibrated to increase the light output on the LEDs to maintain 7,500 Nits over 10 years.

The Good: It’s great to have the LEDs maintain a level of brightness over time and this allows a certain uniform expectation regarding image quality

The Bad: Aside from slowly increasing power (operation) cost, you don’t have to wait 10 years to see performance. If the guarantee were true, a client should (in year 2 or 3) be able to swap LED panels from any section and have all the parts look the same. This isn’t likely to happen (get ready for a refund).

Picture a car in long term storage sitting in a garage with a window near the car. Over time, the part of the car exposed to light will experience fading on the paint. The paint in the shade will degrade, but much slower than the part in the light. When that car is pulled outside, the lit part will look very different from the shaded part. Signage experiences a similar issue where certain components receive more direct sunlight than others depending on where a panel is located. The fading will cause uniformity issues and the guarantee won’t hold over time.

We’ll be there for you (really?):

This comes back to a promise vs. a guarantee. With a promise, the end-user is relying on the company to be in business for the lifetime of the display (and for them to honor the promise they put out when the display was sold).

The Good: If a company is true to its word, it’ll likely follow-through on its promise and support the end-user otherwise they risk losing a brand/image they’ve worked hard to earn.

The Bad: New ownership could come in or the company could go out of business. No business is “failproof.” Companies come and go. If a company made a promise and they’re sold to someone else, the new ownership doesn’t have to fulfill the promise someone else made. If the company goes out of business, what good is that promise when there’s nobody in place to follow-through. Promise vs. a guarantee…

It’s easy to make promises, especially a promise which won’t be called on for 10 years. It’s harder to really stand behind a product line and fully support that product with guarantees and sureties in place to ensure the client is taken care of at the end of the day rather than the manufacturer. Let’s look at the fine print. Where are the terms and conditions? Is the guarantee backed by a 3rd party? How about putting aside money in escrow? If there’s no money, there’s no guarantee.

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- etc. 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. Direct emails can be sent to deacon@spectacularmedia.com for queries and/or assistance.

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: Solving Problems and Raising the Bar

- Scott Hofheins

One of my favorite things about the sign industry is the creative problem solving required across the board. Static signage, outdoor LED signage, indoor digital boards, manufacturing, fabrication, installation, design, artwork and many more all demand a certain level of creative problem solving. The way in which solutions are found and  implemented can make a big difference for the end user experience.

A Platform

Having a good platform to provide solutions is very important. Some platforms, software, hardware, or otherwise, can be more workable than others. For example, a printed encyclopedia is a great resource and can be very useful, but it’s limited to the ink on the page, it cannot change unless re-printed, or minor notations made in the margins. A smartphone or tablet on the other hand, is an open platform for terabytes of encyclopedic information via the internet, apps, and local programs. Users can use, hack, and manipulate these platforms to do what they need, providing fertile ground for innovation and creativity.

There are many types of platforms. How do you keep track of your leads, quotes, support tickets? How do you educate and provide resources to your staff so they can in turn help existing or potential customers? Manage logistics for your trucks and crews? When these platforms are open and efficient, they empower you to make faster decisions and execute solutions much more effectively.

Balanced Approach

Finding a solution that a customer needs and what they want is sometimes hard to do. A customer may want a sign installed on an existing structure that may not be large enough to support it, but matches their branding or style. The professional knows the limitations, and will be able to suggest an alternate solution that still fits their design wants, but doesn't sacrifice on what’s needed.

Another good example is pricing. There is a certain level of “Sticker Shock” in the sign business that may be a bit more common than other industries. This can make it even more tempting to lower the pricing and component quality to compete. While some amount of flexibility is needed, educating the customer about getting what they pay for tends to work out better for all parties in the long run with a quality product at a fair price.

Education

Providing education in tandem with an effective solution generates powerful results. What is the fundamental purpose of your signage solution? How do you integrate it with existing branding, physical location, target market and demographics. Experienced sign providers can help guide their potential customers through these important variables.

Even a simple static sign on a pole will have site and size restrictions, budget considerations, fabrication options, and artwork needs. Helping a customer not only understand what solutions they should consider,  but why they should consider it is key. This speaks to not only your perceived authority on the subject, but your actual expertise and professionalism.    

The Team

Many start alone, but few finish alone. Having a solid team that can rely on each other is a significant factor in the success of any venture; personal or business. Growth is dependent on it, and problem solving is almost certain to be expedited with the combined knowledge and perspective of others.

While any team is bound to get on each others nerves, it helps when they are all in it for long term success. It helps to see the goal, the light at the end of the tunnel that everyone is striving for. A solid sales team means more business. A solid design/artwork team means more efficient sales, and better manufacturing/fabrication. Good manufacturing means a better product and experience for the install crew, project management and support team. A streamlined support team working with a quality product and platform, mean happy customers, more referrals, and more sales.

New technology, better materials and better communication are all making it easier for people to solve problems, and provide solutions in our industry and countless others. This doesn't necessarily mean problems will go away, but it does mean a continual increase in our expectations as end users, solution providers, manufacturers and business leaders. I have no doubt, the industry and the people and individuals who comprise it, will rise to the challenge.

-TSH

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.

Digital Signage Sales 101: 10 Behaviors, Making LED Sign Manufacturers Great!

The LED Sign Industry is a comprised of many manufactures all with unique strengths, weaknesses, and product offerings.  There are many choices for sign companies to select from, depending on their individual company’s needs.

Not all companies are alike, not all product is alike, not all warranties are alike and it takes some work and trial and error to find the best relationship.  Just like a first date does not mean marriage is imminent, neither does the order of one LED sign project, or two or three. It takes time to determine the true nature of the supplier for your LED sign.

Also, over time, it’s possible to glean the truth about your current LED sign manufacturer. How do they behave when the pressure is on? What kind of choice do they make when someone will win and someone will lose- do they sometimes take the proverbial “hit”?

Regardless of who supplies your LED display projects, there are 10 awesome characteristics that a sign company should consider:

1.       They are open and available and you can call them up, visit their factory and meet their team.
2.       They support your sales plan and do not compete with you for retail sales in your area.
3.       They constantly “push the envelope” on new technology and innovations, sometimes challenging the industry status quo.
4.       They have great software engineering capabilities.
5.       They recognize “Content is King” and can provide customized solutions.
6.       They have a responsive sales team that answers your questions, usually immediately.
7.       They provide flexible solutions for your urgent production requests.
8.       They find a way to always say “yes”.
9.       They provide a “rock solid” warranty on their product minimizing loopholes.
10.   They are focused on educating you, your customer, and giving back to the community.

With all the great possibilities that exist why would you settle for any LED sign manufacturer who did not conform to these ideals?  LED manufacturers have you as “their” customer, they are not your customer. Consequently, it is okay to expect more from them. It is okay to ask more from them. It is okay to seek out and select the best possible choice for your sign company.

In the early days of LED sign technology with limited manufacturing choices, you were restricted and had to settle for a “less than perfect” fit. Now with some “due diligence” you can find exactly the best LED sign manufacturer "fit" for you.

Remember too, that there is a difference between a business "partner" and just a "vendor". Referring back to my earlier metaphor of "marriage", it applies here as well. Your spouse is your partner, your administrative assistant at work is more like your vendor. Your partner stands beside you and helps you as part of a deeper and more intense commitment. Your assistant supports you to a point. At your workplace that point may be when 5PM rolls around or you've fallen into organizational disfavor.

When you find a LED sign manufacturing "partner" that can boast many of the 10 aforementioned characteristics, then you will rest easier, live a less complicated business life and  make more money by way of happier customers.

Do it, you’ll be able to tell the difference immediately and your customers will support your choice.

This blog post and comments represents my personal perspective and do not reflect the opinion of Vantage LED, Inc. or SignVine, Inc. or any other person or organization. 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 Sales 101: Knowledge is power - what makes a good Digital Signage Solution.

-Deacon Wardlow

Knowledge is powerful, not solely in the acquisition of information, but rather how and when it's used. A big problem in our industry is the lack of education available to the public. Most Digital Signage integrators and specialists acquired their information through trial/error, experience, and bits and pieces gathered on the long road to implementing solutions for their clients.

There is a change coming in the industry. I've noticed more and more vendors, manufacturers, and resellers are starting to realize the power and importance of educating the client base. In this case, there is no "too little too late." The more people who bring information and education as opposed to advertorials and edusales, the better. An educating buyer will see past the glitz and glamor and ask to see how the system really works as opposed to flashy pics and false promises. 

I advise people to dig deeper when looking at solution and offers. Find out what's really being put on the table and what's being left out of view. Here are a few things to ask for with any system you're reviewing:

Scalability

How scalable is the solution? When the system is in place and a client opts to grow that system to multiple displays and (more importantly) multiple sites, can they manage everything from a single interface? Can new systems and sites be easily added to the software/cloud solution?

Ease-of-Use

When running the system, how much instruction is required to use the system? Is a higher level of expertise and experience required or can a new user get up and running with minimal training (an hour or less)? Does the system pass the 5min rule - from initial login, can a person create new content, schedule the content, and send the schedule to the displays within 5 minutes and minimal instruction/walkthrough? How intuitive is the system? 

Reliability

Based on experience and systems in place, what is the shortest and longest constant use/runtime of a system? How long have they had systems in place and what kind of "stress testing" has been done to ensure a system can operate under various conditions?

Limitations

Every solution has a place. Few, if any, systems can solve all the clients' needs. Some systems require touch/interactive capability while other are primarily content distribution (limited scheduling and other features). Work with vendors to learn the most you can about the system features and what it can and can't do. If a vendor tells you their system can "do everything" be wary. Better a specialized solution than a "jack of all trades." A jack of all trades can do a lot of things to a small degree, whereas a more specialized solution has stronger features and options available. 

The deeper you dig, the more you reveal and the better you and your clients can understand the solutions proposed. Don't take any one person or company's word on something - to offer solutions, you have to be able to figure out what the need is. The knowledge acquired now goes into the "toolbelt" and the more tools available, the easier and faster a need can be met, a problem solved.

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. Direct emails can be sent to deacon@spectacularmedia.com for queries and/or assistance.

Digital Signage, Need to Know: Innovation and Progress, or Complacency and Stagnation in LED Sign Technology

- Scott Hofheins

With the highly anticipated Apple Live event on Tuesday still causing excitement and buzz across the country, it reminds us that innovation continues to be a key component for a successful product. While there are some in the LED sign industry who believe things are best left the way they are, history has proven that true progress in any industry relies heavily innovation and organizations not afraid to take risks.

It is well understood that the sign industry is different than the consumer electronics industry. Manufacturing outdoor electronics that need to operate consistently for 5-10 years means that innovative development takes more time. However, true innovation is still extremely important and necessary for the health of the industry and the end user experience as a whole.

Options

The options now available for outdoor digital signage has, thankfully, progressed and evolved since the days of flip discs, incandescent marquees and simple LED marquees. While there is still a very secure place for single color text only message centers, I believe I speak for many by expressing my gratitude that full color technology and higher resolutions were developed. Content is more dynamic, and pleasant to read. Sign operators can be more creative and deliver their message more effectively to their targeted viewers.

This evolution did not come from an attitude of complacency; it came from people taking the risk of developing new technology to answer the market’s demand for a better and affordable product. Some failed, some succeeded, and the industry is better off because of their efforts. Outdoor digital signage is still young. We will continue to see more innovation, more features, a better experience and a better product for years to come.
Interaction

The way we interact with our displays has also evolved for the better. We are beginning to see more progress and a significant evolution toward better software, and a better end user experience. You would be hard pressed to find any sign owner who would choose outdated software designed overseas, over a quality domestic provider when truly given the opportunity. And this is one of the challenges with our industry. Too many end users do not get that opportunity. They are accepting sub-par software, or a sub par product because it’s simply what they got with the sign.

This is changing, and will continue to improve as our society gets closer and closer through improved communication and education. We are a world getting larger, while our social circle get’s tighter, giving us better tools and access to important information about any industry, business, manufacturer or organization.

Choice

End users in our industry now realize that they have a choice, they can be an educated Digital Signage consumer. They understand the difference between innovative products that offer an array of useful features and options, versus products that offer less simply because they can’t do any better. 

Innovation is hard, and is not without it’s challenges. Even hugely successful organizations like Google have their fair share of flops and failures. Remember Google Lively? No? Exactly. But that is the beauty of true innovators, is they don’t give up. They fix, re-invent, take a different approach, or start from scratch. Change isn’t always popular, but is critical to the progress of technology, and I would argue to the human experience in general.

Without innovation we would still be waiting days, weeks or months for important letters, seeing our recorded history in black and white, and agreeing that the idea of a individuals owning and using personal computers is ludicrous. While there are products and software out that may be gimmicky, over hyped, or bad copies of the original, you have the tools now to weed through it all and get what you want and deserve.

Stay smart, and deal with true innovators who offer products designed, produced, and supported in the US.  

-TSH

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.

Digital Signage, Need to Know: Are LED Billboards Safe?

New technology is not instantly accepted and used, regardless of its value, effectiveness, cost, or efficiency. There are many reasons why it takes time for users to get "on board" with even the coolest innovation. LED technology adapted for use in LED sign, including billboards is one such innovation.

There is a statistical science to how new technology is accepted by society. This is called the "Technology Adoption Lifecycle" or diffusion model, and a simple summary from Wikipedia can be read here Summary.

What is says is that there are 5 categories of users of new technology within the standard bell curve with time on the "X" axis of the graph:

Category               Percentage
-------------------    -------------
Innovators               2.5%
Early Adopters         13.5%
Early Majority          34.0% 
Late Majority          34.0%
Laggard                 16.0%

Over time, the Innovators comprise 2.5% percent of the population- those were the people who perhaps rushed out to buy Apple 1s in June of 1977. Or maybe, in the LED sign industry, the Innovators were those customers who purchased something like a DCI message board that used relays and light bulbs insanely complex programming- before the introduction of today's RGB comparative "miracle".

The other user categories gradually catch on, and the product "takes off" and becomes accepted.

Where are we with the LED sign billboards? I don't think anyone can say for sure, but my guess is we are somewhere in the Early Majority. By the time the Innovators, Early Adopters, and the Early Majority have accepted LED sign billboards about half the market of people who will eventually buy LED sign billboard will have accepted them and will own one.

What's stopping the rest of the customers? Perhaps cost, waiting for even better technology, understanding the true cost versus financial return of the product and I think social acceptance, including the perceived safety of LED sign billboards by communities and "laggards", as referenced above, must be considered.

A recent study by the US Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration entitled "Driver Visual Behavior In The Presence of Commercial Electronic Variable Message Signs" (Report), concluded that drivers did, in fact, take an instant longer to look at the LED sign messages than a static-message billboard. But the distraction time was well under two-second safety threshold established. The LED-message glance took  0.379 seconds, while glances at static billboards took 0.335 seconds. This was not statistically significant.
  
Digital billboards are referred to as Commercial Electronic Variable Message Signs (CEVMS) within the study.

The study summarizes, “The results did not provide evidence indicating that CEVMS, as deployed and tested in the two selected cities, were associated with unacceptably long glances away from the road. When dwell times longer than the currently accepted threshold of 2,000 ms [milliseconds] occurred, the road ahead was still in the driver’s field of view. This was the case for both CEVMS and standard billboards.” 

Now that the safety objection has been surmounted we can move on to other objections to the roll-out of digital billboards. The digital billboards I see look a lot like static billboard with extended duration messages and intentionally understated graphics.

If you don't like billboards in general, that may be. But there must be a balance between commerce and a pristine right-of-way, it's not just a case of "all or nothing"

This digital billboard phenomenon is not a nefarious invasion. It's merely an easier and more profitable way to stage outdoor media. But, as they say, "You can overcome objections, but not excuses!"  What is the next excuse, uhh, objection?

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: Too Much, Not Enough? How To Create an Efficient and Effective Impression With Your LED Sign.

-Scott Hofheins

Your outdoor or indoor digital sign has something to say, and someone to say it too. How much information is too much? How much is too little? These are factors that any operator has to balance appropriately to generate effective content on a display. I’ll be focusing on outdoor digital signage for this post, but much of this can apply to indoor applications as well.

In order effectively use your display to it’s fullest, you must first define its purposes and prioritize them accordingly. What type of display is this going to be, and why would your viewers be interested in it?

Attention Getter
Do you want your sign just generate “flash” and attention to your existing location or static signage? This means that the actual text of the message isn't’ as important as the movement, colors and general excitement of the content. Some would argue that ALL outdoor LED signs fill this purpose, but I would caution that in most cases this is an auxiliary effect of your display, not the main purpose.

However, in certain situations this may your main goal, and you will need to focus your content on imagery, colors, and moving designs and shapes. In these cases, the “call to action” is the actual image and colors. The more colorful, hip, and dynamic the animations, the more visible your display will be, increasing the chance for the viewers to take a look.

Information Provider
Does your sign provide information to your viewers, like stocks, emergency information, events, dates and times, or statistics? Some examples would be factories, municipal buildings, traffic displays, scrolling stock tickers, and other special purpose applications.

While it is still important to make the information colorful and dynamic, the focus should be on the information itself. Content for these types of displays should still have movement and limited effects for attention, but the clarity and readability of the text should be the number one priority. That may mean using simple backgrounds, and easy to read, bold, and single color text.  

On-Premise Advertising
Most LED signs will fall into this category. Your sign is drawing attention and advertising for your business or organization “On-Premise” (or on the property) and is directing the viewers to stop in, call, or visit your website.

Content for these displays should be colorful, dynamic and attention getting on all levels, while still maintaining the clarity of the message. Effects should be eye catching, but end quickly to allow more time to communication a clear and concise message with the text. The text should still be colorful, but readable, and contain a call to action.

Scheduling the content for these displays needs to be done carefully. You must keep your messages focused, as your viewers have a limited time to view your display. They may only get 1 or 2 messages, or in some cases 3-4. Overcrowding a display with too many messages for separate products or services can sometimes cause viewers to be less responsive to the sign. This is not to say that content shouldn’t be updated, but that it should be focused. Keep the content fresh, and advertise your products and services in multiple ways, but control the quantity of each product or service on the sign.

Off-Premise Advertising
Digital billboards make up the majority of this area, but there are other avenues for this type of sign application like malls, multi tenant offices and shopping centers. These displays advertise products, companies, brands, and services that are not necessarily on the same property as the sign. They direct viewers to visit websites, call telephone numbers, or visit locations “Off-Premise” from the actual display.

Many of the same principles apply as an On-Premise sign. Content should be colorful, dynamic and attention getting. In many cases, these displays are much larger than On-Premise signs, so the content can use more fonts with more options for stylistic designs. However, the message still must be clear and readable. Most of the time, viewers for these are traveling on a busy street, and still have limited time to view the content.

Over-scheduling Off-Premise displays means less views (impressions) per advertisement, reducing the effectiveness for each ad. This in turn can affect the revenue you can generate with each ad, so most operators will limit the display to a certain number of slots per sign to control this factor.

How Much Time?

To maximize the effect your content has on the viewers, you must be very aware of how much time they have to look at your display. If you don’t have a good grasp on this, then take some time to drive by your sign and verify. How many seconds of real viewing time does the average driver, or viewer have?

If your sign is lucky enough to be in a location where viewers are captive, like standing in line at a ticket booth, or heavy traffic and/or traffic lights, then you don’t have to worry as much about overloading your sign. While your marketing should still remain focused, you can have more products or services listed for the viewers to see and react to.

Many signs are located on busy streets or freeways. You sign can be just as effective, but you must manage the quantity of your messages, and keep a targeted approach. These drivers may only have a couple of seconds to see your sign, and you need to make that count. The text of your messages should very simple and easy to remember. Effects and movement should be quick, and make way for the text immediately. Keeping your content fresh is even more important, to continue to grab the attention of the viewers.

Other locations can be a mixture of both. Some parts of day might be fast, and viewers don’t have much time to view the display. Other times can be slower, with increased traffic and slower traveling speed. Take this into account with your scheduling and content and adjust accordingly throughout the day. Good sign software provided from quality manufacturers will allow you to do this quickly and easily.

Call to Action and Relevancy

Make sure your content really counts. While general information is good, information that tells you to do something is much better. When creating content, always be thinking of what you want the customer to do with that information. Should they turn in right now and visit you? Should they call you for a quote? Like you on facebook for a discount? These are some examples of a call to action, directing the viewer to interact with you.

In addition to this, make sure your content itself has a purpose. Time, Date and Temperature messages don’t demand attention like they used to. While there are some locations and situations where these may be important, it’s usually best to spend the time advertising  your organization or products.

Put yourself in your viewers shoes, and make sure you're not overloading them with information. Organize your sign schedule, and design your content according to their needs. Every location is a bit different, but the key is to find out exactly what type of viewer is seeing your sign, when they are seeing it, and how long they have to see it. Take the time to do this, and you will find the balance of information, and get the most out of your digital sign.

-TSH

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.

Digital Signage, Need to Know: Cheap is, as Cheap does.

One evening this past week, as I prepared to click over to Netflix to watch a movie, the old sitcom “Leave it to Beaver” was on.  Wally, played by Tony Dow, the older of the two kids who star in this American classic, was lamenting the fact that his sarcastic and hard-headed friend Eddie Haskell, played by Ken Osmond, could never change his behavior and he said something like this:

“You could slug him a thousand times and he’d never get the message- Eddie is Eddie!”

Well, that is exactly the attitude of some sign companies who still sell LED Signs on price alone, cheap price alone!

We’ve slugged them and slugged them with information. Heck, they “slug” themselves each day with unhappy customers, repeat service calls, and technical issues: LED signs that dim after a few months for example, but some never seem to “get the message”.

Many LED sign companies have gotten the message, but sometimes when their customer  screams “Price!” they run back to those importers who advertise their product on “price” alone- those importers who steadfastly deny all they know, hear and see to be true when they advertise that “All LED signs are alike!”

Really, there is never a reason to sell on price. I know, I know… you are thinking “that one guy across town said he’d only spend $8,000, so I had to import a ‘burner’ to make him happy!”

Let’s try to shift your LED sign paradigm a bit! Shall we?

When you buy a watermelon that is an expendable item, right? When you buy an X-Box or a TV set, for example, those are items that have value because they entertain you. These items are commodity items, or consumer items. Other items such as a refrigerator or a kitchen range have value because they help you live comfortably as we can store and process our foods effectively.  They have utility value.

Sometimes a person can save money by “going cheap” on commodities or consumer items. A cheap range may be all that is required if a person only cooks once a week. Or if a refrigerator is for occasional use in a vacation home, then you can argue that a basic model may suffice because it’s not relied upon daily. 

An LED sign is not a commodity no matter how determined the ad in the magazine declares that it is!

An LED display is called upon frequently to run 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. It is the “face” of the business that is projected to new customers and the community. It is the “pitchman” always promoting the business. 

Here is how you show the customer that they can afford a quality LED sign having it paid for from the increased sales the new LED sign provides.

You’ve heard it before but here again is the process:

• Determine what life-span you wish to assign your LED sign installation. For the sake of argument, be conservative and say “5 years.”

• What is a realistic interest rate for commercial financing,"8 percent”?

• Assume a percentage increase in the customer’s business from the new LED sign,“15 percent”.

• Assume a gross margin percentage for the business, “25 percent”.

• What is the current sales level of the business, “$600,000”?

Do the math:

The finance cost of $20,000 at 8% interest for 5 years is about $405 per month.

If sales increase at 15% from the current $600,000, at 25% margin, how much new income is there available to pay for the LED sign?  ($600,000*.15*.25) = $22,500 per year or $1875 per month.

So the sales increase from the LED sign should cover the cost of the financing and add an additional $17,640 to the business’ annual income ($22,500 – ($405*12 months)). It's a "free" sign!

Why go cheap? Why suffer with poor, cheap software? Why project the face of your business or non profit concern with an LED sign that operates intermittently?

Customers have a belief that “X” dollars is all they can spend or that's all the project's worth. It is your job to dispel that myth stuck in their head. Slug 'em with some information, or an example to keep them from buying an LED sign they'll regret for years.

Other considerations when selling LED signs:

What do you do when you have a non-profit? How do you make the return on investment point?

Each new member of the church’s congregation, or each new member of the Elk’s Club (for example) adds to the success of that non profit. Ask the question:

“How many new faces will the LED sign attract?” Or, if that question is too precarious, ask how much money the non profit spends on bill board or TV advertisement that will not longer be required.

A local church had suspended it’s billboard ads, and then suddenly a new LED sign popped up at the church! Someone was on their toes at that LED sign company!

Another suggestion is to challenge the customer and have them drive around the town and look at the LED signs that don't work! Who makes them? No-name Nellies... imports. Show them the LED sign carcasses that litter the sign poles in your town.

On premise advertising works. That is an undeniable fact. 

It works better for all parties concerned when the product is a high-quality,  and domestically engineered and manufactured. Say it… “USA, USA, USA!”

All I've needed to know in life was learned from Wally Cleaver, "Golly, that sure is neat!"

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