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 Gold Rush Continues

As a guy, I have to admit that I’m addicted to reality TV shows on the Discovery Channel such as Gold Rush and Bearing Sea Gold.  What red-blooded American male does not want to see if Parker Schnabel , the 18-year old gold mining prodigy will make his season quota? His 93-year old Grandfather has taught him all the secret stuff the “old timers” knew, so I’m sure he’ll win!

The introduction of LED signs to the outdoor advertising industry has been called a modern day gold rush by some due to large amounts of new revenue being driven to independent sign companies. Just look around your town to see those shining golden nuggets going up on walls and poles all across your town!

Gold Rush, the TV show, focuses on several groups of small gold-mining operations, all with their own unique quirks and curiosities but despite the show’s cheesiness it reveals that Murphy’s Law is alive and well. Mr. Murphy said that “whatever can go wrong will go wrong at the worst possible time.”  I restate Murphy Law common knowledge just in case you’re coming back from a “flat earth society” meeting and may be the last person on earth who never heard of Murphy and his "law". 

For the gold miners, bulldozers get stuck in the swamp, large gold sorting machines get knocked over by errant excavators, personalities make it even worse and then you have the “know it all” experts leaning on the mining operation.  For sign companies- LED modules burn out, controllers fail, signs burn down and computers fail. The similarities between the two businesses are real.

Sign Companies remind me of the separate teams of gold miners on Gold Rush. Most sign companies are relatively small business operations, have invested in expensive equipment and have trained personnel familiar with a hands-on job. And, like the Gold Miner in Alaska, many cold climate sign companies have a “season”. Cold weather in the northern parts of the USA makes it nearly impossible to dig a hole in frozen soil. If the ground’s not frozen, then the snow might be blowing so hard that it makes life on the street miserable. So some sign companies have to make 12 months of revenue in 9 months just like the miners in the frozen north or the ones in the jungle facing a rainy season.

The winners on Gold Rush seem to share one common characteristic- they focus on digging and capturing the gold and avoiding mechanical and operational disasters.  The winners win because they’re “in the game” more and they stay as focused as a reality TV show allows!

What are the winning characteristics of LED sign companies “out in them thar hills”? How do the best LED Sign companies make it every day? The top 10 common tactics and strategies:

1.   A solid relationship with a LED sign manufacturer who delivers custom built, reliable product quickly.
2. Product that is differentiated from other brands and models. 
3. State-of-the-art control software that is powerful but easy to use so your customer can take complete ownership for the operation of their LED sign. 
4. Professionally made, exciting LED sign content that can be easily ordered by the end user. 
5. Long-term on-site service with every LED display sold. This reduces out-of-pocket service expenses and makes for happy customers. 
6. Select an LED manufacturer who does not take your sale and then pay you some token amount to install the LED sign sale they grabbed from you. 
7. Customer education- say it, explain it, teach it, help them, say it again and again until they understand. 
8. Keep promises, keep all promises all of the time. Do not make statements that can’t be verified. Write it down, provide written quotes and have any work order additions or subtractions signed by the customer. 
9. Charge fairly. It’s not necessary to retire on one sale. Charge the customer fairly and they’ll use you again. Over-charge them and they’ll be a “one-shot wonder”. 
10. An intelligent, creative, and sustained advertising effort is essential. You are in the advertising industry but that does not mean you don’t have to also advertise!

Whether your company needs to mine 1000 ounces of gold or sell 100 LED signs for a successful season you need a good team, a solid strategy, and a way to differentiate yourself from the other miners. For an LED sign company that differentiation is working with a manufacturer who is a partner, not just a seller of LED signs. Do your homework, ask the manufacturer some tough questions and call others who buy from them.

The LED sign ‘Gold Rush’ is still very young. There are some great claims to stake and millions of LED signs to sell. Go for it!

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.

Digital Signage Need to Know: Why cloud control for your LED sign is better than using localized software

"THE CLOUD" Everyone’s all excited about the recent trend where businesses and people are moving their software programs and applications to the “cloud”. Is it all being transported to an evil-looking raincloud, or a nice puffy white cloud with the shape of a swan? None of that foolishness!

The shift is definitely underway from more traditional models of software storage to using the resources of large companies via the Internet. It’s more than a trend it’s an active process underway that makes tremendous sense and is a superior choice. 

This includes the transition of LED sign software off of your desktop to the “cloud”.

Why does it make sense you ask? Simple- “less risk and fewer headaches” is the quick answer. Software can be complex and expensive to update, store, maintain and deal with over time. Most companies just want the end result of using the software, not the process of evolving it and ensuring it works on their hardware.  The cloud provides many distinct advantages over traditional storage methods. 

Let me present these allegories to amuse you and illustrate my points. 

First any resemblance of these characters to other beloved American comic strip or cartoon characters is entirely coincidental.

* “It was a dark and stormy night,” Loopy, the small Beagle, typed these words sitting in the basement of his dog house. Just as he hit “enter” on his Dell laptop his trite paragraph came to life as a lightning bolt blew a transformer off a power pole adjacent to his dog house.

The lights immediately went out but then the power surged back on and then the lights returned. Loopy looked at his laptop and realized it was now “off” despite being plugged in to the AC adapter.

“Rats,” He lamented. Loopy’s paw pressed the power button but nothing happened. Little did he know but the current spike when the lights came back on was so strong this time it damaged his computer, killing the hardware and software.

* The WWI Flying Ace, Loopy’s alter-ego, and Woodstick, his trusted bird friend, stumbled down the street towards the dog house. Woodstick was ready for the comfort of his fluffy rooftop nest and Loopy, aka the “The WWI Flying Ace” was looking forward to a restful sleep in his waterbed on the 2^nd floor bedroom of his dog house. Loopy and Woodstick had slugged down far too many root beers that evening to be comfortable and both were eager to arrive home. 

Loopy reached out to unlock the front door and was shocked to find it not only unlocked but slightly ajar. They both stepped into the crime scene and inspected their belongings. All was present and accounted for except the Dell Laptop, and the programs he had invested in. Loopy had lost his computer but more importantly his top secret data and it was probably in the hands of the German army!

* Loopy looked at the watch on his wrist and mentally calculated how many hours he’d spent that week working on his computer, filing, updating, refreshing, backing up, revision enhancements, and deleting old software. This week he’d also had to do a fix a fragment problem on his hard drive for the new update to run. “I wonder just how many hours I spend maintaining this stuff and making sure it all works?” he thought taking a big bite of his banana split ice cream treat. “I think maybe I should use someone else's computer department! After all, I just want to use these programs I don’t want to memorize them! That will also give me more time to fly my dog house!”

What business is a typical sign company in? Well, selling and installing signs and advertisement products is the best answer! So, does it make sense for a sign company to have to deal with storing, updating and maintaining software products? Why not make it the responsibility of some trusted software vendor since that’s what they do?

What about the sign companies customer- the user of the sign or the advertising products? Does it make sense for them to waste time with the same issues? Usually it does not.

With cloud-based software you pay for only what you use, upgrades are automatic, scaling up or down is easy and all you have to do is open your browser, log in and get to work! Many cloud-based programs will unchain you from your desk and allow access on a mobile device like an iPhone, android, tablet or a smart phone. Money is made out in the field working with customers not riding the desk like some office jockey! Why not change the message your LED sign on the way home from work?

Businesses are specialized these days. Software companies don’t make their own LED displays and LED sign retailers really are not in the business of dealing with software. The end result of using the software- the new LED sign message, the CAD drawing, the spreadsheet, the image file, the animation, or whatever the software creates, is what the sign company wants. This is efficiency.

Consider sourcing your LED sign software in the cloud- that’s where the future is! Check out the market, do your research and see which LED display manufacturers have migrated their software to the cloud and allows for remote control of the programming. No more discs sent to you to lose, no more missed updates, no more lost data. 

This is the way to fly! Even the WWI flying ace would agree.

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 Sales 101: Wow Your Customer

- Mike Prongue

As a regional sales manager in this LED sign industry I walk into a lot of LED sign shops in the Southern USA. I dislike the term “shop” to describe a storefront since I always thought of a “shop” as a low tech place where a cobbler beat a heel onto a shoe or someone strung beads onto a wire. 

Since the product we sell is electronic and “techie” to say the least, I’d expect the “shop” to really be a “store”, perhaps like a single cell version of a “Best Buy”.  Let’s pretend how your shop/store would differ if it were actually fined-tuned and perfect in execution of some simple ideas? 

I present the “top 10” things to do to wow your customer with a great first impression of your shop/store:

• Walk the Talk   If you sell LED signs, have an LED display. If it does drive 15% more customers through the door and you aren’t using one, what’s the problem? Your LED sign is your best demo unit. Show customers the wireless RF, show them the computer and show them how easy it is to use! Oh, yours is tough to use? Shop around for another manufacturer. Not all LED signs are alike.

• Shop Shirts    Baseball teams, army units, and Olympic squads all wear a common uniform. Where is your “Dale’s LED Signs” shirts for your team? Identity is important. How about magnetic signs for the cars and window tinted logos on the cars? Get everyone into the same boat and start “rowing in the same direction”.

• Greet Customer  Quickly  Sour-faces need not apply. Someone needs to say “Hi, how are you? I’m Dave and I’ll be with you in one second!” Phones need to be answered by the 3^rd ring saying-“Dale’s Signs, this is Judy, how may I help you?” at the very least!

• Create a Nice Break Area  The single-most unprofessional thing a small business can do is have food scattered out across the counter area. That Italian sub with the stinky cheese may be your favorite treat of the week, so take it into the back room. Even better go out to lunch- you need the break. When you come back from lunch, grab the vacuum cleaner and vacuum that carpet. It’s been 6 years since anyone took that task on (in some cases).

• Have “show and tell” product displays  Have a hands-on area that displays LED modules of different resolutions, a power supply, an IPC (industrial PC). Why not educate your customers while they wait for help? Some LED sign stores have actual functioning LED signs on display of different resolutions.

• Watch your Language  Do not use any bad language. Reserve your political opinions to your evenings in front of FOX News or MSNBC on your TV at home. Regardless of what you say, ½ your customers may be offended. Watch your jokes. Take down objectionable posters. What’s funny to you is not so funny to Reverend Jones looking for an LED sign for his church. Do not create a hostile place of business. What about those angry “no soliciting” signs plastered all over your door? Does that apply to Girl Scouts and the local High School band selling doughnuts? What a Scrooge. I wouldn’t buy a sign from you.

•  Create a Customer Service Area  Many LED sign stores are engaged in traditional sign businesses and have layout areas and drafting areas and other in the front of the store. Some of this is unavoidable but “hide the chaos” as much as you can and create a simple neat and clean area where customers can be greeted and talked to. Even the use of a couple free-standing, cubicle-used, room dividers can separate the customer area from the work area.

• Clean up the Production Area  Have a mandatory 10 minute break, once in the morning and once in the afternoon and clean up the production area. Customers are judgmental and may think the mess you create in your own work area is what you may do at their facility. With a clean production area, you can show your handiwork and skills to customers on safe, guided walk-throughs.

• Have a Website  Yes, you can fool some of the people some of the time, but you’ve had that “under construction” message on your website for 2 years now. This is 2013 and a website is an electronic you- a presence that the world can access 24-7. I can’t tell you how much a good website improves business credibility. Conversely, a minimal website shouts a different message to the world, perhaps an unintentional message. Google Adwords used within a region is a very successful new customer strategy. But they have to visit a website that is interesting and professional.

• Sundown Rule Time waits for no man, or woman. Your urgency is one of the variables that can win you customers. The old Zig Ziglar saying is “People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care!”  The way to show people you care is to reply to their inquiry, finish their quote, or call them back. Don’t let issues extend into the next day- solve the problem now so you can sleep better tonight!

What I’m suggesting is turning up the heat and creating a friendly, neat, clean and impressive area to wow customers and to do business.

A lot of businesses are simply amazing with their execution of these 10 items and dozens more. Remember you only have one chance to make a good first impression.

You create your own reality so wouldn’t it be better if you had an store that people remembered in a good way?It doesn't take much work. Get your team involved and ask for suggestions on improving the customer experience.

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.