Vantage LED: advertising

Showing posts with label advertising. Show all posts

Thursday, December 18, 2014

Blog #199 - the year+ in review, start 2015 off with some solid education resources!

-Deacon Wardlow

All said, I lived in Japan for about 12 years. The time, people, and culture definitely affected the way I look at the world. Every December, Japanese get ready to send out their "O-sho-gatsu" (New Year's) cards. A card is sent out to the people in their life, both personal and professional contacts. The card is a way of keeping in touch with the people who've touched their lives in some positive way. Gifts are also given to people who've helped them in some way in the year - a kind of year-end accounting and "thank you" to everyone who helped them get to where they are. I love the tradition and, while I no longer send out a stack of cards each New Year's - I appreciate taking stock of the year past and acknowledging the many people who've helped, challenged, assisted, and gotten me to where I am.

This article makes #199 in the series started about two and a half years back. My thanks to my fellow "Special Ops" Director of Spectacular Media (Scott Hofheins) and our associate/friend/all-around pontificate Mike Prongue of Signvine. Our thanks go to Vantage LED for giving us a place to rant, rave, educate, elucidate, and help bring a little order to the chaos that is Digital Signage (without having to write advertorials or "sponsored" pieces, but rather sticking to the truth and helping people get educated on what matters most for LED and other Digital Signage). It's been a long road with a longer one ahead and we're glad to have you, our reader, out on the journey with us. If you read our articles and have a question - drop us an email or line (email deacon@spectacularmedia.com - scott@spectacularmedia.com - or michael@signvine.org). We all like to hear from you and appreciate feedback.

This will be the last posting for the year (we'll start up a little after the new year). I've done my best to sort the articles we've released into categories so you can find helpful info a bit faster. If there's some way we can help out, a topic we've missed or something to delve into deeper - let us know (we're happy to have more to write about and the year ahead promises to be a full one). If you have a moment, checkout the SignVine site (these are guys who know a lot about giving and lending a hand) - https://www.signvine.org/

We wish you a safe, happy, and most excellent year-end. I hope your holidays are full of friends, family, and happiness. Problems are simply challenges helping you along the path to success and hopefully we've written something here which can help you overcome the obstacles you're facing (or will encounter down the road).

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':

Quality vs Cost

Warranty and After Service

Insurance and Warranty
Parts and Labor doesn't always equal warranted repairs...
US Based Support for LED Signs is More Than Phones and Technicians
Is after service an after-thought?
The Value of a warranty
On Site Service Warranties (underwritten vs. carried by the manufacturer)
Future proofed DS.
Support and service on systems.

System Build and Design Elements to be aware of

Potential Issues to be aware of

Heat
How to protect against heat
Power (undervoltage)
Physical Factors for Effective LED Sign Use and Installation.
Are LED Billboards safe?

LED Sign System Controls & LED Sign Sales Success

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.

Wednesday, December 3, 2014

Digital Signage, Need to Know: 'Tis The Season To Maximize Your LED Sign's Effectiveness.

The end of year Holiday Season is a prime time to maximize sales for retailers. While the future of the US economy may not hinge on every dime collected, as the media promotes, December does boast at least a 25% increase over the average monthly retail volume. And for some small businesses, strong December sales can be the difference between “ongoing” and “defunct”. Effective use of an on-premise LED sign by the business owner can add that extra boost that everyone is hoping for.

For churches too, the Holiday Season is prime time for LED sign usage- events, information, and spiritual messaging! This is their time to put that LED sign to work and recoup their investment by great communication and information sharing. Churches have different parameters for success than a retail operation but new worshipers, smiling board members, and a spike in Holiday giving makes everyone happy.

Here are five quick suggestions to maximize LED sign effectiveness during the Holidays, or really on any day:

Show- Don’t Tell. Drivers have seconds to view your message, that is a very short exposure time. Advertising is imagery and drivers may have the time to read words and translate them to your intended image. Or maybe they won’t have the time or focus. Just display an image. Attention spans are also short at 45 mile-per-hour, so be efficient and shoot your best shot. I always recommend professionally produced content.

Color Is Better. The impact of a full-color LED sign is 300 percent that of a single-color display with grayscale shading variations. With the price of full-color LED signs approaching the cost of a single-color display the extra cost is more than worth it. Go color, color is much more effective.

Brevity- Keep It Simple. In keeping with bullet point "Show- don’t tell", if you are using a text-oriented display message, “less is more”. If you’re selling hot dogs (for example), leave your creative writing skills at home and opt for “Delicious Hot Dogs .99” instead of “Come on in and sample our delicious hot dogs, only .99”. Like the Geico commercial, everybody knows this, but why do so many LED signs require messages that scroll on and on and on?

Be Community Friendly. So many LED signs are blinding at night and that can be a nuisance to drivers trying to drive safely. With all the normal Holiday distraction, being momentarily blinded by your LED sign is not the way to attract new customers. I know several LED signs around town like this and why the owners insist on annoying every night-time passerby is anyone’s guess. Also, why waste money when there is no traffic or minimal traffic- turn the sign on and off via your scheduling software. Use that software also to turn down the LED sign brightness at night. Remote network control is a plus- you no longer need to be at the office computer!

Political Correctness. And finally- relegate your political opinion, religious beliefs and humor to your online blog, church, or man cave. At best you’ll alienate ½ your customers with your political opinion. Watch your attempts at humor, as well, because you may not really be as funny as you might think and people are easily offended. Everyone already knows what the true meaning of Christmas is supposed to be so if you need to remind them, do it gently unless you are, of course, a church! Your goal is to increase sales and you need all of your customers to do that.

So, if you are using an LED sign to boost your sales or promote your organization- the Holiday Season is a perfect time. Be smart, and follow a few common sense ideas to make it work for you. Remember Santa is “making a list and checking it twice…” and he knows if you’ve been LED sign “naughty or nice”.

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. 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

Friday, November 21, 2014

Digital Signage, Need to Know: Property Owners Benefit From Operating Outdoor Digital Signage for Multi-Tenant Sites.

- T. Scott Hofheins

I was reading a recent article about new outdoor LED digital signage in Times Square, and the approach many property owners have taken to generate advertising revenue...partner with the tenants. This is not a new approach, we see this in many non Las Vegas/Time Square multi-tenant and single tenant locations across the USA, but the approach is nonetheless solid and logical.

This approach gives you some good options. You have a built in customer base with a vested interest in onsite advertising. This is especially true with larger malls and shopping centers, where it’s worth the money to stand out from the crowd. You can share the upfront cost of the signage with your tenants, or put it up yourself and charge for time slots on the display, or a mixture of both.

These sites can also have some great advantages with regard to regulations and permits. Many sign codes allow for increased square footage specifically for these types of properties. This is typically put in place to allow for better visibility for all the tenants. Additionally, the length of the street frontage and property size can also provide advantages for increased height and size. This can be used to help get the most exposure from the LED sign.

While it is important to keep the traditional identity signage, using some of that space to increase the size of a high quality LED sign is really a win-win scenario for everyone long term. It brings more people to the site in general. Shoppers may initially stop in because of a certain advertisement on the sign, but as we all know, shopping is rarely a single event, but a chain reaction. Getting more people on the property is good for everyone.

This may also be one of the best ways to generate advertising revenue for the property owner. Multi-tenant properties have the unique benefit of being able to advertise more than one business on a sign, but it is still considered On-premise advertising. This means the property owner not only has access to lease revenue, but can also gain advertising revenue from the display. Good signage like this also helps retain existing tenants, as well as ensuring the site is attractive to new ones. It is a solid investment when operated correctly.

Keep in mind, this isn’t just for large sites, it is just as effective for smaller locations. Having 5-7 tenants just means they potentially have more time on the display. Again, keeping your site attractive for existing and new tenants. This also doesn’t just apply for traditional shopping centers or malls. Signage works great on vertical office spaces as well. I’ve personally seen this work well for building owners and their tenants.

This is not unlike operating a mini-billboard. Digital billboards aren’t just for the big boys anymore. It’s been exciting to see the success of many smaller private operators in both traditional digital billboards, and on-premise multi-tenant sites. It’s no secret that there is a lot of money to be made in advertising. It’s a huge industry for a reason, and LED signs are a part of it. If you’re a property owner who hasn’t taken the plunge, take a look and you may find a new source of revenue, and a powerful advertising asset for your tenants.

-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.

Wednesday, November 12, 2014

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

Wednesday, September 17, 2014

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.

Wednesday, August 27, 2014

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

Thursday, December 18, 2014

Blog #199 - the year+ in review, start 2015 off with some solid education resources!

Make sure you have the right tools for DS!

Standards for Outdoor LED Digital Signage

Help! My sign isn't communicating! Steps to a solving communication problems.

Use Content and Scheduling to Target Your Message On Outdoor and Indoor Digital

DisplaysCustom Content -vs- "Stock" or In-House Content

CMYK vs RGB and Other Design Factors for Digital Content on LED Signs.

The Tech Train is Leaving the Station

The importance of being "in" the know with Digital Signage

Your Customers Return The Investment You Make In Them

Keep it simple

No Free Lunch, Only Buy and Sell Quality LED Displays

Be different, Be Branded, Be Seen with Outdoor Digital Signage

Power of Communication for Non-Profit Organizations

Why Digital Signage is Important

How an LED Sign Manufacturers Approach to Growth Can Affect Your Own

Digital Signage Learning Curve, how to tell a good manufacturer from a questionable one

China, Stack 'em Deep, Sell 'em Cheap

Full Color LED Signs vs Single Color Red or Amber

Silicone Coating on the back of LED Modules

LED Display Evolution

Product Consistency and Long Term Success with LED Sign Manufacturers

Physical Factors for Effective LED Sign Use and Installation.

Digital Signage is more than a dynamic commercial - it's about communication.

The Gold Rush Continues

Financing & Leasing Options for DS

Creating Lifetime Fans

Demand Attention and Target Your Audience With Outdoor LED Signs