Digital Signage 101: Digital Signage doesn't work! Here's why...

-Deacon Wardlow

We've seen success and we've experienced failure, if you haven't experienced failure then just wait around a bit and it'll catch up to you soon enough. We learn from our mistakes (and, when we're lucky, the mistakes of others). As Zig Ziglar said, "If you learn from defeat, you haven't really lost." Try to tell your clients that though...

Digital Signage (DS) can be awesome, amazing, subtle, powerful, pointed, quiet, and a multitude of things, but more often than not, it's a failure. Why? Why would I write this when so many people tout the great leaps and bounds int he market. The huge market share DS is taking up... The gains DS is making within various industries (both profit and non-profit)? Obviously something is working for somebody. Here are the big three.

Content
Feed the beast or it'll eat you alive. Content not only needs to be fresh, interesting, and timely, it needs to be good. It's not enough to slap a picture on a screen with a witty saying or a pricepoint. Where's the call to action? Why put up,"$0.99 hot dogs," when you can say,"First 10 customers - $3 for 2 hot dogs and a 16 ounce soda!" Give people a reason to take advantage of an opportunity (and help them identify an"opportunity when it happens). You can lead a horse to water, but the trick is making him drink when you need him to.

Control
We live in the age of amazing tech where a toddler can pickup a tablet and get to their favorite game or TV show before they can even speak! SIMPLE IS BEST. If the system seems too complex and there's no direct benefit, see if there's a better (simpler) way to do things. The simpler a system is to use, the easier it is for the clients (the organization using the DS solution) to manage and update. The more the DS solution is updated with fresh and interesting content, the better its chances are of achieving that return on investment (ROI) or return on objective (ROO) the organization had in mind when they first envisioned having a DS solution in place.

Too many cooks in the kitchen
I was recently speaking with a DS client who had a great system (a combination of LED displays and LCD interior systems which were synchronized and had a solid, consistent brand and message running throughout the locations). I noticed things were looking splicy (fonts were different, the branding was confusing, and the message outside wasn't consistent with the content inside). Specials advertised on the LED Sign weren't synced up with the LCD displays and the information wasn't correct. I asked the manager what happened. They replied management decided to have one department manage the LED displays (to bring in customers) and another marketing team would handle the interior LCD displays. The teams weren't talking and there was nobody in charge of the complete package to ensure the message was constant and consistent across platforms. The regional manager eventually got everyone to go to a site and they agreed to have one person be responsible for the overall program. When too many people are given control, nobody really has control. Make sure the DS system in place has a definitive person and/or place where, "The buck stops" when it comes to management and content choices.

DS is awesome to work with. After attending the CES (Commercial Electronics Show) in Las Vegas this month, my brain is flooded with the amazing possibilities to integrate new technology to make DS more interactive, more dynamic, and not just about the LCD screen, but the overall experience. The failure of a technology isn't in what it can deliver, it's in how the technology is managed and used.

Make sure whatever DS solution is recommended, the client is comfortable with the system and confident in how to use it to get the most out of their displays. The reason Digital Signage doesn't work isn't because of the displays, or the content, or the systems. At the end of the day, the reason is as simple as someone not taking the time to speak with a client and make sure they get what they need. There's an urge to sell everyone a sports car when they really need a pickup truck. Listen to the client and deliver the right system for their situation and you'll come out with a much better solution at the end of the day.

Please comment here or send questions or requests for information to deacon@vantageled.com. Vantage LED has white paper resources and more educational material on the website (http://www.vantageled.com), please check it out when you have a moment. Note all posts/thoughts/writings are strictly the viewpoint of me and me alone and do not reflect nor speak for Vantage LED’s beliefs, attitudes, thoughts, etc. unless specifically noted.attitudes, thoughts, etc. unless specifically noted.

Digital Signage Need to Know- Custom Content -vs- "Stock" or In-House Content

“Sign, sign, everywhere a sign
Blockin' out the scenery, breakin' my mind
Do this, don't do that, can't you read the sign?”

This 1970 song from the Canadian rock group “The Five Man Electrical Band” was very popular “back in the day” and is really about intolerance and exclusion.

Today, the sign industry, with the help of a few aging hippies might re-write the tune to ask this question:

“Sign, sign, everyone has a sign
One on every street corner, burnin’ my mind,
Do this, don’t do that, who'll read the sign?”

You have to admit, there are many examples of very ineffective outdoor advertising messages in every city across America. Sadly, even "fumble fingers" typos can create chaos as evidenced by the above image from my Elementary School (decades ago).  

Even the use of decent “stock content” instead of “custom content” allows a missed opportunity to occur. This issue is not unique to the LED sign industry and is merely an extension of conventional outdoor media messaging.

Why does a business (end user) make this mistake? I suspect it’s for one of two reasons:

• They do not see the value of custom content or know the true cost of spending a few extra bucks for a professionally produced message to really squeeze every nickel of effectiveness from their LED sign investment. They think it's much more expensive than it truly is.

• They are over-confident in their business’ ability to produce usable and effective in-house content or willing to risk losing sales with a stock message. And they do not look at the true cost of making their own slides or animation- it's not FREE.

Perhaps the business owner is proud of their new LED display but they forget it’s not the LED display itself that’s important, it’s the message. Bright, shiny and flashy does not guarantee an increase in sales. “WIFM- what’s in it for me?” is the question in each passerby’s mind and the LED display has to step up and answer that question to be effective.

The LED display is “on stage” and it has to deliver something great to be seen in the vast sea of other outdoor media. Remember 5 years ago when you could run any content on the LED display and be a standout? Those days are gone!

If the message does not “grab” the audience, the animation does not catch their attention, or if the colors turn them off then the LED display is not any better than a conventional sign.

As I wrote this, I thought about identifying the many rules of developing better in-house content:

Short and sweet. Not too wordy. Size of the characters appropriate for the distance viewed.  Good color. Good animation. Correct message for the target audience. Correct grammar, spelling, punctuation. Call to action!

That's it. But really- who cares? I’m not an advertising design professional, so trying to provide usable detail on the rules of design and trying to evaluate which Adobe product is required to create the ad copy or animation is beyond my keen. I can’t do it either! 

If you need to learn these basic rules and the other 100 that also exist, now is not the time to do so. Now is the time to find a way to provide custom content designed to “wow” your customer as he or she drives by at 50 mph- TODAY. Hire a professional content service that can deliver something "eye-popping" and unique.

Explore the market. Do your due diligence to identify a source for custom content to optimize the effectiveness of your LED display and make sure that the original investment in the hardware isn’t wasted by running an ineffective message.

Thank you Rick Ostman for the use of your LED sign image from our old K-6 school!

 

 

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

Digital Signage Need To Know: New technology making things simpler with LED Signage

-Deacon Wardlow

Depending on your age and or location, you may have come across a piece of living history either through personal use or at an antique store or flea market. At the company's peak, Underwood typewriter sales equaled (in quantity) the sum total of all their competitor's typewriters and they were churning out typewriters in Hartford, CT at a rate of one per minute. many of the classic Underwoods (specifically the No 5 model) are still around and work just as well now as they did when they were fresh off the factory floor. Simple elegance.

Technology is complicated, but manufacturers are constantly striving for simplicity. Smartphones have few, if any, buttons and rarely come with instruction manuals as the interfaces are very intuitive. At one time, computers were massive machines for business or science and now a powerful PC can fit in your back pocket (just be careful when you sit down). The driving force behind this systematic simplification is both ease-of-use and to lessen points of failure.

SSD (Solid State Drives) were developed to lower the weight and power consumption in computers, increase efficiency, and decrease failure rates (as "regular" hard drives contain spinning discs which can become damaged corrupting data and possibly outright making a paperweight out of a decent computer). LED and Digital Signage (DS) systems, are constantly moving towards streamlining and simplification taking place as well. Controllers take advantage of SSD technology, photo cells are being replaced with software programming (no more photo cell failure at midnight "blinding" passer-bys). Where are manufacturers going from here?

Temperature probes are dinosaurs. Asphalt and Concrete cause temperature readings to spike during the day and wind/rain can cause actual temperature readings to drop down. Manufacturers are starting to rely on national databases for accurate readings. Even software (the old standby) is going away and being replaced with Mobile Device Apps, cloud-based controls, and more universally accessible "anytime, anywhere" driven control systems. It's interesting how the more our technology is driven forward, the "simpler" and more streamlined it gets.

Keep an eye on the market, you'll see changes for the better with manufacturers who care about influencing the direction of the industry. The dinosaurs will likely fall behind, but that's how technology works. Typewriters are replaced by computers, computers are replaced by tablets and smartphones, old technology makes way for new. Make sure you're working with a manufacturer who's ahead of the game and not falling behind.

-DH

*I invite you to comment here and/or email me directly with requests at deacon@vantageled.com. Vantage LED has white paper resources and more educational material on the website (http://www.vantageled.com), please check it out when you have a moment. Note all posts/thoughts/writings are strictly the viewpoint of me and me alone and do not reflect nor speak for Vantage LED’s beliefs, attitudes, thoughts, etc. unless specifically noted.

Digital Signage Need to Know: Don't Be the Beta for a Manufacturer

-Deacon Wardlow

When a new product, software or service is developed there are several stages before a full release. With software, this is often noted in the version number, anything under 1 is a pre-release version which is still in development (ranging anywhere from 0.01 through to 0.99). Hardware often follows the same arrangement, though different manufacturers and different products will use different codes or designations. Beta testing can be fun and interesting. I've had the pleasure of testing out various hardware and software systems in early beta (from video games and toys through to lasers and solid state lighting devices). The point of a beta program is to shake out as many of the "bugs" as possible and have an ideal product/service which is ready for the market.

Sometimes a company is anxious to get going and they skip a few steps. Perhaps testing was rushed a bit. Maybe they didn't follow-up on all of the feedback on the product or felt some "bugs" were actually feature sets which were misunderstood and just needed a little documentation. The company ultimately deems when something is out of beta and ready for release. Unfortunately, sometimes a consumer is stuck with a product which is really still a beta, only you paid for the privilege to be the guinea pig.

Be wary of untested technology. Make sure you're not an unwitting beta-tester for a manufacturer's newest tech. While many new technologies are slight twists/applications of tried-and-true product which has been available but not applied in the unique manner the manufacturer is doing, many technologies are relatively untested in the market and require a period of thorough evaluation before a manufacturer should release them. Here are a few questions to ask your manufacturer and evaluate their innovations (and to be sure you're not on the receiving end of a potential nightmare waiting to happen):

1. What innovations has your company come out with in the last year and how do they stand apart from other companies?
2. Why are you implementing/integrating these innovations? What does the product (and the dealer/end-user) gain from the innovation(s)?
3. How was the innovation(s) tested, integrated and implemented?
4. How long was your testing and how many systems do you have active in the field with the new technology in place? 
5. How long have the new systems/technology been out and in the field?
6. Is there any other company using this technology and how long have they used it for?
7. What problems did you note when you tested the new technology and how did you overcome the issues? 
8. What downside is there to this new technology?

Don't be a beta. Make sure the manufacturer you're working with is innovative and a leader in the industry, but ensure they're careful with their innovations and are constantly looking to ensure you (and your clients) receive the best product with the best assurances. While it's important to be in front and leading, you want to make sure they know where they're going. There are some roads which are hard to return from...

*I invite you to comment here and/or email me directly with requests at deacon@vantageled.com. Vantage LED has white paper resources and more educational material on the website (http://www.vantageled.com), please check it out when you have a moment. Note all posts/thoughts/writings are strictly the viewpoint of me and me alone and do not reflect nor speak for Vantage LED’s beliefs, attitudes, thoughts, etc. unless specifically stated.

Recipe for success: How to make a successful EMC/LED Sign sales program in 5 easy steps.

-Deacon Wardlow

Thanksgiving got me thinking about recipes. The recipes I’ve had the most luck with tend to be incredibly simple. They’ve been handed-down from friends and family, tested, tweaked, and altered-to-taste over the years until they’re just right. Following along this idea, I present a recipe for success with Digital Outdoor LED Signage:

Ingredients

- an awesome resource/partner for manufacturing of your Digital Signage product
- an educated, informed and motivated sales team
- resources and sales tools to help the sales team effectively sell the product
- resources/documentation for your sales/installation/service and PM teams
- a great sales rep from your partner who not goes beyond just quoting options and helps you find the best fit for each and every client

Instructions

Qualify your partner. Don’t accept a company who’s going to be an ok vendor/source for product. You should have higher expectations from a manufacturer. The manufacturer needs to be an active partner, ensuring you get everything you need to be successful with sales. When you can’t close on a sale, you should be able to go back to the manufacturer and discuss what went right/wrong and get assistance (sales training, tools, resources, information) to help close on the next deal. Don’t accept anything at face value, really dig into the manufacturer and make sure they cover all bases. Checkout some of the hard questions and other resources we’ve created to ensure you’re making the right decision for a partnership.

Educate your sales team. Your manufacturing partner should have educational resources to help your sales team effectively discuss and source the best solution with clients. The sales team for sign companies have enough on their plate to deal with and learn, the partner should make it easy for them to feel confident/knowledgeable selling the product.

Analyze your client’s needs. The manufacturing partner should have resources for you to be able to quickly, effectively, and easily handle this. The best solution for a client is not always the most expensive product. Sometimes, the cheaper option is the most effective solution for your client and sourcing the best solution, every time, will build a solid reputation for you as the go-to business.

Bring it home to your team and make sure the majority agrees the partner is an effective, price-conscious and quality solution for both your company and your clients. Dynamic LED Signage is a long term investment for your clients. Make sure you’re sourcing the best solution with the best engineering to provide a system which will last out the lifetime expectancy. Signage isn’t a purchase, it’s an investment in the long-term success of a business and you need to make sure your client is getting everything they expect for the cost of that investment.

The recipe for success is simple and straightforward. Don’t be misled by weird add-ons and misdirection. If your choice of manufacturer can’t give you a simple explanation or a quick response on your need, assess if the relationship is everything you want it to be and find a  partner who can meet your needs to make the recipe work each and every time.

*I invite you to comment here and/or email me directly with requests at deacon@vantageled.com. Vantage LED has white paper resources and more educational material on the website (http://www.vantageled.com), please check it out when you have a moment. Note all posts/thoughts/writings are strictly the viewpoint of me and me alone and do not reflect nor speak for Vantage LED’s beliefs, attitudes, thoughts, etc. unless specifically stated.

Negative Electronic Message Center Buying Experience

"Somewhere, over the..."

“Since the object of sign boards was to attract the public, they were often of an elaborate character. Not only were the signs themselves large and sometimes of great artistic merit (especially in the 16th and 17th centuries, when they reached their greatest vogue) but the posts or metal supports protruding from the houses over the street, from which the signs were swung, were often elaborately worked, and many beautiful examples of wrought-iron supports survive both in England and continental Europe.” 1

There is very compelling history related to the use of outdoor signage and few would argue the importance of signs to identify a business, give directions, or to provide other timely communication. Whether the sign is a terracotta signboard from ancient Rome, or a state-of-the art outdoor LED electronic billboard, every sign has a lifespan.

Great expectations accompany the birth of a sign. The small business, like an expectant parent, invests both money and time before the Electronic Message Center (EMC) project arrives. They’ve spoken with several sign companies, reviewed many project bids, perhaps secured financing, obtained permits and other permissions and do not take the arrival of their new flashy “electronic baby” lightly.

It is a large investment that they have made, and they have waited patiently during the manufacturing gestation period. When the “freight company stork” delivers the EMC project to the sign company for installation, congratulatory cigars are broken out for all!

The sign company has high expectations too. They have fought hard to win the contract, perhaps weathered price concessions, spent much time designing the total sign project, obtained the permits… and their list goes on, perhaps longer than the end-user’s list.

The Electronic Message Center (EMC) is finally installed and turned on- “WOW- pretty lights!”

At the moment when their new EMC gets powered up for the first time, the “gold at the end of the rainbow” has been found. But just as fast as the beautiful rainbow vanishes, so do the dreams of improved sales and company branding as service issues begin with a problem EMC.

A negative buyer experience is a commercial tragedy for the end-user, the sign company, the community and the industry.

Why?

1) End-users and sign companies have expectations that are legitimate and should be easily met with quality EMC product that is readily available.

2) An EMC that is not reliable does more damage to the brand image of the end-user and the sign company than never installing the sign. Which LED Sign Manufacturer?

3) The cost for servicing a low-quality EMC can greatly exceed any profit realized in the transaction for the reseller, even with a great profit margin project. Cost of Service

4) Time is important- wasting time servicing and dealing with customer complaints cost time, and time is real money.

5) Every EMC project is a direct reflection on the industry. Each new EMC is seen by thousands of passing motorists not only once it’s powered-up, but also during the installation!  A reliable EMC with gorgeous content can drive additional sales, but a poor EMC project presentation can make an end-user think twice or stick with conventional signage.

6) The old adage “There’s never enough time to do it right, but there’s always time to do it over” causes pain for some sign companies. Their supply chain has repeatedly disappointed them with poor-quality product and service, but the promise of a cheap EMC has provided the hope that the next project will be that one “winning project”. With the wrong supplier, it never happens.

Buy smart from a domestic supplier that has a proven track record of performance and who can provide references. Always insist that your product conforms to the National Electrical Code requirements and is certified by a Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratory.

Do your homework and do not allow a fantasy promise of a “free lunch” on EMC pricing to cause long-term pain and disappointment with the end-user customer. There is a finite number of customers, embrace and satisfy each one of them, no exceptions. When you do this, you will also be protecting the reputation of the industry.

1-  Wikipedia reference: “signage”.

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 stated.

Quality in the components: How a single capacitor or process can make a HUGE difference.

-Deacon Wardlow

It’s the little things in life which can make a huge difference. Reaching into your pocket and finding a dime which makes for exact change at the coffee shop or being glad you paid that little extra to buy the nicer watch which has lasted for years when others have long been retired to the back of the catch-all drawer. Over time, electronic components have become more versatile, more reliable and cheaper. The difference between a high-end and a low-end capacitor can be a few pennies. It doesn't seem like much, but those pennies make a big difference to a manufacturer who buys hundreds of thousands of them.

if you’ve ever had to run a home DIY project, you’ve gone to the hardware store and picked out the bits and pieces you needed. Maybe you noticed a few different types of nails and you buy a bunch of the cheaper ones to save a few dollars on a project that is already going over budget. If you’ve been there, you’ve probably also noticed how those cheaper nails bent, wouldn’t go in easily, and (in many cases) just didn’t get the job done. You go back and spend a few dollars more and find the slightly more expensive nails really made a difference. The same thing occurs in manufacturing.

A manufacturer will look at the overall performance and the failure rate of a component. Component X costs 5 cents less than Component Y, but it’s prone to a 5% higher failure rate. The manufacturer looks at how many they’re buying, how important to the performance of the system that component is, and will decide whether it’s worth the cost savings to put the cheaper component in and put up with a few RMA replacements vs. the greater expense of the more reliable (and costly) unit.

How much attention to detail is paid by the manufacturer of choice? You have to ask them. How do they source their parts? How much of a failure tolerance does the manufacturer have? When they look at processes which could extend the lifetime optimal performance of the system (for example, conformal coating on power supplies), do they see the value added for the end-user or do they see an expense they don’t want to be burdened with?

When a manufacturer is pinching pennies, it doesn’t always mean those savings are passed along to you. They likely sell the same system at the same price (and often a higher cost) than the competition and you’re stuck playing a game of chance to see if the components will function for the projected lifetime of the system or if “Warranty Deadline” day comes and goes and things start falling apart well before their time.

Make sure you’re being told, up front, what really goes into the system you’re investing in. Make sure neither you, nor the manufacturer are saving a few pennies now which will cost a lot of dollars to fix later. Usually the axiom “penny saved is a penny earned,” is a good one. In this case, the manufacturer reaps rewards and the buyer ends up with the risk. You’re investing in them by choosing the manufacturer as a partner, make sure they’re making the right decisions to ensure your investment and trust are well placed.

*I invite you to comment here and/or email me directly with requests at deacon@vantageled.com. Vantage LED has white paper resources and more educational material on the website (http://www.vantageled.com), please check it out when you have a moment. Note all posts/thoughts/writings are strictly the viewpoint of me and me alone and do not reflect nor speak for Vantage LED’s beliefs, attitudes, thoughts, etc. unless specifically stated.

LED Sign 101: Myths and Misunderstandings about LED/EMC/Digital Signage

-Deacon Wardlow

Technology is confusing. Looking from the outside-in, one would think the people in technology-sector jobs work hard to keep it that way. NITs, Lux, Flux, EMC, LED, EDS, OOH, DOOH, OA, IC, RJ-45, DVI, HDMI, and the alphabet soup list goes on and on. To clarify things I put together an online (PDF) reference guide (The ABCs of LED Displays); there are still a lot of myths and misunderstandings about LED Signage out there and it almost seems like you need a “Geek Speak” interpreter so here are a few of my favorite myths/misunderstandings simply answered and explained.

LEDs last forever!
That’d be great, but unfortunately, this is not the case. Most LEDs sourced for LED Signage are carefully qualified to last 100,000+ hours (24/7 = 11.4 years, 18/7 = 14.8 years, 12/7= 22.8 years, 8/7 = 34.2 years... a fairly long time for a produced light source!). With proper care and strategic use of heat sinks, it’s possible to get even more optimal lifetime performance before the LED is no longer good. What happens at the end? LEDs don’t really “die” like other light sources. They gradually dim over time. Given enough time, they reach a point where they degrade beyond usefulness (the agreed upon level is less than 70% of the original starting brightness levels = LED “death”).

There’s a bright-light race in the industry and some companies will stoop low to achieve high light levels. Be cautious about manufacturers who tout super bright LEDs, it’s possible they’re overdriving the LED (running a larger amount of power than is recommended and thus increasing the light output, but shortening the lifetime of the LED). Many achieve brightness through fair-play practice, but “caveat emptor” (buyer beware) still reigns out there.

All LED Signs are the same...
With LED signs (as with life) not all things are equal. You’ve got to dig deeper and go beyond the LED. There was a time when due diligence meant what LED is the company using, that’s simply not enough. It’s important to know the LED source is solid and proven to last, but you’ve got to check the other components. Are the power supplies good? How does the manufacturer prevent oxidation on sensitive contacts and leads on the PCB (printed circuit board) in their sign and in the components? Is the software simple to use? Are the communications reliable (and if wireless, do they operate in the 5GHz range as opposed to the 2.4GHz (2.4GHz is more prone to interference)? A knowledgeable salesperson should be able to explain all this and more in easy-to-grasp terminology an show how the overall system performs to meet your needs.

Virtual Resolution is a sham!
This is only true if the manufacturer represents a “virtual” system as containing the same quality as a real pixel (for example a 20mm 64x128 LED sign which is virtualized, saying it’s the same as a 10mm 128x256 LED sign). You can read more on virtualization here.

Size doesn’t matter...
Not true with LED Signage. Make sure what you’re getting quoted is based on the matrix (number of pixels high by number of pixels wide). Some manufacturers and resellers go by size alone. Check this blog on size issues. Systems are rarely standardized across manufacturers and unfortunately this means the retainer (border, if one exists) can be anywhere from 1.5” around the viewing size to 7”. That’s a fairly large difference.

There’s a lot of misdirection and half-truths out there. Please take the time to dig deeper and learn more about the product line before you buy so you’re sure what you’re getting is what you want. A little time spent up front to ensure you’re getting the best system at a fair price will save you a lot of time and money on the back end.

*I invite you to comment here and/or email me directly with requests at deacon@vantageled.com. Vantage LED has white paper resources and more educational material on the website (http://www.vantageled.com), please check it out when you have a moment. Note all posts/thoughts/writings are strictly the viewpoint of me and me alone and do not reflect nor speak for Vantage LED’s beliefs, attitudes, thoughts, etc. unless specifically stated.

Is your Digital Signage creating a call to action?

-Deacon Wardlow

Oil change $19.99. Bottomless cup of coffee: $0.99! Sale! Town Hall meeting: 7pm. A lot of Digital Signage is failing the target audience. We push out information without considering the medium nor the end-result. Digital Signage is dynamic, alive, changeable and still unique enough to be eye-catching for even the most mundane of messages (time and temperature).

Without a call to action, Digital Signage falls flat. What is the reason for the target audience to do anything other than forget your message when they’ve passed by the display? Regardless of the medium (LED Sign, LCD, DLP, etc.) content which lacks a call to action fails.

A call to action doesn’t have to be a clarion call to the masses. Simply adding a small touch, a few words to something changes the nature of the message and makes it more appealing to the audience:

OLD: Oil Change $19.99
New: Meet Bubba, have a cup of coffee & an Oil Change, all for $19.99

OLD: Coffee: $0.99!
NEW: Free coffee with cup rental: $0.99!

OLD: Town hall meeting: 7pm
NEW: Be heard and be a part of the community, Town Hall Meeting @ 7pm!

The call to action is often lacking and this underutilizes a valuable resource for communication to your audience. A monologue (Coffee: $0.99) becomes an intriguing message which potentially leads to a stop-in (Free coffee with cup rental: $0.99!). Having your audience connect with you draws them in, makes your message more memorable, more effective, and your signage becomes dynamic.

Put a special on (i.e. free drink for the best joke emailed to: _____@email.com), give people something in return for their taking the time to stop in or do something. Put up messages with no other purpose than to make someone smile (give a person a smile and they’ll remember you and come looking for more).

The next time you’re putting together a message, ask yourself if it contains a call to action. If it doesn’t, step back and see how it can be modified to turn the monologue into a dialogue. You have the opportunity to start a great conversation, make it happen today!

*I invite you to comment here and/or email me directly with requests at deacon@vantageled.com. Vantage LED has white paper resources and more educational material on the website (http://www.vantageled.com), please check it out when you have a moment. Note all posts/thoughts/writings are strictly the viewpoint of me and me alone and do not reflect nor speak for Vantage LED’s beliefs, attitudes, thoughts, etc. unless specifically stated.

Protecting your Investment: Dragon Skin™

-Deacon Wardlow 

I was checking out the new Dragon Skin™ coating (get the white paper here) at Vantage LED and asked one of the engineers how they came up with the idea. When discussion of coating materials came up, an engineer mentioned possibly partnering with a chemical manufacturer to produce a new coating material for LED display cabinets. Vantage LED met with the manufacturer of the material in CA and came up with a blend specifically for LED displays which would help protect the cabinet.  


The new Dragon Skin™ is a versatile, rugged and easy-to-use coating for LED display cabinets. The material doesn’t use Volatile Organic Chemicals (VOC) making it a safe and “green” alternative to typical paint applications. The coating results in a highly scratch-resistant exterior which is flexible and allows for the general expansion/shrinkage seen in metal cabinets over time/temperature which will often cause other coatings to crack leaving the metal exposed to the environment and damaging the finish.

The application can be done in a few minutes and curing takes less than 20 seconds. This reduces the overall handling of the cabinet and streamlines manufacturing as well as cutting down on labor costs.

I like how the rugged coating protects the display against the accidental scratches and scrapes involved in crate removal and installation. It also gives the cabinet a nice texture which is distinctive to the Vantage LED cabinets.

Overall, addition of the Dragon Skin™ material to the line offering has been met with great success and is one more way LED Message Center manufacturers are changing and innovating. It’s great to see manufacturers looking at the overall design of their systems and asking what can be improved. Even better when those improvements come quickly so the end-user can benefit!




*Always feel free to comment here and/or email me directly with requests at deacon@vantageled.com. Vantage LED has white paper resources and more educational material on the website (http://www.vantageled.com), please check it out when you have a moment. Advertisements/promotion for your business and inappropriate comments will be deleted.. Thank you!

**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 stated.

Why is powder coating important?

-Deacon Wardlow

Traditional powder coating has been in use for quite some time and you’re likely very familiar with the process. Free flowing, dry powder is utilized. The coating is applied electrostatically and then cured under heat to allow it to flow and form a “skin.” The powder is used to create a hard finish that is tougher than conventional paint. The process binds the powder coating material to the cabinet which physically bonds to the metal making it more resistant to scratches/damage which would expose the cabinet to the elements.

There are several advantages of powder coating:

1. Responsible powder coating emits zero volatile organic compounds (VOC) making it a safe and green alternative to conventional liquid coatings.
2. Powder coatings can produce much thicker coatings than conventional liquid coatings without running or sagging.
3. Powder coating overspray can be recycled and thus it is possible to achieve nearly 100% use of the coating.
4. Powder coating production lines produce less hazardous waste than conventional liquid coatings.
5. Capital equipment and operating costs for a powder line are generally less than for conventional liquid lines allowing cost savings to be passed on to you.
6. Powder coated items generally have fewer appearance differences between horizontally coated surfaces and vertically coated surfaces than liquid coated items.
7. A wide range of specialty effects is easily accomplished which would be impossible to achieve with other coating processes.

Powder coating is quickly becoming a required standard for high-quality LED message center manufacture. Make sure your investment is properly protected. Accept no imitations. While many coatings may appear similar, you’ll see the difference when you try to scratch beneath the surface.





*Always feel free to comment here and/or email me directly with requests at deacon@vantageled.com. Vantage LED has white paper resources and more educational material on the website (http://www.vantageled.com), please check it out when you have a moment. Advertisements/promotion for your business and inappropriate comments will be deleted.. Thank you!

**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 stated.

How much does an LED Sign or Digital Signage cost?

- Deacon Wardlow

Many people ask how much a Digital Signage solution (LED Sign, interior or exterior LCD/Plasma/etc.) costs. While they mean well, many points are overlooked or not addressed up-front. The sweet smell of a low price is replaced by the lasting bitter taste of a system which underperforms and potentially costs both the dealer and the end user money and reputation. Let’s take a quick look at the basics of what you need to know when looking at the “cost” of a digital signage system.

Objective:
What does the end-user want from the system? Are they looking for a direct ROI (Return On Investment) or ROO (Return On Objective) or perhaps a blend of both? You need to know where you want to end up before you start the process.

Location:
Where is the system being placed? Is there appropriate power? Can communication be setup quickly or are there special site requirements (i.e. an outdoor LED Message Center requiring a hard-wired connection where there are currently no feeds available which will require trenching, a remote connection or wireless integration)?

Content Creation/Management:
Who is creating and managing the content? A Digital Signage solution (LED message Center, interior, etc.) is only as good as the content running on it. Digital signage which remains the same day-in and day-out for weeks on end will quickly lose any appeal for customers and badly created/managed content can negatively brand the business. Over-repetition of “THIS MONTH ONLY!” specials, poor color contrast choices (i.e. blue text on a red background which not only hurts the eyes but is difficult to read), and other poor content creation/management judgement can do more harm than good. Remember, customers are not sitting at that screen for a long time. You have (at most) 5-10 seconds to make an impression. Make it BIG, make it fast and keep it simple.

The Equipment:
These are professional commercial-grade systems. You can’t just go to a store and pick something off the shelf and expect it to perform for you. Just as businesses buy commercial-grade computers (servers) meant to run systems 24/7/365, your Digital Signage solution needs to be commercial grade. While there are many manufacturers who offer a cost-conscious model to meet end-user demand remember the caveat, you get what you pay for.

A ‘source’ vs a ‘RESOURCE’:
Make sure the source you purchase your digital signage from is also a resource (not just someone selling you a system, but actively working with you to ensure you have the right system to meet the site need, end-user requirements and has everything it will require to function properly before and AFTER the sale). While there are many people/businesses out there who will sell you a system to meet your basic needs, where will they be when/if there’s a problem? Will they be there to walk you through issues on setup/installation and if the system fails?

Overall, there are a lot of components to be aware of when figuring the cost of a system. To be truly successful, you need a partnership between the resource/manufacturer, the integrator/dealer and the end-user. Great achievements are rarely made by a single individual, there’s usually a team of people behind that achievement. When pricing a system, don’t go it alone. Work with an experienced dealer/manufacturer so when you get the price, neither you nor the end-user are surprised by the real costs down the road.




*Always feel free to comment here and/or email me directly with requests at deacon@vantageled.com. Vantage LED has white paper resources and more educational material on the website (http://www.vantageled.com), please check it out when you have a moment. Advertisements/promotion for your business and inappropriate comments will be deleted.. Thank you!

**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 stated.

Silent LED Message Center Killers: Heat

-Deacon Wardlow

Heat kills LEDs. The death knell of a typical Red-Green-Blue (RGB) full color LED display is seen in depreciated light quality, poor color quality and eventually a dim, dying sign. Typical lights dissipate heat by radiating the heat outward from the source. LEDs unfortunately hold the heat in and high temperature slowly breaks down the components causing a multitude of problems. Red LEDs burn out faster and this is usually seen on a message center when  “clean white” turns to a bluish hue because of the lack of strong Red LED components.

Thermal (heat) management is critical to the longevity and continued high-level of performance for a message center. Manufacturers tend to deal with thermal management in a variety of ways:

• Heat sinks (metal spread out and “finned” to allow for heat to draw away from the LED and let passive/active airflow over the fins dissipate heat buildup
• MCPCB (Metal Core Printed Circuit Board) – a rare option due to increased expense
• Separation – a popular method, LEDs are separated from the circuit board using longer “legs” which allows for air flow to draw heat from the LED through the extended legs, unfortunately proper placement/setting of LEDs is difficult and can result in bad contacts which leave “dead pixels” on a sign.

All the above methods serve to draw heat away from the LED source thus keeping the LED relatively cool and ensuring the highest performance and longest life possible. With this in mind, here are LED killers to watch for on an LED module (also known as a driver/board):

1.    ANY type of heavy/dark silicone coating on the back of an LED PCB (Printed Circuit Board: Silicone coatings have the benefit of reducing exposure to condensation which can oxidize metals, but it’s better to use a light conformal PCB coating. Heavy silicone coatings trap heat and don’t leave any place for the heat to be drawn away. Be wary of modules with “heat sinks” as the heat sinks often don’t have trace leads (metal pathways from the LED to the heat sink) and thus do not work to reduce heat on the overall module.

2.    LEDs which have no louvered (shaded) protection: the louvers on a face plate for an LED module act like an umbrella at the beach. They serve a dual purpose of allowing LEDs to shine their brightest in daylight conditions while also giving them some protection from direct overhead sun  exposure. If you see a face plate with exposed silicone, be especially wary. The silicone acts as a sealant to protect the LED module face from weather elements, but an exposed silicone coating is prone to UV (Ultra Violet) solar radiation which will crack the sealant and cause eventual exposure to the elements which will kill the module over time.

3.    LED modules which are “fully enclosed” from the rear: Picture a medieval knight in full armor standing in the summer sun, that knight is likely more than a little warm. While the rear seal plating looks great on an LED module and it sounds good to have a “waterproof” LED module, the plating doesn’t ultimately protect the LED, it harms the LEDs in a module because heat has no source to vent off to. If the manufacturer is using a rear-face module, have them show you a cutaway or internal view to see how they’re drawing heat to the back plate. If they aren’t drawing heat from the LEDs to the back plate, they’re slowly killing your sign.

Ask the manufacturer how they protect your investment. How do they deal with heat in the message center? If they do any of the three “killers,” be VERY wary of investing your name, brand and reputation with them…




*Always feel free to comment here and/or email me directly with requests at deacon@vantageled.com. Vantage LED has white paper resources and more educational material on the website (http://www.vantageled.com), please check it out when you have a moment. Advertisements/promotion for your business and inappropriate comments will be deleted.. Thank you!

**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 stated.