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

-Scott Hofheins

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

How Much Time?

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

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

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

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

Call to Action and Relevancy

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

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

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

-TSH

I hope this post has been informative and helpful. As usual, I welcome ALL constructive comments. Please feel free to comment and add anything I’ve missed, or additional tips you may have regarding this topic. Please visit www.vantageled.com for many other resources, white papers, and of course: Great looking LED Signs!

**All posts/thoughts/writings are strictly the viewpoint of me and me alone and do not reflect nor speak for Vantage LED’s beliefs, attitudes, thoughts, etc. unless specifically stated.

Digital Signage Need to Know: 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.    

LED Signs, Need to Know: Insurance and Warranty

History:

In the time of King Hammurabi the first hint of today’s modern insurance appeared, carved into a Babylonian obelisk monument. It came to be known as the “Hammurabi Code” and offered a type of basic insurance when a debtor couldn’t repay loans due to a catastrophe- death, flood, disability and more.

Insurance underwriting appeared in the 1600’s as shipping interests between Europe and the Americas started to develop.  Edward Lloyd, an owner of a coffee house, was one of the first to explore this new concept as he provided a meeting place welcomed ship owners and merchants seeking insurance. Does the name Lloyd seem familiar? It should be as Lloyd’s of London is now universally known as a provider of insurance across the globe.

Today fire insurance, property insurance, health insurance and life insurance provide protection and, in the case of life insurance, establish immediate estates for the surviving family.

The basics are simple- spread the risk around, so everyone pays a little to prevent any one person from losing it all.

LED Signs:

If anyone has been involved in the LED sign industry one truth should be clear- stuff breaks. No argument there. If you sat on a pole, 24/7, through storms, heavy traffic, power surges and other insults eventually one of your LED modules might give up too!

What separates a quality LED display from a poorly designed LED display is how often it breaks.  Is it okay for an LED display to fail once per year?  While you may see a service truck out monthly repairing an imported LED display, that high frequency of repair is not common on USA produced products. So, let’s assume one service call per year on your quality LED sign.

Assumptions & Calculation of Service Cost for a Quality Sign Ownership:

Average length of time the sign is owned- 8 years.

Average man hours per service incident- 4 hours at $100/hour.

Average parts cost- $150

Lifetime service cost of ownership = 8 x (($100 x 4) + $150) = $4,400

That’s a lot of money. Wouldn’t it be better to help defray that cost with a 3^rd party insurance plan that had a guaranteed life even beyond the life of the manufacturer or the insurance company?

Warranty versus Insurance:

Is insurance a warranty, or is a warranty some kind of insurance? I think the answer to both questions is “yes”.

It’s smart to ask “what iron-clad assurance can you give me that your LED Sign warranty obligations can be met?”

What if the manufacturing plant slides into the ocean? What if an F-5 tornado hits the plant and wipes out everything?

Did you know that many warranties extended by LED sign distributors and so-called "manufacturers"are not even legal technically? State law tries to help determine how warranty execution is guaranteed in the event the company offering the warranty fails. Many companies ignore these laws against "self insuring" and attach some ridiculous warranty period to their product at the same time they are struggling to pay for their next imported project from Shenzhen, China. They may be one sales deal away from failure as their cash flow approaches zero.  The warranty is as good as their next sale.

Remember the old game of chance where you have 3 cups and a ball? What cup is the ball under? Don't let the old chancy game of "self-insurance" make you guess who's paying for the service.

Having a 3^rd party warranty provider, an insurance company, one deeply involved in the industry who conforms to the legalities of warranties, with reserve funds established is the best way to go. This way service execution is guaranteed even if the 3^rd party warranty provider’s company were to fail. The warranty, or the “insurance” has a life of its own.

Many sign companies and certainly many end-users of LED displays never consider this. However when the time comes for warranty servicing and the upstart "flying by the seat of their pants" LED sign "manufacturer" has long ago closed its doors and folded its operation, the installing LED sign company quickly realizes it has to service that cheap LED sign over and over again. Live and learn, huh? Not too many times however to stay solvent.

Ensure that your project is insured, and that a warranty creates true added value for you and your customer. A 3rd party insurance protection plan provides that assurance.

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: Professional Quality Content on LED Signs Benefit Resellers Directly

-Scott Hofheins We all know that quality content on an LED sign can greatly improve the effectiveness of a display, and increase the direct benefits to the end-user (see our previous posts). Good content can make a sub-par sign look decent and a high quality sign look spectacular, but the end-user isn't the only one who benefits. The LED sign dealer has just as much to gain from strong, high quality content on their network of installed signage. Content is an important factor that is sometimes forgotten by LED sign dealers and end-users alike. The focus naturally tends to lean toward the hardware end (which is very important), but the software and content are often downgraded to side notes in the discussion. As I mentioned in my previous post on time and temperature messages, it’s not enough to just have an LED sign anymore. The public's attention has shifted from the LED sign itself, to the actual content on the sign. This content has to “pop” to get peoples attention to actively read the message. Content management solutions can assist greatly when addressing this need. Whether a dealer or end-user hires their own in-house staff or a third party vendor, everybody wins when the professionals do their job right. Content Quality Not all end-users have a design team that can create high quality graphics for their LED display. Good content for LED display must be high contrast, dynamic and readable. The colors should be vibrant and compliment each other. Too many LED signs look faded and weak, not because if the sign itself, but because of poor color management. Small characters are another bane to the LED sign industry with messages that are too long and overly complex. Professional designers do this for a living and have the fundamental knowledge to address these issues and make sure the sign reaches it’s full potential. . Content Freshness LED signs should have fresh and frequently updated content to keep the attention of the audience over time. However, this doesn't mean playing hundreds of separate messages on the LED display back to back. Fresh content is still focused, but the appearance and approach to the messages can be updated and modified frequently. This can be a challenge for end-users to do consistently when other aspects of running an organization or business become higher priorities. Content Scheduling and Targeting Targeting specific groups is important help end-users get the most out of their LED display. Certain types of customers see the sign during specific times of the day. Showing content directed specifically at these groups increases the effectiveness of the LED display. Some software packages and content services allow for conditional messaging that allows certain messages to be played automatically, according to variables like weather or inventory stock. The focus of the viewing public will continue to shift, and more and more dealers will need to make sure the LED signs they sell look just as good on the outside, as they function on the inside. More and more end-users and potential buyers are saying “I want my sign to look better than that guy...”. As a dealer, you need to be able to demonstrate this with confidence, knowing that the sign you refer them to down the street will look better than “that guy”. Everyone wins when the content looks good. The end-user turns more heads to their organization, the public gets better information, and the dealers can refer potential customers with confidence. Make sure you have all your bases covered when selling LED signs and don’t forget about the content, it really does make a difference! -SH

I hope this post has been informative and helpful. As usual, I welcome ALL constructive comments. Please feel free to comment and add anything I’ve missed, or additional tips you may have regarding this topic. Please visit www.vantageled.com for many other resources, white papers, and of course: Great looking LED Signs!

**All posts/thoughts/writings are strictly the viewpoint of me and me alone and do not reflect nor speak for Vantage LED’s beliefs, attitudes, thoughts, etc. unless specifically stated.