Among the ISA Expo seminars was an introduction to the industry standard Digital Signage Certified Experts (DSCE) presented by the Digital Signage Experts Group. The seminar reviewed the seven key elements of digital signage. It argued the merits of “content as king,” the roles of hardware and software, and the objectives of digital signage.

One of the key issues that must be addressed by anyone entering the digital signage market – consumer or sign manufacturer - is service. You can have the best and biggest digital signage display in Harford County. It can be powered by impactful software that changes every hour. But you have the same challenge as the business down the street with a vinyl banner. Who will work on it when it goes down? Who provides the service?

Naturally, you would expect an expert to be available. However, some digital signage companies don’t have on-site repair people. They tell the custom sign manufacturer to send a repair person out to the sign, call a toll-free number, and a technician on the other end of the phone will walk them through the process. They don’t tell you where the technician is located or that he can’t be there immediately to fix the problem.

The best digital signage is backed up by warranties and a strong service program. Established companies like Watchfire and Daktronics offer local customer support with trained technicians. They will be the ones in the field repairing any failed LEDs or hardware issues. They won’t be on the phone with someone in another country. They will be hands-on until the challenge is overcome, putting the customer first – and that means both the sign installer and the end user.

Ask your digital signage provider who their digital signage manufacturer will be. If customer support is not a priority, think twice about investing in digital signage.

Digital Signage Today, a leading industry website, developed an infographic to showcase the prevalence of digital signage in everyday life. From health clubs to restaurant signage, grocery stores to movie theaters, if you really think about it, you see digital signage everywhere. Digital Signage Today cites an Arbitron study that shows “70 percent of Americans are exposed to place-based video screens every month, and 52 percent are every week.” The infographic is below, but before peeking, think about a typical day:

7 a.m.: Health club signage shows current events and weather; flat screens inside show club activities
8 a.m.: Coffee shop has a digital signage menu board
9 a.m.: Outdoor office signage shows occupant names; corporate lobby offers digital kiosk with information on business tenants
Noon: Lunch restaurant features specials on a digital signage menu board
5 p.m.: Grocery store has a digital signage specials board and promotions, as well as a digital kiosk for deli counter orders
5:30 p.m.: Gas station pricing reflected on digital signage display
7 p.m.: Movie theater signage has current movie times and ratings; purchase tickets at a digital kiosk

Click to view the infographic.

If you're interested in acquiring digital signage for your business, contact Blue Water Signs today.

Digital signage was everywhere at this year’s Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas- both as new technology and as exhibit signage. We’ve already talked about the forecasts for this category, and it is quite the rage for the industry. Digital signage is penetrating Maryland office signs, outdoor signs and custom business signs. Digital signage allows you to create customized signage each and every day by changing your message and tailoring it to your audience.

Companies are making it easier and easier to enter the digital signage market with custom business signs. For example, LG showed an EZSign TV designed for business owners, with the accompanying software that allows them to create their own digital signage content. According to an article in Digital Signage Today, the EZSign TV package provides 53 templates and picture-in-picture layouts that display a live TV broadcast within the signage. The content can be loaded onto a USB drive for display, requiring no additional hardware. Chosen product of the year by CRN Magazine, The EZSign TV lets users combine advertisements, information and live TV broadcasts on the same screen. The big screen LED TV provides bright, bold displays and graphics. Like most digital signage displays, it can be mounted on a wall, in a kiosk, or put on a stand for maximum in-store signage flexibility.

If you’re considering digital signage for your Maryland office signs, Blue Water Signs can give you a complete recommendation. Today’s product technology makes the signage more flexible and easier to use. Contact us for more information.

As 2012 blossoms, predictions about the hottest signage trends abound. DigitalSignageToday.com rounded up several industry experts to get their opinions. The result was a general consensus that the digital signage market will see growth in both big screen and portable devices, with both becoming more affordable. The digital out-of-home (DOOH) space will be used more by advertisers. Marketers will want to reach the on-the-go customer, and digital signage opportunities in places like retail, restaurant and grocery will be the ideal places to do it. More digital signage will make its way into hotels and casinos, health care facilities and business lobbies, and it will be in the forms of video walls and digital kiosks. Many think budgets will shift from traditional media to include this new outlet. But to maintain momentum, results will have to be measurable. Experts also agreed the communication is likely to be interactive. One analyst characterized the market as “flat is the new up,” and signaled that budgets would still remain tight.  

Whatever the future holds, both digital signage and traditional signs serve their respective purposes, as is evident around Harford County. Businesses can be assured that there are options to fit any budget. We recommend keeping the long-term, big picture in mind when choosing your signage. Good signage is an investment that can bring you a return. Let Harford County’s Blue Water Signs recommend the best solutions for your business needs.

As the end of the calendar year looms, you are no doubt looking at plans and budgets for next year. If you do even one trade show or exhibit during the year, consider the image you portray there.

Is it a table with brochures and a candy jar? Hopefully not. Your image at a show is what people will remember. So make your trade show exhibit signage eye-catching and on point with your key messages.

Prominently feature your logo at least once within your space. It should be at or above the visitor’s eye level. Draw your customer in with visually appealing signage that is easy to read. Snappy graphics and digital quality photographs are a must.  

The exhibit can be portable with graphics on a foldable board, or it can be much more elaborate and feature digital signage that customizes your message for each show you attend. Regardless of the size or media, you can make a good impression within a reasonable budget. Make sure whatever you choose will look clean and consistent every time, no matter who sets it up. Use your exhibit signage to communicate your pride as a business owner and your image will be remembered.  

 

The holiday season is upon us. The crowds are gathering, and signs are screaming “Bargains!”

Is your signage ready? If not, don’t feel like you’ve missed the sleigh ride. You still have options and a little time. Some attractive lawn signs will work wonders to draw customers into your store. Simple point-of-purchase signs will also communicate your messages clearly. Both can be done quickly, easily and at a reasonable price.    

Of course, if you have a digital sign, you’re living the holiday sign dream. This is the most cost-efficient, updatable medium of communication, and holiday time is the time to cash in on these benefits. You can change the signage with the change of specials, inventory, new offers, and more. As we mentioned in our last blog post, the flexibility and technology really bring you the ROI. Whether you sell toys, show tickets or Santa photos, with some easy-to-use software, your message is at your fingertips. And with that worry aside, you can spend more time spreading good cheer with satisfied customers.

This is the time of year that forecasters predict market growth figures, and the digital signage industry is no different. While recent announcements have cited many different numbers, they all point to growth. ABI Research estimates the industry will more than triple in dollar volume - from $1.3 billion in 2010 to $4.5 billion by 2016. Intel predicted 10 million media players and 22 million digital signs by 2015.

Why such positive growth for such a high-ticket item?

It’s like a circle. The key reasons are flexibility, technology and ROI. Digital signage gives you flexible messages, the technology just continues to evolve to make it easier, and users are seeing a return on their investment because of the message flexibility.
 
If you’re a retailer, you’ve seen the impact already – either in your own store or at competitors’ locations. Corporate and transportation industries are also among the top areas to utilize digital signage. In Harford County, you can see it from sporting facilities and athletic clubs to banks, schools and churches. It is anticipated that the healthcare and hospitality sectors will become major players in the industry in the coming years. These industries see the circle of results from flexibility, technology and ROI and back again.

If you’re a small business in Harford County, you’ve seen the digital signs popping up all over the community.  Perhaps you’ve wondered how you can make this technology work for you. Here are five tips to consider if you’re yearning for digital:

• Know the three key components – hardware, software and content. Figure out your budget and then explore your options. Unless you’re an expert in any one of these areas, look for companies that offer the complete package.
• Don’t let the hardware scare you. Digital signage comes in all shapes and sizes. Be sure you are happy with the picture quality. There are many choices in pixel spacing which will impact the resolution of the sign. Your customers’ viewing distance and the type of message you choose will play a big part in determining the best resolution for your needs.     
• Digital software packages should be easy to use, customize and update. They should be intuitive and allow flexibility in formatting and messaging.
• Make sure you are committed to updating content regularly. Whether you get it from an outside source or create it yourself, you’ll need to give your audience a reason to look at the signage over and over again.
• Plan for a sign maintenance package that will replace any burned out LEDs immediately and keep your sign in good working order.  

Most importantly, whether you are looking for medical signs, church signs or legal signs, be sure your signage, digital or otherwise, reflects your company’s image and goals.

  

Digital Place-Based Advertising (also called Digital Out-Of-Home advertising, these are the digital TV displays and billboards you see at strategically targeted locations to reach a particular audience) and outdoor signage are fast-growing sectors of the signage market, according to the recent release of figures from the DPAA – Digital Place-Based Advertising Association. The digital place-based sector ranked second only to syndicated television advertising revenue for the first half of 2011. Advertising revenue for the digital place-based sector grew by more than 16 percent over the first half of last year. That’s more than five times the growth rate of the U.S. ad industry overall, which grew just over three percent.

Outdoor advertising signage revenue grew 11.8 percent for the same period.

These advertising sectors are growing because they are able to target consumers on-the-go. Venues such as airports, stadiums, restaurants, movie theaters, and grocery stores are reaping the benefits of digital and outdoor signage because these are the places people live their everyday lives. If your business is related to any of these venues, either in concept or proximity, taking advantage of digital or outdoor signage is a strategic move. Not only can you target your message, you can reach the consumer close to the point-of-purchase. It increases the chances that you’ll capture that consumer.

Blue Water Signs can help develop the ads to appear on these digital networks. If you even come close to the growth success of this industry, your business will be thriving!

   

Digital signage has gone to a whole new level with facial recognition technology. It’s being used by The Venetian Resort in Las Vegas, Kraft Foods, Adidas and even a group of bar owners in Chicago. The technology scans the viewer’s facial features and tailors marketing messages to him or her. According to Christopher O’Malley, director of retail marketing in Intel’s embedded and communications group, “You can put this technology into kiosks, vending machines and digital signs.”

Despite the privacy issues, companies using facial-recognition technology just want to pinpoint a demographic based on age and gender. Then they can target their ads on-the-spot and get more immediate results.

While Harford County businesses, banks and churches may not be ready for facial recognition technology, digital signage itself is popping up all over the county in Maryland office signs, church signs, and medical office signs. Digital signs help to attract the younger generation, who are used to quick snippets of information and changing messages. With a proven higher viewer recall and retention of digitally displayed messages, digital signage content can break through all the media clutter targeted to the younger generation. It works because it’s woven into their lives - from laptop LCD displays to miniature media players.
 
We’re seeing digital signs mostly in retail areas, but the technology is evolving to include the financial, transportation and hospitality industries. With the right signage, software and message, the elusive younger generation will sit up and take notice.