Posted March 21st, 2018 by & filed under , General, Inspiration, Press Release, Technology.
Many businesses are confronted with questions over where their investment is best placed when it comes to their chosen display solution, one of which – possibly the most important – is the question of whether they should invest in digital or print signage. Traditional printed display solutions have been around for a long time; however, recent years have seen the popularity of digital display solutions soar as competition to stand out becomes increasingly difficult.
Cost
If your business relies on signage to drive sales or footfall, effective digital signage is worth a significant investment, especially when considering long term use. The repeated costs of new large format print media quickly add up, a sum that could be saved almost entirely by using digital signage that can be updated at any moment. This is especially useful in the event of damage or a mistake or product / price change, which would normally render your print signage useless. Taking the wider costs of print signage seriously, most deployments of print media involve such burdens as the actual printing, delivery and distribution, display, misprints, administration and labour costs – most of these costs requiring further administration and business infrastructure that could be drastically simplified and reduced by using digital signage.
Effect
One of the reasons digital signage is often considered superior over print signage is arguably the light it produces. The light produced from conventional digital signage screens allows for better visibility compared to printed signage, as audiences are not only drawn by the images on display, but also the light source that is especially effective in darker environments, making it ideal for areas with less than perfect weather.
Furthermore, digital signage screens have incredibly valuable functionality that sees the advertising effect of printed signage dwarfed in comparison. The ability of making your advert move by using digital signage to display videos adds a new dimension to your adverts that stationary print media can never compete with. This allows marketers and merchandisers to bring the effectiveness of the kind of adverts they pay thousands to show on TV to the high street, your store or even place of work.
This point is enforced when considering the various HD/4K digital signage solutions available. Using incredible technologies such as holographic effect, mirror screens or switchable glass screens, the level of what is creatively possible is limitless with the wide range of specialist display solutions constantly being developed.
Reputation
There are numerous accounts that see businesses from all types of markets benefit from switching to digital signage, as businesses large and small throughout the economy report similar findings after they take their first steps towards the future of signage.
This presents a problem for those companies who have not made the switch and still rely on print signage. Using print signage in a world where digital signage is increasing in popularity is likely to put you at an immediate disadvantage compared to your competition. As consumers become increasingly used to seeing digital signage elsewhere, it is a likely consequence that expectations of your advertising output are changing as fast as the commercial landscape. Upon scanning an environment searching for information, offers and new products, consumers will eventually stop looking for dull and stationary print signage– instead, they will begin looking for light emitting screens and moving images as a signal that your business is a modern, up-to-date and successful destination. This is vital when so much of our global economy is based on aspiration.
With aspiration in mind, in a world where social media holds much weight in the advertising world, viral aspirations offer an opportunity to be as creative as possible when it come to digital signage, allowing for incredible options that would surprise viewers. For example, Transparent LED screens, Transparent LCD screens, Mirror Advertising Screens, Switchable Glass screens, Holographic effect screens or even custom shaped projection screens can all be installed in incredibly creative ways that maximise your company’s chances of ‘going viral’.
Environmental
Environmental concerns are also incredibly important in today’s world, as more and more companies adopt planet friendly policies in order to work towards corporate responsibility targets. With this in mind, many companies look to digital signage to help minimise their infrastructure waste output. Print signage takes an incredible amount of inefficient energy to use, not just in the printing or production but also the delivery, distribution and disposal. The environmental impact that the wide range of chemicals, solvents and toxic substances used to produce print signage are also well documented to be highly damaging to the environment.
Many companies see the switch from print signage to digital signage as a corporately responsible upgrade, one which will not only reduce costs in the long run, but also help minimise the company’s long term negative impact upon the environment. For this reason, amongst many, the popularity of energy efficient display solutions such as LED and projection-based digital signage are increasing.
Customer Engagement
The engagement of your advertising is arguably the key to increasing sales. An advert is not worthwhile without it being engaging and your sales will likely reflect this. But how do businesses create engaging content? One of the best ways is to deliver your content through a method that is likely to engage customers at a glance. The emission of bright light or the visual wonder of a specialist display solution such as a 360° Dual Image Projection Screen may tickle a consumer’s interest enough to take a good look or at least double-take. If the first look didn’t do the job, a second look may just be enough to encourage them to purchase your product.
It is also incredibly important to consider the extended functionality of the various digital signage solutions that are available. For example, as mentioned previously, switchable glass projection screens offer not only a digital signage solution, but also an effective and stylish privacy solution. Likewise, specialist projection technology such as Clearview holographic effect screens or Transparent LED/LCD screens gives your signage the ultimate wow factor as customers take note of the display – and by extension your content – rather than solely relying on the content itself to engage.
One of the biggest advantages that digital signage has over print signage is the capability of interactivity – the advertising ‘gold standard’ in customer engagement. Touch capability offers customers more reasons to take interest in your display; whether you are looking to increase brand awareness, communicate offers or simply entertain your customers, interactivity significantly improves on what basic digital signage is capable of and completely overshadows the impact of print signage.
Developments in the digital signage technology market have not only allowed advancements in the actual hardware involved, but also the software used for digital signage systems. Content management software has become a vital tool for businesses who have adopted digital signage, allowing for a range of content targeting options such as centralised or localised targeting. It also gives users a time scheduler option – allowing for even more control over when content is displayed and to whom.
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