Digital LED Displays: 5 Reasons 2016 is the Year to Invest in Them
Digital LED Displays’ popularity has been on the rise for years. Outdoor signs have been one of the most popular methods of advertising since ancient Egypt. From carved stones to the most modern LCDs and LED screens, outdoor signage has been a constant throughout history. Still, after so many years, billboards and EMC’s advertising growth rate outperforms all other traditional media. Moreover, Forrester just posted a report on “Why 2016 Will Be The Year Of Digital Signage And Displays”. We believe Forrester is right. The future holds big things for digital displays. In the coming years, LCD, plasma and LED screens will grow faster than ever before. Their evolution will be stunning. That is why wise people will invest now to stay ahead of the curve. Businesses will need to buy LED screens to stay ahead of the competition and captivate consumers. What are the reasons behind all this?
Digital LED Display: Five Top Reasons
1 - Growth Rate: Out of home (OOH) advertising has been steadily growing for 24 consecutive quarters. Its growth rate is expected to outperform all other traditional media in 2016. Digital screens (such as LED signs) are the reason for this increase. OOH digital advertising is expected to grow at a compound annual rate of 9.8%. The digital signage industry is predicted to hit in excess of $20b by 2020. An increment in the requests for digital LED displays will undeniably follow this trend. No business can be caught unprepared. This is the time to take advantage of this business opportunity. Finding the right LED Display provider to partner with will be a determinant for success. Innovation and technical expertise would be a good criteria to base that selection. Read our top ten questions to ask LED providers to find out more.
2 - Hardware Advances: “Smart” is not only for phones any more. Modern LED boards now come equipped with several sensors. Many more will probably be added in the future. This makes screens more reliable. It also allows for remote diagnostics. Moreover, sensors can send preventive notifications. That way, proactive measures can be taken before there is a problem with the LED screen. LED signs now last longer, foresee errors and can be fixed remotely.
Gone should be the days of clunky, difficult to maneuver LED signs. LED boards are becoming slimmer and lighter. Moreover, LED panels are increasingly modular. No more waiting for months to get an LED sign. Modular, light LED panels can be shipped within minutes of ordering!
A Digital LED display is “green”. Another buzzword of the day, but nonetheless true. Greener signs not only benefit the environment. They also do wonders for wallets. Digital signs reduce the cost of materials because less material is required to print new signs. Less paper and ink are wasted on internal communication and tests. New, easy to use software allows for non-designers to produce content. Studies have shown average $40,474 on the cost of designers is saved going digital. It also saves on the cost of installers, fuel, and transportation. Each time a new sign is erected, each of its parts needs to be transported, often across the globe. And then, installed by professionals. A digital sign has to be installed once. After that, its message can be updated regularly at very little cost.
Additionally, new advances in LED sign’s design cut the electric cost of owning a Digital LED display in almost half.
All these innovations makes buying a Digital LED display easier. Employees need less training. Customer service costs go down. The time between ordering and installing is shortened considerably. Furthermore, it makes owning an LED screen cheaper and more attractive.
3 - Software Advances: In the past few years, huge advances were made possible by wireless technology. Now LED signs are not tied to one computer any longer. Cloud based software allows for accessible, easy, and intuitive use of LED displays. Finally LED content management software is catching up to the rest of the tech industry.
Advances in software makes the LED screens much more user friendly. Content now can be designed, tested and updated easily. It’s never been simpler to prove the value of the investment. Marketing teams can easily get on board.
On the other side, sensors are complemented with embedded software. This allows for remote preventive and diagnostic tools. Customer service calls are shorter and more productive. Most signs problems get fixed within minutes over the phone. This saves time and money and results in happier digital LED display owners. Happy owners recommend the purchase to other businesses.
4 - LED signs are becoming Social (And using Apps): The advertising world is moving from informative to social. 84% of millennials claim to not trust traditional advertising anymore. “Fundamentally our relationship with consumers is broken,” said Sean Foster, chief executive (CEO) of marketing platform Crowdtap. “Consumers today want a different relationship from what they are getting right now from many brands, because social media has changed and continues to change everything.“
And add to it DVR technologies imply most people skip TV commercials.
The result? Marketers are desperate to find new ways to engage their audience. The owners of digital displays are in luck! The elusive 18- to 34 year old demographic has especially positive attitudes towards out of home advertising. Over 50% of young adults claim outdoor billboards are attractive and make the commute interesting. Moreover, 86% of them said they have useful information.
In 2016 more advanced software offer integration with social media. Now LED sign owners can link their signs to their facebook or twitter accounts. That allows for more direct and effective communication with a new, reticent audience. Moreover, the more sophisticated software offerings also offer a plethora of apps and content library to tailor the LED sign to different needs.
5 - Digital LED Display by the numbers: If the previous statements haven’t convinced you yet. Look at some very interesting numbers relevant to the industry:
- Digital Displays capture 400% more views than static displays
- 8/10 customers claim to have entered a store because of a sign catching their interest
- 7/10 customers claim to have purchased a product or service because of a sign catching their interest
- 83% recall rate on ads seen on digital billboards in the past 30 days (much higher rate than any other form of traditional media)
- 15 to 150 % increase in sales with electronic Electronic Message Centers (EMCs), in addition to traditional signage.
Add changes in behavior to advances in software, hardware and growth rates. There is no doubt why LED sign demand will increase significantly in the next few years. Don’t let your competition beat you. It is imperative to take action right now, before it’s too late.
To learn more about the digital LED display design revolution visit our product pages. For full color LED signs visit Blade, for grayscale visit SOLO.