Monthly Archives: August 2014

Why not hire rather than buy digital signage hardware?


Posted by Stella

Digital signage hire solutions.

Many businesses think that digital signage is out of their budget, but with digital signage hire businesses can try different solutions to find the best for their unique application. One thing is common place with organizations wanting to use digital signage and that is the need to increase profit, reported by Digital Signage Systems Limited.

Buying digital signage hardware.

With new technology, businesses want to invest in it, to show they are ahead of the game, yet they are tying up cash that can be used in other parts of their business. But the mind-set is that these businesses are investing in their future, yet there are simpler solutions to achieve this.

Hiring digital signage hardware.

digital signage hire

Digital signage hire is increasing in demand, as more and more businesses see the benefits of digital advertising but are unsure of the solution they need. The dilemma could be to what solution to use, would a wall mount or floor standing solution work best?

Now companies can try out the hardware for a pre-arranged term, so they can see which works best for them, the content can be the same and the method of updating the ads can be different too, so see how it would affect the business model.

One of the most common questions we are asked, is what is the best method of updating the adverts, there are 2 solutions; manually and remotely using either the Cloud or a hardwired connection. Now businesses can try these out to see which will benefit their company most.

Manual updates, does rely on an employee taking on the responsibility and updating the content when needed, so you have to think about, what if they are off sick? Or just forget to do it? Using a remote connection the ads can be scheduled months in advance and updated during the evening when the outlet is closed.

Digital signage hire is one way to ensure that the content delivery is perfect, you can try both methods and see what works best for you and your business, as we all know businesses vary widely.

hiring digital signage hardware

The customer has several decisions to make for their digital signage hire solution, these are as follows:

  • Wall or free standing hardware?
  • Size of screen?
  • Method of content delivery?
  • Length of digital signage hire term?

Once these are clarified, the solution can be configured to ensure the company can start using the hardware as soon as possible.

Digital signage hire costs.

Depending on the solution and length of the digital signage hire term, these can run at a few hundred pounds. But consider the tax advantages, as the hire costs can be off set against profit, as you do not own the product and it cannot be classed as an asset. But it is best to run through this with your business adviser or accountant.

Many hire street brands are hiring hardware, this enables them to update the hardware as and when new products come out, so their clientele associate the companies with being innovative and forward thinking. They are also seeing that the flexibility of hiring digital signage hardware over purchasing the hardware out right, keeping this trade secret of digital signage hire.

Comparing similar products it would cost in excess of £1000 for a 42″ wall mount digital display with media player, yet hiring the same hardware could run at £200 per week. But the benefits of the tax break is great indeed. This is why digital signage hire is increasing.

Now you have a basic understanding of hiring digital signage, so now the choice is down to you, will you be checking out a digital signage hire company?


Cellular Digital Signage For Instant Success


Posted by Stella

Cellular digital signage solutions.

With billions of people on the planet owning a smartphone, cellular digital signage is fast becoming the most successful digital advertising medium, for instant success.

Cellular digital signage uses.

cellular digital signage

QR Code, we have seen these on signs, website and on promotional products. The idea is to scan the barcode with your smartphone, so make sure you have a QR code reader on your smartphone! Then you are taken to the webpage with the promotion or deal details on, so that you can redeem the offer. This provides the marketing company a way in which they can record who scanned the code and who redeemed it, so they can provide a detailed report to the retailer, while the retailer enjoys the uplift in sales.

Mobile Splash pages, these are webpages that are designed and search engine optimized for the market they are targeting. They again have special offers on the page and can be used with social networks such as Facebook or Twitter. So when they are shared and liked, the person redeeming them gets a greater discount but boosts the company profile on the social networking site.

Proximity marketing or Cellular Marketing?

These involve technology, proximity marketing needs a special media player, which the content is loaded onto and then ads are displayed to people who access the service. The service for example could be in a mall, so using day parting; restaurant owners can target people at breakfast, lunch or dinner. When they pass the location, the player sends a text message offering a free coffee with any breakfast roll ordered. This tends to increase sales, as the ads can be changed throughout the day to increase sales of profitable lines, around lunch and dinner with little investment. The return on investment is said to be around 3 months.

Cellular marketing is when a retail center offers free internet access and in return you are exposed to the odd advert from sponsors. This is an alternative to proximity marketing but depending on whom you speak with, the profits are different.

Building a business on cellular digital signage.

Once the hardware is purchased and installed, the costs range from $800 to $1500 including installation. So once it is installed in a mall, the occupants of the retail units can sponsor ads on the network and in return increase sales for their retail unit. These media players can hold up to 300 ads of 3 minutes long. Imagine if you charged $100 per month per ad, you could have an extra income stream of 300 ads x $100=$30,000 per month. So from the initial installation, profit is almost from day 1, with an income stream of $360,000 per year minus the initial investment.

Digital signage has been changing over the years, but now cellular digital signage is here.


Video walls for dynamic advertising


Posted by Stella

Types of video walls.

There are two kinds of video walls, one uses LCD and LED technology, understanding the technology will result in a much better solution without any unexpected extra investment.

Uses for video walls.

You may have seen a video wall at your local shopping mall, or you may have seen one at your local rugby club. These are used for providing information and entertainment in order to boost brand awareness.

With the variations in the different technologies, it is essential that the right solution is uses for the right application; otherwise the investment may be the wrong one. Now let us look at the technologies involved.

Indoor video wall.

Normally an indoor video wall is made up of LCD displays that are designed specifically for video wall formation, as the bezel around the viewing area of the screen has to be as small as possible. This is ensures that that image that is on the tiled screens appears seamless. The last thing you want is large black bezels that show the image as separate sections, this detracts from the advertising or entertaining solution.

lcd video walls

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

An indoor solution is usually mounted to a wall, so the best mounting solution is one, which can be accessed without having to remove other displays. There are mounts that you push at any corner and they pop out, allowing uninterrupted access to the display and the cabling.

LED video curtain.

These are usually used for exhibition and trade shows, they consist of clusters of LED’s, that are sewn into a nylon sheet that can be hung from exhibition stands. These are quick to install, take up much less space than the LCD solution, so perfect for events, trade shows and even music concerts. No special hardware to mount, this is used deployed in temporary locations and not a permanent option.

Outdoor LED video wall.

Usually when an outdoor video wall solution is considered, the people planning the solution will have thought of access, will this be from the front or rear? Then the LED video wall can be specified.

video walls

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Which size, P6, P10, P12, or P20? If you are not from the industry, and someone asked you if you wanted a P12 video wall you would probably question what it is. A simple understanding is that the LED’s are in clusters, these are centers, they can be ¼” for P6 (as in 6mm), or 3/8” for P10 (10 mm centers) or ¾” for P20 (20mm centers). The larger the centers of the LEDs the less clear the image is even from close up. If you want clarity and be able to see the image close up P6 is the best option.

An outdoor frame is needed for the LED panels, as these are supplied in set sections 900 mm square. Depending on how you intend on accessing the video wall for maintenance, will depend if you use a steel frame or housing for the LED panels.

Controlling the images.

When you have a large video wall, you need to be able to control the images that are displayed across the wall. Some may be set over 2 panels, some images may be over the entire wall that has 20 panels. This controller does all the cleaver things you need to display the content as you wish.

More information can be found at digitalsignagetoday.com on LED and LCD video walls.