#1/1999

Digital outdoor advertising: How to choose screen or signs?

Chief editor - Vladimir Krylov

Composite usage of various types of digital outdoor advertising

So we shall continue the story about the digital outdoor advertising. In today's release of our issues we would like to provide examples of composite (simultaneous) usage of various types of digital outdoor advertising with screens and signs.

Simultaneous usage of neon advertising, digital screen and Trivision billboards

You can see that the basic advertising sign is Labbatt SkyDome, there is also a “common” ad that is displayed on the digital screen and on the Trivision billboard (located to the left of the digital screen). It’s possible to use simultaneous of light volumetric advertising, electronic digital screen and various compositions of neon or electronic LED and lamp letters, and also of information replaceable signboards.

Digital outdoor screen and Trivision advertising billboard Digital outdoor screen and Trivision advertising billboard
Digital outdoor screen and Trivision advertising billboard

First of all, we would like to draw your attention to certain features typical of digital outdoor advertising worldwide. Electronic (digital) outdoor screens and signs of “common” advertising usage are already widely spread in the countries of South-Eastern Asia (Korea, China, Indonesia etc.). For outside broadcasting advertising goods of various manufacturers (for these purposes the number of huge outdoor digital screens with “live” video mode in Korea has already exceeded a few dozen).

The owners of outdoor digital screens in Northern, Central and Latin America tend to use their screens in composition with various types of other electronic outdoor advertising, and firstly as the signboard of their own bar, restaurant, casino, hotel, office or for advertising their own goods (for example Coca-Cola, a brand name of computers, automobiles, drinks etc.) and secondly - common advertising of goods that are not competing with their own ones.

Digital outdoor screen and neon sign Digital outdoor screen and neon sign
Digital outdoor screen and neon sign

Perhaps, it is connected with different approaches to advertising activity in different law systems or maybe with the fact that the countries of South-Eastern Asia experienced rapid development during the last 10 years and were more flexible to accepting new digital technologies, especially in outdoor advertising. Therefore these countries were the first to install many huge outdoor digital advertising screens and bright signboards and even composite signs.

Now we can observe the trend of mutual influence – to be more exact, the usage of optimal achievements. In the countries of the American continent you can see more and more giant outdoor advertising screens that are used for common commercial broadcasting. And in Asian countries there appear more compositional boards – a constant signboard of one manufacturer or a sign of a hotel or a casino.

Electronic screen for digital outdoor advertizing Electronic screen for digital outdoor advertizing
Digital electronic screens for outdoor advertizing

Undoubtedly, this new direction has its own advantages: you install your own sign (for a hotel or a casino) and it is added by an digital outdoor screen (for attendant or common advertising usage). This 3-rd part of our issues is devoted to the question of “optimal” choice of linear sizes and the type of the digital advertising screens or signs. We will also touch upon the question of usage of the outdoor screens for advertising your own goods and for common ads.

How to choose digital outdoor screen or sign for advertising own goods and common advertising

If you want to use the digital outdoor screen or sign as your own or for advertising of your own goods and secondly for common advertising, you should consider the objects you are going to attain by means of your outdoor screen or sign.

The main difference between this case and the previous ones is the following: one digital advertising screen, even the best one, is not enough if it is also your own permanent sign (the name of your company, hotel, casino, shop, goods, etc.) combined with either an outdoor screen, or Trivision billboard or both these systems. This will not only add to and emphasize your own advertising sign, but also introduce unique and special dynamic action (not primitive – like with neon signs) that is typical only of video and animation image. Thus your digital advertising sign will never be considered part of standard static outdoor advertisement that we are so used to that often do not pay attention to it.

Secondly, this signboard should favorably compare with all the other advertising signs in your city. Then, you should keep in mind that it is your digital outdoor screen and not only the signboard for common advertizing. That is why you should consider the question of recoupment in regard to its direct purpose – to attract as many clients or visitors to your goods or services as possible.

But on the other hand, if this signboard contains a digital screen that can display common advertising, why not use this opportunity (as many outdoor screen owners in America, Asia and Europe do)? In general, total recoupment or the ability to cut down your own advertising expenses to minimum is the characteristic feature of electronic digital signs that make use of outdoor video screens. That is why maybe they are wide spread in the US.

The main aspect in the choice of the elements of this advertising signs (as practice has proved) is the total price of the system. If we regard only the digital electronic screen element, there is a tendency during last 2-3 years that is close to the rules that we considered in the 1-st and 2-nd parts (only the demands to linear sizes are less strict).