Everywhere you look, digital signage is becoming more and more prevalent. Retail, restaurent, education, healthcare, and corporate environments are all experiencing the benefits of digital signage at an impressive rate! But...is it really worth the investment to pursue digital signage as oppossed to traditional printed, static signage? In short, the answer is, "most of the time, but not all of the time".

 

The true advantage of digital signage (in retail), is quite simply that they have a great impact on sales, and therefore have a higher ROI than conventional static signage does. But why is this? There are essentiailly three answers to this question.

 

First and foremost, dynamic digital signs command more attention than traditional static signs due to their ability to use motion graphics, and their ability to contain live data such as weather, sports scores, entertainment, etc. This gives your customers "tangeable reasons" to put their eyes on your signs. With digital menu board systems, featured product videos and moving images increase appetites. In the real world, studies continue to show that this all leads to increased sales.

 

Secondly, space and exposure-time can be better utilized by advertising multiple products and promotions from one screen location. This simply equates to more ad exposure during a customer's visit. And again, more sales are the result.

 

Lastly, these signs can be changed without the hassle of, well...physically changing the signs. Digital sign content can be easily changed on-site or controlled remotely via a web-interface. Once the front-end costs of digital signs are taken care of, residual and recurring costs are far less. This is due to not having to continually purchase and install static signage. And, with digital signage technologies becoming more affordable than ever, the payoff is fairly quick.

 

The above point is also what makes digital signage much more GREEN than traditional static signage. It ships to your location one time (vs repeated static shipments), stays up and in use (vs being thrown in the dumpster continually), while using very little power consumption. This equates to a much smaller carbon footprint than printed signage during it's life cycle.

 

That all being said, digital signage certainly is NOT a good fit for every signage application. There are simply places that aren't cost effective and conducive to digital signage applications, for example many exterior locations, windows, doors, and in many of the smaller key areas that are critical advertising spaces (like on product shelves). For these specific areas, low-cost static signage is still king.

 

All in all, the most effective scenario by far, is one that incorporates both digital and static signage. With just a little bit of planning, a "sweet spot" can be found. One which offers the cutting-edge, high-impact of digital signage, along with using traditional, printed static signage where it continues to make good economic sense.

 

Here at Wilde Group, we are committed to the big picture. To your big picture, which is why we offer a full and complete range of both static and digital signage solutions. Give us a call and let our experience work in your favor. We'd be happy to discuss what signage options may help you more effectively accomplish your goals!