An article published by Adweek describe a bright future for outdoor visual communication, especially on LED billboards. Very interesting. Here's exactly what Laureen Miles writes:

"More than ever, consumers are spending more time away from home. Technological advancements, particularly in the way of digital billboards, are opening more revenue streams."

That already sounds good, but if you want more precise figures, Ms Miles continues.
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I am sure you found Ms Karen E. Claus article about signs very interesting and still very actual.

I would like to point out to your attention to a couple of passages that I consider particularly interesting, as they become even more significant when using LED signs

"Signs are one of the most efficient and effective communication media available to the small businesses [...] [they] give information about your business and direct people to your location."

That is even more true for a LED sign, which will exponentially increase your visibility (its bright!) and your ability to communicate (its dynamic!) and inform your potential customers - with daily updates, news and promotions.

LED signs allows you to easily create and save up 100 messages and and to create your own playlist... which means that you can create tailored messages - and promotions! - for Christmas, San Valentine's Day, Easter, summer holidays... and just schedule them when you need.

"Signs are oriented to your trade area [and] communicates to potential customers twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, week after week, month after month, year after year."

If you are a small or medium business, most of the time the people that can see your signage are those who live or pass-by your trade area.

The people that see your LED display repeating your message over time are your potential customers - which will start to remember your products and services because your bright and dynamic LED sign became a point of reference in the static city environment.

"Turn right at the bright moving sign!" Even people which are not you potential customers will start to mention you when giving directions to someone.

"this [advertising] potential to influence people exists right outside your door, which is the only place where those impressed by your sales message can react to it instantly."

A proper use of a dynamic, updated and bright on-site LED sign could convert your location into cash.

Imagine to advertise one of your products at an higher discount, switching product every day.

Main fast-food companies adopted exactly the same marketing technique and they advertise their offer nation-wide on the radio, with a different ad for any day of the week.

A dynamic single line LED display allows you to use the same proven principle without the huge budget a radio campaign require!

The study leaves little doubt that on-site signage delivers more market coverage with a higher degree of readership than any of the other media.

In her article, Ms Karen E. Claus refer to several studies that proved on-site signage being over 200% better in terms of cost-per-exposure when compared to other media (ie. newspaper ad).

Does that mean that a small business owner should not invest in other forms of advertising?

Surely not. But what I have learned from Ms Claus article, is that any entrepreneur should first optimize its on-site signage - and be sure to get the most of of it - before moving to any other form of promotion!

And today LED signs are the best tools available on the market to 1) attract people's attention - 2) inform them about your product/services - 3) constantly communicate your updated promotions - 4) inspire instant reaction (and gratification for the need you created).

 

Here below you can read the last part of Ms Claus article "Signs And Your Business".

In this last extract she will bring up real data from a research study that proved the effectiveness of on-site signage.

Real-life examples are described, with experiments and results that clearly demonstrate how signs are the most effective advertising tool available to small and medium businesses (about 200% better than other media...).

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The National 3/M Company conducted a definitive research study covering the Effectiveness Of Advertising Media for retail use.

The study leaves little doubt that on-site signage delivers More Market Coverage with a higher degree of readership than any of the other media. Also, it does this at an astonishingly low cost per thousand exposures – and at the very point of sale!

It found that an average on-site sign was viewed by eighty-five percent of the retail market, ten times per month for a Cost Of Only Pennies per thousand exposures.

In comparison, a three hundred line newspaper ad, also run ten times a month, could command only fifty-three percent of the market at a Cost Of Two Dollars and eighty-one cents per thousand.

Readership estimates are even more startling, with Sixty-One Percent attributed to the sign and thirteen percent to the newspaper advertisement.

Comparisons between on-premise signs and other media in the study were Even More Decisive In Favor Of Signage. TV for instance, cost nine dollars and eighty-two cents per thousand exposures but could command only fourteen percent of the retailers market with a readership of only eleven percent.

A great deal of the tremendous cost effectiveness of on-site signs is due to their Long Life and to their Placement on property valued for other than advertising purposes. 

Since the use of the business location Is Free for the taking, the user of on-site signage limits expenditures to the cost of the sign. Because of the durability of signs, this expenditure is low since the cost is spread out over years.

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I hope you found the reading interesting, because I surely did.

Do not miss the next post with a summary of what Ms Karen E. Claus said and which lesson we (all) can learn from it.

Please find here below the third part of the article titled "Signs and Your Business" from Ms Karen E. Claus.

In this part Ms Claus clearly explains why on-site signage is so critical for any business.

In case you missed the previous posts, you can read here the first part and the second part.

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STUDIES OF ADVERTISING VALUES AND EFFECTIVENESS

As a means of increasing sales, advertising is one of our Most Valuable Resources. From an advertising and public relations standpoint, the Physical Location Of Your Business can be your most valuable asset.

An average of eighty-five percent of your potential customers are likely to pass by your establishment at least ten times every month. The advertising implications in this Circulation Of Potential Customers around your business location are enormous.

In terms of a comparison, the Advertising Value Of Your Site is the equivalent of your receiving two free full page newspaper ads every month you are in business. Finally, this potential to influence people exists right outside your door, which is the only place where those impressed by your sales message can react to it instantly.

The advertising tool used to Convert Your Location Into Cash is on-site signage. There is little doubt that signs work and that people rely on them for information. On-site signage can, relative to its cost, have an extraordinary influence on the success or failure of a retail business.

One major study involved restaurant chain operators. With their ability to assess relative profit performance among various units, they have found a Direct Correlation between effective on-premise signs and sales volume, in some cases amounting to thousands of dollars in gross revenue per week.

In a typical case study, Colony Kitchens, analyzing twenty-eight locations, found that without fail those stores with adequate signage all had volumes Well Above The Average for the chain as a whole. Researchers at Colorado State University found the same direct correlation between adequate signage and increased business volume.

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In the next post, I will publish the fourth and last part of Ms Karen E. Claus' article, where she tell us about the results of a study conducted by the 3M Company about the effectiveness of advertising media for retail use.

As mentioned in the previous post, today I'm republishing the second part (read here the first part) of the great article titled "Signs And Your Business", written about 20 years ago by Karen E. Claus.

In this second part, she explains which are the four basic criteria used To Judge The Effectiveness of advertising media.

Also, she explores the reasons why signs are so important for your business and why "There Is No Better Advertising dollar value than your on-premise sign."

I am sure you will find the article very interesting.

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THE ADVANTAGES OF SIGNS

On-premise signs are your Most Effective And Efficient means of commercial communication because they are inexpensive, always on the job, and directly oriented to the trade area of your business.

Signs Are Effective

There are Four Basic Criteria used to judge the effectiveness of advertising media: (1) coverage of the trade area, (2) repetition of a message, (3) readership of a message, and (4) cost per thousand exposures of a message.

Let’s see how signs measure up to the above criteria;

• Signs are oriented to your trade area. Signs do not waste your resources by making you pay for wasted advertising coverage. The people who see your sign are the people who live in your trade area.
  
  
  
• Signs are always on the job repeating your message to potential customers. Your on-premise sign communicates to potential customers twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, week after week, month after month, year after year. Every time people pass your business they see your sign. The mere repetition of the message will help them remember your business.
  
  
  
• Nearly everyone reads signs. Signs are practical because nearly everyone is used to looking at and reading signs, even small children. Studies have shown that people read and remember what is on signs. When special items are displayed, sales increase for these particular items within the store.
  
  
  
• Signs are inexpensive. When compared to the cost of advertising in other media, the on-premise sign is very inexpensive. [...] There is no better advertising dollar value than your on-premise sign.

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Next Thursday I will post the third part of the article, titled "Studies of Advertising Values and Effectiveness".