Hello,  and  thank  you  for  coming  to  How  To  Add  Electronic  Signage  To  Your  Sta;c  Sign  Business,  my  name  is  Bruce  Goldstein  and  I  am  a  digital  signage  Project  Manager.  ComQi,  the  company  I  recently  star;ng  working  for  is  a  digital  signage  soGware  and  hardware  equipment  provider.  We  make  soGware  and  hardware  solu;ons  used  in  places  from  doctors  offices  to  corporate  cafeterias.  In  my  role  as  project  manager,  I  oversee  the  planning,  rollout  and  network  support  for  ComQI  powered  digital  signage  soGware  networks.  During  my  presenta;on  today  I  hope  to  give  you  a  beNer  idea  of  what  digital  signage  is,  why  it  is  growing  and  how  you  might  add  it  to  your  exis;ng  sign  business,  as  well  as  to  answer  any  ques;ons  you  may  have  about  it.  

Feel  free  to  ask  ques;ons  at  any  ;me  during  or  aGer  the  presenta;on,  Turn  cell  phones  off,  and  don’t  forget  to  fill  out  the  survey.  

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Topics I am going to cover today will be general and introductory in nature. I’m going to discuss characteristics of digital/electronic and static signage that are similar and different, and highlight trends in the marketplace that I think you will find interesting. -  The Market Status & Trends section will cover market developments contributing to the growth of digital/electronic signage - The Complimentary Differences section will review digital signage features that will help expand the sign capabilities and kinds of signs and services you can offer with digital/electronic signage - The Complimentary Similarities section will review some resources and processes that you may already be using or familiar with in your static sign business that will make it easier to offer digital signage - I will suggest the kind of simple digital signage product solution to sell as your initial product and services offering in the Getting Started section - And lastly I will review Some Of The Nuts & Bolts on the equipment and services side that you can invoice for when selling digital signage

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I’m not here to tell you about the downfall of print and on premise static signs. Even though the sign market may be growing slower then in previous years, it is still a multi billion dollar industry that continues to evolve with the times and technology. However I am going to spend some time talking about one of the technology trends you should be paying attention to that you can incorporate into your business if you would like to be a part of it and that is electronic/digital signage.

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Regardless of whose research you look at or how optimistic it is or not, forecasted growth of the sign industry still pegs it at at least a several billion dollar plus industry which is still huge and not going away any time soon.

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And the sign industry could be in much worse shape with much less prospects for growth, and while employment in manufacturing overall shrunk, sign manufacturing jobs experienced some growth. However adding electronic/digital signage to your business can help fuel further growth of this industry and your business.

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As desktop publishing revolutionized print processes in the 80’s, digital signage is poised for a similar sign making revolution now.

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Although advertising is moving away from traditional media like print and static signs to digital, like the Internet and Digital Signage, employment in design services are up. If you employ designers and digital production personnel, why not leverage those you already have and move to digital? Printing isn’t going away and it is still a major industry as with sign making, but as advertising moves to digital, employment goes down in print and up in creative services like graphic design and digital production as this chart illustrates.

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In the meantime on the digital side, if the Mac broke the sound barrier and revolutionized publishing in the 80’s, today the Apple iOS software platform of mobile devices is braking the speed of light and revolutionizing where and how we consume information.

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From an advanced technology market trends POV, advanced technology has penetrated all aspects of our lives, from handheld devices in the palm of our hands to wall sized flat screens hanging on our living room walls. Products today are connected and intelligent, and less expensive and easier to use then ever before. As little as 5-10 years ago a 32” flat screen LCD TV was considered big.

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Whether it is in your home or on the road, instant access to information and entertainment has become the norm and accepted as a part of the landscape and the society we live in. The internet and rise of wireless tablets, iPads, etc. continue to transform a society including its effect on print and sign industries, and how media is distributed and consumed.

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Print, radio and TV are out and the Internet, Smartphones, and Digital out of Home (like digital signage) is in…especially with the younger generation and savvy consumers.

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While Intel may be suspect regarding its forecast accuracy in order to increase interest in their products, it also relies on these same numbers to plan factory load and revenue commitments in order to estimate supply and demand for its customers and also as its internal sales objectives.

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Also of interest to note, the top verticals in electronic/digital signage are probably where a good many of your existing clients come from. Retail, hospitality and banking (which includes foodservice and hotels), and other verticals like corporate, healthcare and transportation will also see significant growth as well. If they’re not using digital signage yet and they’re your customer, they’ll probably be interested if you can tell them why they should. Existing relationships with customers in these verticals are key and they probably go further back then any they may have with a digital signage company. Take advantage of your existing client base to see what interest they have in digital signage.

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Don’t stand by on the sidelines and watch the opportunity pass you by.

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However, with little investment, electronic/digital signage can become a growing and additional revenue stream for most sign companies (if it isn’t already)

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Differences between a electronic/digital signage and static signage can compliment each other and not compete against each other. They can work well together, just like the chocolate and the peanut butter did for Reeses.

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With little more then a display and media player you can offer some of the key complimentary benefits to using an electronic/digital sign instead of a static one

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Also the ability to add motion and play video gives a digital sign more attention grabbing ability than signs that don’t have motion, so where it makes sense to have motion and change, think if a digital sign can be used rather then a static one.

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Distributing messaging or media to the digital sign to display is also less costly to deliver and uses less carbon footprint…

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Distributing is also quick and reliable, accurate and dependable…

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And most importantly…Look at slide…

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On the other hand, there are similarities that can be used to get you out of the gate quickly selling digital signage

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Look at slide…it needs to communicate a message

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Look at screen…and it needs to do it in a captivating and creative way

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Look at slide…project management phases can also be similar

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Look at slide…AND… Clear, Concise, Compelling. Keep It Short & Simple (KISS). Control The Eyepath. Provoke Thought. Arouse Emotion. Have A Call To Action.

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Digital signs can generate recurring revenue through after sales service and maintenance contracts is several possible areas; support, maintenance, content and programming

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But to get started, I recommend you learn to crawl before you can walk so that you do not get in over your head

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A simple solution is often the best solution. And with digital signage, a lot can be accomplished for a new client with a simple unconnected digital sign. Products that supports "sneakernet" updates using removable memory makes sharing quick, convenient, easy to learn and inexpensive.

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With success of the simple comes possibilities for more complex network solutions which will help you grow your business and your clients if you desire

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However if you have your own in-house IT you may be better off hosting the digital signage software yourself instead of using a SaaS solution

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And lastly a little bit about some nuts and bolts with regards to buying and billing: Buying digital signage hardware and software. Software offered as a Software as a Service solution may be bought direct from the mfr, while other hardware equipment is typically bought from a distributor or dealer. A distributor usually offers you a strong relationship with the manufacturer for customer service issues, while a dealer can offer you more support as an integration partner assisting with things like set-up, operation, and installation services if need be.

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Again with the simple unconnected solution, depending on the location and your clients needs, it usually only requires a couple of items to be purchased

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The blue items highlight services you would offer and the fees associated would depend on the complexity of the project. For simple unconnected digital signage installations for example; things like Project Management and Site Support might be minimal. The black items are those that you purchase from for example a distributor and you resell to your client.

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