Strengths of sign and print shops
For traditional sign and print shop owners, an emphasis on new technology can seem quite intimidating. Alternatively, those who have worked in the sign industry for 20 years or more may feel it still does not pay to invest in digital signage, given how many other technologies have come and gone over time.
Such concerns aside, in today’s market, the expertise of sign and print shops is now needed in the digital signage sector. Indeed, there are significant opportunities for shops that incorporate digital signage into their product lines—and several reasons they have their own advantages in the market.
For one thing, sign shops are in a unique position to leverage the knowledge, skills and customer base they have developed over the years in wide-format printing as they move into new territory.
For another, wide-format printing professionals already have a strong understanding of how to communicate with the public through signage—often, a better understanding than professionals in the digital signage business, who tend to have more expertise in technology than in communication. Indeed, the constraints of print have forced traditional sign shops to hone their communication skills, such that they can capture attention through a static medium, whereas many digital signage companies have relied on their medium as an attention-getter without developing a full understanding of what will make a dynamic display truly effective once someone is looking at it.
None of this is intended to suggest sign shops should abandon print, of course. As the aforementioned examples of integrated graphics have shown, print can play a major role in successful, innovative digital signage installations. So, a sign shop with expertise in both areas can add value for its customers, guiding them toward digital signage when appropriate.
These cases would include situations where displayed information needs to be changed frequently, such as menu boards in quick-service restaurants (QSRs) or rate boards in banks. By incorporating digital signage, these businesses can keep their displays as up-to-date as needed. A QSR, for example, may benefit from seamlessly transitioning between different menus for breakfast, lunch and dinner; this type of function for digital signage is referred to as ‘dayparting.’
Digital signage can also allow a business with multilingual customer bases to display its messages in various languages. Another reason to change displayed information frequently is to engage customers while they are standing in line or sitting in a waiting area. Digital signage has been shown to reduce perceived wait times in these situations.
There are also commonalities between printed and digital signage that underscore how the same skill sets can be used. In each medium, for example, there is the need for system design, including the wiring, placement and servicing of a bright, eye-catching display. There is also the need for content creation, where sign and print shops can especially showcase their expertise.
Tools for making the leap
Beyond the new display technologies of the digital signage sector itself, the sign industry has benefited from many helpful electronic innovations.
In one example, scanning technologies have been developed to evaluate the visual impact of graphic designs, including both video and still images. This type of ‘visual attention service’ has been shown to accurately predict which parts of an image will capture a passerby’s attention, allowing retailers to increase their return on investment (ROI) by maximizing the effectiveness of their POP displays.
Sign shops are adding insights from new tools like this to previous knowledge, so they can capitalize on the strengths of printed and digital signage and offer cutting-edge integrated offerings to their customers.
Of course, with the addition of any new tools or skills comes the need to invest in training and professional development, to ensure new offerings are delivered to customers successfully. Fortunately, all of the aforementioned technologies are becoming easier to use, less expensive and more intuitive over time. It is certainly feasible for a small print shop to start offering simple digital signage today and then work its way up the learning curve as in-house experience grows. There are also opportunities for sign shops to form new partnerships with digital signage experts, such that they can jointly provide systems to customers they might not have been able to serve on their own.
Today’s digital signage technologies offer outstanding technical capabilities, but only when they are put in the hands of experienced communications professionals can they truly reach their potential. By integrating printed and digital signage, today’s signmakers will be able to grow their business, better position their shops for the future and offer added value for their customers.
Jeff Dowell is the global business development manager for digital signage at 3M Commercial Graphics. For more information about combining printed and digital signage, visit www.3mgraphics.ca.
