TABLE OF CONTENTS
This Month's SBI Trivia Question Stumper:
Based on 2006 year-end outdoor signage expenditures, McDonalds ranks #1. What company is #2?
For the answer, scroll to the bottom of the newsletter.
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Industry News
[[HOT TOPIC]] The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly
The sign industry, like most others, can embody all three of the above adjectives at various times. Observe:
The Good
Next month, the sign industry takes another step towards more actively promoting "green" sign initiatives with a large presence at the 2007 Annual Conference & Expo of the Society for Environmental Graphic Design (SEGD), to be held in Boston, Massachusetts, May 30 - June 2. Among the nearly 70 exhibiting signage-related companies will be 12 first-time exhibitors representing various industry sectors, including USLED, Alliance Metals Inc., and yours truly, Sign Builder Illustrated.
Along with participating sign industry stalwarts like 3M Commercial Graphics and Daktronics Inc., SBI
and other first-time exhibitors are stating, through their presence, that Earth-friendly signage projects should not only be highlighted and commended, but promoted, supported, and encouraged as the status quo for our industry.
For those who don't know, "SEGD is an international non-profit educational organization providing resources for design specialists in the field of environmental graphic design, architecture, and landscape, interior, and industrial design. SEGD members are leading designers of directional and attraction sign systems, destination graphics, identity programs, exhibits, and themed environments."
For more information on SEGD, go to www.segd.org. And check out next month's SBI Update for an in-depth preview of the upcoming conference.
The Bad
On April 16th, the nation was shocked and appalled by the tragic mass shooting that took place on the college campus of Virginia Tech. Just one day later, on April 17th, I was shocked and appalled to receive a nationally distributed press release from a sign company that blatantly exploited the Virginia Tech murders to market its own products.
Only 24 hours after the shootings, a press release was issued by Netpresenter, a software developer of internal communication, digital signage, and emergency alert solutions. The first paragraph read: " 'A community alert system using all available PC screens, digital signs and student notebooks, could have made a difference at Virginia Tech University,' says Frank Hoen, CEO of Netpresenter."
The release went on to promote the company's Emergency Alert Server product and continued to cite the Virginia Tech massacre as a scenario that could've been avoided or lessened had Netpresenter technology been present. Mr. Hoen and Netpresenter would undoubtedly defend this PR by stating that they are simply trying to help prevent such incidents in the future, and were only using the Virginia Tech shootings to illustrate how their technology could benefit college campuses and other such environments. Obviously, they are quite simply trying to sell product.
A company with truly moralistic intentions would not use such a horrible tragedy to illustrate a need for its product. A company with truly moralistic intentions would contact Virginia Tech officials and offer to install this potentially life-saving technology free of charge as a token of good will to the grieving students, and would not generate any publicity or press about it. And if that seems too anti-capitalist for even the most stringent bleeding heart, Netpresenter, at the very least, should have offered the installation as cited above, with no fanfare, and then waited six months to a year to let customers and the press know what it had done. Let some of the pain and emotion and
sorrow from the incident dissipate at least a bit before trying to capitalize on the moment. Do not send out a callous press release THE NEXT DAY extolling the virtues of your product in the shadow of a tragedy that it claims it could help prevent. The dispersal of this PR is a black eye for the sign industry and its marketers.
The Ugly
. . . as in, "It's getting ugly." In New York City, the fight over two giant billboards is doing just that. The Hotel Gansevoort, an ultra-trendy hotel in the ultra-trendy Meatpacking District of NYC, recently raised dual 75-foot billboards onto its walls promoting itself. Area residents and businesses have been up in arms since installation began, claiming the signs are too tacky for the chic neighborhood. Now, area restaurant owner Keith McNally has plastered the windows of his local eating establishments (and others) with posters that read, "Shame on the Hotel Gansevoort." According to The New York Post
, McNally was quoted as saying the billboards are "a reflection of the hotel owner's greed and blatant disrespect for the neighborhood and the people who live in it."
So there you have it: Some good green signage, some bad, bad marketing, and some ugly words over some ugly signs. We've got it all in this business...the good, the bad, and the ugly.
Send your thoughts and opinions to Managing Editor Chris Ytuarte at cytuarte@sbpub.com, and keep an eye out for next month's SBI Update preview of the SEGD Conference and Expo.
10 Things You Should Know Before Buying Digital Outdoor
Watchfire Digital Outdoor, the digital billboard division of Time-O-Matic Inc., has created a new whitepaper titled "10 Things You Should Know Before Buying Digital Outdoor."
"Digital Outdoor is a new industry for both billboard companies and advertisers," said Darrin Friskney, director of Watchfire Digital Outdoor. "It's important to know what to look for and which questions to ask before making a commitment." A sample of the tips includes:
1. Not all LEDs are the same. LEDs, or light emitting diodes, are used on digital billboards as an alternative to vinyl paper lit by incandescent light bulbs. A group of three to five red, green and blue LEDs make up a pixel. These pixels can combine to create billions of different colors. The best digital boards offer true NTSC (National Television System Committee) color, allowing advertisers to achieve vinyl-quality images, or better.
2. Size matters: so does pixel pitch. Pixel pitch is the distance between the centers of adjacent LED "pixels." The smaller the pitch, the closer the spacing is between LEDs. The more LEDs per square foot, the sharper the display appearance at closer viewing distances. Most digital outdoor advertising installations are standardizing on pixel pitches from 19mm to 25mm. These relatively "tight" pitches assure crisp, readable images for advertisers.
3. Know your zoning. It's important to know your local codes as it relates to digital outdoor. Zoning issues vary from city to city, and from location to location. Before going digital, confirm that you are working with a company that can support you should you run into zoning roadblocks.
4. Manage airtime to maximize profit. A digital board gives advertisers the power of outdoor combined with the flexibility of broadcast advertising. Imagine being able to update creative every week, every day, even every hour. It doesn't have to be a logistical nightmare. Ask your digital manufacturer what type of software and support they offer to manage and traffic your "air time."
5. Demand proof of performance. Digital outdoor companies should offer two technologies for delivering proof of performance-web cams and automatic log files. The web cam enables a real-time visual check of the performance of the billboard. The sign's log files deliver a monthly report that includes the date and number of times an individual ad ran on the sign.
The Watchfire Digital Outdoor whitepaper is available free at www.WatchfireDigitalOutdoor.com/FreePaper.
New Appointments
Neschen Americas' company President, W. Ernest Precious, has announced his retirement effective May 31, 2007. Company CFO, Ernest W. Brodbeck, Jr., has been named as Mr. Precious' replacement. Brodbeck's appointment as President of Neschen Americas will take effect on June 1st of this year.
FASTSIGNS International, Inc., a sign and graphics franchisor with over 500 locations worldwide, announced that senior vice president of Franchise Services, Susan Last, CFE, has been promoted to Chief Operating Officer (COO).
W.A.C. Lighting has appointed Christopher Verone to Western Regional Territory Sales Manager.
Meetings and Events
MAY
May 8 - 10: Lightfair International 2007, the world's largest annual architectural and commercial lighting tradeshow and conference. Jacob Javitz Center, New York, New York. For more information, call 888/886-7931, or browse www.lightfair.com/lightfair/V40
May 17 - 18: ShopBot Tools, a leader in the design, manufacture and sale of affordable CNC routers, will hold its sixth-annual ShopBot Jamboree at the San Mateo Fairgrounds in San Mateo, California and the Crown Plaza Hotel in nearby Foster City. For more information about the ShopBot Jamboree, visit www.shopbottools.com/jamboree
May 30 - June 2: The Society for Environmental Graphic Design's 2007 SEGD Annual Conference & Expo. The World Trade Center, Boston, Massachusetts. Find out more by calling 202/638-5555, or visit
www.segd.org/conference.html
Sponsored Links
M2 Lighting Solutions, LLC -- NEW epoxy-encapsulated UL recognized LED channel letter lighting system that will stay bright even in your most challenging conditions.
www.M2Lighting.com
Elliott Equipment Corporation -- Elliott Equipment Corporation -- Award-winning HiReach & BoomTruck aerial-workplatforms and cranes. Elliott products increase your productivity, and give you the highest ROI available. Do more with Elliott.
www.elliottequip.com
A.W.T. World Trade, Inc. -- A.W.T.'s Jetblack Blow-Off Gun provides a safe and highly effective means for removing residue like dust, fiber, water and more from people, surfaces, components, work environments.
www.awt-gpi.com/product78.htm
This Month's Trivia Answer:
Cingular Wireless*
*According to Outdoor Advertising Association of America
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For in-depth coverage of these topics and other sign industry topics, check out
www.signshop.com
ATTENTION ADVERTISERS and SUBSCRIBERS:
Coming up in the May 2007 Lightfair Show issue of
Sign Builder Illustrated,
feature articles on:
Awning Fabrication
Dimensional Engraved Signage
LED Architectural Lighting
Magnet Applications
Vehicle Graphics Software
ATTENTION ADVERTISERS and SUBSCRIBERS:
Coming up in the June 2007 SEGD Show issue of
Sign Builder Illustrated,
feature articles on:
Architectural Wayfinding/Identity Signage
Digital Printing Inks
Dimensional Sandblasting
LED Channel Letters/Sign Cabinets
Aerial Platforms/Cranes as Service Equipment
Vinyl Cutters/Plotters
Contact your ad sales representative to reserve your space today.
As we shape SBI Update into the premier
e-newsletter for the sign industry, we encourage our readers to send us feedback on what you like, what you'd like to see, and any other comments you might have. To do so, send an e-mail to Managing Editor Chris Ytuarte at
cytuarte@sbpub.com.
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ATG Electronics, Inc.A Leading LED Signage Products manufacturer! Product range: LED standard flex strip, SMD flex strip, ribbon flex strip, 3LEDs, 4LEDs & 6LEDs waterproof modules. Color range: red, yellow, blue, green, white, pink, purple, amber, jade, RGB.
Toll Free: 800-495-8630.
Email: sales@atgelectronics.com www.atgelectronics.com
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GE Lumination Tetra PowerGrid
LED Lighting SystemNew Tetra PowerGrid LED Lighting System from GE Lumination features a revolutionary design that replaces fluorescent systems in large-scale backlighting applications like cabinet & box sign lighting. Inter-linking Tetra PowerGrid modules install quickly and provide consistently brilliant and uniform light across the entire sign face. This energy-efficient LED solution lasts up to 50,000 hours. For more info, visit:
GE Lumination
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ITSENCLOSURES provides the toughest, most durable, electronic, computer and network enclosure solutions available today. Our mission is to safely enclose electronic devices in any environment, protecting them from harsh surroundings, extending their useful life, and protecting our customer's processes from costly downtime. For more info, click on:
ITSENCLOSURES
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Sign Builder Illustrated
Goes DigitalWith live hyperlinks to video clips, advertiser information, and other features, SBI Digital offers the newest online technology with the familiar layout of a hardcopy issue. To view an example, click on:
SBI Digital Magazine
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Sign Builder Illustrated:
The How-To Book Vol. 1Learn secrets to fabricating neon, illuminating with LED, sandblasting signs, applying paints, cutting and printing vinyl, and more in this 288-page, full-color reprinting of Sign Builder Illustrated's trademark How-To articles. To visit the How-to Book Web site, click on:
SBI How-To Book
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Sign Builder Illustrated
Buyer's Guide 2007
Published twice per year in March and September, the Buyer's Guide lists manufacturers, distributors, and sign companies that comprise the industry in the U.S. and Canada. Call 1-800-895-4389 to order a copy of the latest edition. | |
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White Paper: 10 Things You Should Know Before Buying Digital Outdoor