|
Vol. 1, No. 5 | December 15, 2005
TABLE OF CONTENTS
This Month’s SBI Trivia Question Stumper:
The original Hollywood sign, built in 1923, is being auctioned off on eBay. What is the minimum bid?
For the answer, scroll to the bottom of the newsletter.
| |
Industry News
[[HOLIDAY HOT TOPIC]] Another Year Gone
In lieu of our standard Hot Topic fare this month, I thought we could take a look back at the year 2005 in the sign industry, as well as a look forward to 2006. As December fades, those of us lucky enough to be part of the sign biz should reminisce on the past year and examine what worked and what didn’t, what needs tweaking and what looks juuuust right, what we can be
thankful for and what we can curse under our breath.
It was a year where natural disasters in Florida, Mississippi, and Louisiana took their toll not only on citizens and families, but on businesses, especially in the sign industry. One company alone, Lamar Advertising, took a $14 million hit in the wake of hurricane Katrina in damages to outdoor signage. And similar financial reports, though with fewer decimal places, came from dozens of smaller, independent sign shops in the area.
Could there be a silver lining to such damage?
I have an uncle who sat nervously in Florida, waiting for the storm to pass. He runs a small business maintaining private beaches and gardens using his own plants, flowers, and sand, all of which are stored on his property in an outdoor facility. Before the power went out, we spoke over the phone, with the eye of the storm just a few hours away. My uncle’s dilemma was this: storm comes, destroys his (uninsured) sand and plants, his
business dies right there. Or: storm comes and goes, his supplies survive, and his business flourishes for months, drawing thousands of dollars in business from private citizens, corporations, and local townships whose beaches and gardens were destroyed by the same hurricane that spared his supplies. See the irony?
In the end, he dealt with both scenarios, to some degree. My uncle’s supplies took a hit, but were not totally destroyed. And his business picked up, rising to a flow slightly
higher than what he would normally see that time of year. It was just enough of a boost to fund his repairs and replacement of supplies, and business is now back to normal. No horrible low point of inventory destruction, no heavenly highpoint of mass profits. He broke even.
One would have to think this type of scenario will, hopefully, be playing itself out for much of the sign industry in the storm-ravaged southeastern U.S. in early 2006. Sure, there may be those who have lost
everything; they’ll rebuild. And there may be those who will reap the benefits of much needed structural repair and replacement of signage; if they price fairly and do good work, more power to them. But in the end, the balance will be restored. Competition will return. Those knocked down will get up, and those riding the swell will return to find a level playing field. In the sign industry, as in life, if you look for the silver lining, it’s almost always
there.
***********
Finally, before signing off for 2005, a short list of some things that your trusty SBI Update editorial staff is giving thanks for this holiday season. We’re thankful for:
• Our office Christmas tree, decorated with high-brightness LEDs and sending out 250 lumens of blinding holiday cheer.
• The ease of applying a vehicle wrap that makes my car look like Santa’s sleigh. Tying the reindeer to the front bumper was another story.
•
The four-foot-tall, five-foot-wide sheet of polycarbonate plastic, originally designed for a signface but now serving as a partition between me and my mother-in-law at the holiday dinner table.
• The powerful CNC router that allowed us to engrave “SBI Update Was Here” on the bathroom stall.
But most of all, we here at SBI Update are thankful for your readership and continuing support as we head into 2006 and strive to become the preeminent e-newsletter for the sign
industry.
And stay tuned for our January edition, when we start the new year with this [[HOT TOPIC]]: Digital Printing vs. Paints and Screen Printing. Is digital printing becoming the 500-pound gorilla in the room? Or can traditional methods such as hand painting and screen printing maintain a share of King Kong’s audience? Find out next month!
Study: Hispanics More Likely Influenced by Billboards
According to a new report released by the Outdoor Advertising Association of America, Hispanics are more likely to be influenced by outdoor advertising than
non-Hispanics.
According to MediaBuyerPlanner.com, the study was conducted by Perception Research Services, which surveyed the eye activity of 100 random car passengers in Los Angeles during a 30-minute drive. Using eye-tracking technology, they discovered that while Hispanic and non-Hispanic passengers saw and read nearly the same number of billboards. However, 76 percent of Hispanics interviewed afterward said they would “probably or definitely be influenced” by what they saw,
compared to only 42 percent of non-Hispanics.
The stretch of road on which the study was conducted included 58 billboards, 10 of which were in Spanish. Several of the largest billboard companies, including Viacom Outdoor and Clear Channel Outdoor, now have special divisions or sales teams geared toward the Hispanic market.
Pedro Milian Jr., vice president of multicultural sales at Clear Channel, told Hispanic Business Magazine that the overwhelming presence of outdoor
advertising in Latin America has impacted the U.S. market
“Clear Channel’s big focus is the Hispanic market, because that’s where the business has been,” Milian was quoted as saying. “We are sold out on Hispanic space every month. People are buying six, seven, eight months in advance. There is a limited inventory, and people want to place their message before these [Hispanic] consumers.”
Billboards in National Parks?
According to BoulderDirt.com, a proposal by the U.S National Parks Service, if passed, would allow park service managers to solicit donations from private entities and accept
sponsorship money from previously prohibited industries in the form of in-park advertisements, amongst other endeavors.
Existing guidelines prevent parks from accepting corporate donations. Director’s Order 21, as the new proposal is known, would revise those rules and allow parks to accept such sponsorships from currently forbidden industries such as alcohol and tobacco companies.
If approved by park service director Fran Mainella, the new order would all advertising on park
property and in facilities, such as billboards on shuttle buses and ads in published materials. It would also allow for ark buildings and rooms to be named after individuals and companies who made donations.
A watchdog organization known as the Coalition of National Park Service Retirees called the proposal “disturbing” during a hearing of the U.S. House Subcommittee on Criminal Justice, Drug Policy and Human Resources.
“If you start to see buildings with names, benches and
plaques, more and more it begins to look like the kind of thing people see in their daily lives and that they go to parks to get away from,” said Bill Wade, chairman of the coalition’s executive council.
Billboards Causing Accidents?
British company Privilege Insurance recently released the results of a research project, citing that scantily-clad models and other such eye-catching billboard material are dangerously
distracting to drivers and cause automobile accidents.
According to the report, nearly one out of every four British drivers (23 percent) have become so distracted by eye-popping billboard advertising that they swirved out of control and into other lanes of traffic. Racy billboards and flashing signage cause another third of drivers (32 percent) to lose concentration behind the wheel; and 41 percent confess to being distracted for up to five seconds by such ads.
HP Unveils New Printing Technology
Hewlett-Packard recently introduced its Scalable Printing Technology, which the company claims delivers “groundbreaking print speeds with superior print quality and an overall lower
cost per page.”
“HP has spent an estimated 16.8 million hours of work, along with a five-year strategic investment of $1.4 billion, to bring this platform to the market,” said John Solomon, vice president of HP Asia Pacific and Japan Imaging and Printing Group at the New Delhi, India product launch.
Scalable Printing Technology scans multiple images into individual files in about 10 seconds per image and also previews them simultaneously. The scanner provides a resolution of 4800
x 9600 dpi and 48-bit color.
HP also announced the launch of new printers based on the SPT platform, including the HP Photosmart 8238 Photo Printer, and HP Photosmart 3108 All-in-One. Both feature six ink cartridges with new HP Vivera ink formulations and a separate print head, and can print 4” x 6” photos in as fast as 14 seconds.
“With this technology, the company is targeting both the home printing and SMB segment, as SPT effectively addresses the issue of speed, cost, and
ease of use for these segments,” said Solomon. “HP expects to expand the addressable digital printing market to 17 percent from the current 12 percent.”
Cree and Kingbright Sign Licensing Pact
Kingbright Electronic Co., a Taiwan-based LED product manufacturer, has entered into a agreement to purchase the license to Cree Inc.’s white LED patent, aiming to incorporate the
chip deisgn into its products.
This adds to the long list of buyers who have scooped up licensing rights to Cree Products in 2005. In addition to Kingbright, companies such as Stanley Electric Co. and Rohm Co. of Japan, and Cotco Holdings of Hong Kong, have licensed Cree-patented semi-conductor designs this year.
New Appointments
3M ended an exhaustive five-month search by naming George W. Buckley chairman, president, and CEO. Buckley, the former CEO of the Brunswick Corporation, replaces former 3M chief W. James McNerney, who left abruptly to assume
the top post at Boeing. Buckley has formerly headed companies such as Tyco International and Ingersoll-Rand.
American Screen Art announced that Peter Carey has joined the company as president and CEO, effective December 19, 2005. He replaces Maurice Richardson, who becomes the Chairman of the Board of Directors.
Oce Display Graphics Systems, Inc. announced the appointment of Gido van Praag to president and CEO, assuming the position previously held by Wilbert Verheyen, who has accepted another assignment within Oce. Mr. van Praag was previously with Oce-Japan Corporation, where he served as president and representative
director.
World Wide Sign Systems recently introduced Riche Salzmann as national accounts manager at the company’s Shawano, Wisconsin location, “The Channel Letter Factory.” Salzmann brings to World Wide Sign Systems 25 years of sales, marketing, and management experience.
Meetings and Events
FEBRUARY
February 9 - 11: The Western Sign Show, a Western States Sign Council and ISA event, will be held in San Diego, California. For more information, call 703/836-4013 or visit www.signs.org.
MARCH
March 10 - 12: Sasekalahewata Letterheads, an event devoted to gold leafing, glue chipping, pinstriping, glass etching, airbrushing, and sandblasting, will be hosted by Fred’s Sign Company, Inc., of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. For additional details, call 405/235-8696 or e-mail
FREDSSIGNCO@aol.com.
APRIL
April 5 -8: ISA International Sign Expo 2006. Orange County Convention Center, Orlando, Florida. www.signexpo.org.
Sponsored Links
-- Subscriptions to Sign Builder Illustrated are free to sign shops in the U.S. and Canada. To subscribe, please visit: www.signshop.com/subscribe
This Month's Trivia Answer:
$300,000
| |
For in-depth coverage of these topics and other sign industry topics, check out
www.signshop.com
ATTENTION SUBSCRIBERS:
Coming up in the January 2006 issue of
Sign Builder Illustrated,
feature articles on:
Digital Printing on Banners
Sandblasting Dimensional Signage
LED Channnel Letters and Sign Cabinets
Panel Saws
Safety
Products
Vinyl Cutters/Plotters
ATTENTION ADVERTISERS and SUBSCRIBERS:
Coming up in the February 2006 issue of
Sign Builder Illustrated,
feature articles on:
Vehicle Graphic Adhesives
Architectural Wayfinding Signage
Fiber Optics
Gold Leaf
LED Message Centers
Cranes and Service Equipment
Contact your ad sales representative to reserve your space today!
As we shape SBI Update into the premeire
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 Associate Editor Chris Ytuarte at cytuarte@sbpub.com.
| |
© 2005 Simmons-Boardman Publishing
345 Hudson St., 12th Floor • New York, NY 10014
212-620-7200
|
|
NOBODY BEATS OUR PRICING on LED Signage Solutions. ATG Electronics Manufactures High Quality LED Flex Strips, LED Modules,
LED Rope Lights, LED SMD Ribbon Flex, MR-16, Gu-10, E27 & PAR Spot Lamps. Factory Direct Pricing. We Make Doing Business Easy. Visit our Web site by clicking on our logo above, or here: www.atgelectronics.com.
| |
Vectorizing/Tracing of ArtworkLet our graphic designers trace/vectorize your artwork at up to 75% off retail prices. Trace images & create clean files ready to cut, print, etch, silk screen, etc. Increase resolution for large format printing. Lay out signs per your specifications. Choice of file format: CDR, AI, DXF & others. 24hr service / Free quotes.
www.trace4less.com
| |
Mimaki USA has stood at the forefront of technology with its large-format plotters and cutters. Headquartered in Suwanee, Georgia with branch offices in Boston, Chicago, and Los Angeles, key strengths include large-scale printing and cutting solutions, smaller, affordable plotters, and breakthroughs in printing for UV curable ink jet systems. Click on the Mimaki logo above to go to
the Web site.
| |
Sixty Years of Explosive Growth
ISA is proud to announce the 60th anniversary of the ISA Sign Expo, taking place in Orlando, Florida on April 5-8, 2006. The Expo offers hundreds of exhibitors from around the globe, displaying innovative sign products. To learn more about the Expo, click on our logo above, or here: www.signexpo.org.
| |
Sign Builder Illustrated:
The How-to Book Vol. 1
Learn 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 Illustratedís how-to articles. To visit the How-to Book Web site, click on the image above.
| |
|
Sign Builder Illustrated values your privacy and will not sell or share your email with third parties. To unsubscribe, please click here: https://www.simmonsboardman.com/sendstudio/users/unsub.php?Mem=94038&ConfirmCode=f628da78cd7187982b28c38a9a72208a |  |
Billboards Reach
Hispanics?