Touchscreen devices are the future of business. They are intuitive to use and how we use them is constantly evolving.  Touch screen devices really have become the new trend in marketing. It's fair to say that this form of technology has completely taken over every form of device that we own these days.

But why are Touchscreens the New Trend In Marketing?

Ease
Touchscreen devices bring a certain ease to marketing that just doesn’t exist elsewhere. Touchscreen technology allows for a simple touch and swipe and the job is done. It is as easy as that.

Speed
Scrolling on a touchscreen is quick and easy.When it comes to marketing a product or service, it is important to always remember that every second counts. In a recent survey conducted by Tech Sling, it showed that a touchscreen has the ability to speed up business tasks by as much as 20%. If you are an entrepreneur, this is gold. 

Sophisticated
Lets face it. There is something smooth and sophisticated about using these touch screen devices. Since first impressions are what matter in business, you are more likely to close a deal when you look to be embracing change and ahead of the pack. Subliminally, the client already feels like they are in the right place, talking to the right people. This makes them more receptive to any product or service that you are marketing to them.

Apart from the sophisticated look, touch screen devices make it a lot easier to execute business. This is why they have become such a trend in marketing. In every trade show, business conference or exhibition, you are likely to see people operating touch screen devices.

We think this LookThruTransparent  display by Planar is a great addition to the digital signage range.

The Transparent OLED Display allows dynamic or interactive information to be relayed onto transparent surface glass. This revolutionary display allows users to view what is shown on a glass video screen while still being able to see through it. Designers can overlay text, digital images and video content onto physical objects or scenes that sit behind the glass. How engaging is that!

Fire –  call 000!!  Here at Signs & Lines we take our training seriously, so every 2 years everyone gets a bit of a refresher on how to handle a fire with extinguishers – useful for both work & home life. 
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Great to see the ‘willing’ volunteers tackle the carpark fires with such gusto – & see our Fire Reps (Kathy, Sarah & Andrew) in action too.

Kain certainly made sure that the fire didn't get the better of him!

This week I caught up with Aden who has just started his first year at Midland TAFE's signwriting course. I was keen to know how things were tracking so Aden showed me his first project work, just completed this month, and explained what he had done to achieve this great result.

"My first task at TAFE was to create a logo and to then make a sandblasted wooden sign. I started off with designing a logo using SignLab software - for me this was the most challenging aspect of this task!. I then used a plotter to cut the logo out onto a thick, green, rubber compound vinyl that withstands sandblasting. 

I applied the vinyl onto a 600mm x 420mm slab of pine wood and sandblasted it. The logo was standing out and raised higher than the background.  Leaving the vinyl in place, I used a dark wood stain and painted over the whole sign, and then used a lighter stain to go over the top. This bought out imperfections in the wood, creating raised features in the grain to generate a unique look. 

To finish, I pulled off the vinyl, exposing the raised, raw wood Honda logo."  

With the Rio Olympics in full flight, it is interesting to see how digital signage is playing such a huge part in the games.

With 306 events, featuring 206 countries, across 42 sporting disciplines, held at 37 venues, the Rio 2016 Olympic Games represent a huge opportunity for outdoor digital signage to reign supreme in Brazil this month. Here's why…

Around the world, outdoor digital signage is being used by nations to promote their attendance at the Rio 2016 Olympics. For instance, digital signage was put to use in Australia to reveal the Australian Olympic team's flagbearer.
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Equally, hundreds of digital signage vendors are sending screens of all sizes and specifications that will feature at the 2016 Rio Olympics and Paralympic games. Displays will be used across stadiums and areas surrounding venues for the purposes of brand promotion and televising Olympic events.

It's anticipated that the use of digital signage outdoors will escalate beyond the levels seen at the London 2012 Olympics given that, in just four years, AV technologies have advanced. Meanwhile installing screens outdoors has become progressively easier, though still not without its challenges.

Outdoor digital signage use in Brazil
Digital signage use outdoors in Brazil has boomed, particularly in the last two years, which has everything to do with the "Samba Nation" hosting the 2014 FIFA World Cup. There's already a strong digital signage presence across the country, particularly across soccer stadiums, for obvious reasons.

For instance, the Arena da Baixada Stadium in Curitiba, which is the home of the Clube Atlético Paranaense soccer team, has a staggering 220 digital signage displays in use. They were used to televise games and featured menus for concession stands during the 2014 FIFA World Cup and they're likely to be in action again to screen Olympic soccer matches.

Outdoor digital signage in Brazil is already making waves and has played a key role in boosting Brazil's economy, especially during the FIFA World Cup, as brands promoted their products and services to soccer fans from around the world. It's a certainty that it will have an even bigger impact during the Rio 2016 Olympics.

Why? The International Olympic Committee expects nearly 500,000 tourists to descend on Rio for the Games, but that's just a conservative estimate. Following the success of the FIFA World Cup, tourist numbers will probably surpass the half million predicted to arrive.

At various points throughout the Games, tourists will come into contact with outdoor digital signage, and with digital out-of-home advertising already hitting 60 percent of Brazil's economically active population according to figures published by brasilsignage.com, DOOH already ranks as the second most viewed media behind free-to-air TV.
 
For the full article, go to:

http://www.digitalsignagetoday.com/blogs/spotlight-on-digital-signage-at-the-2016-rio-olympics/?utm_source=Email_marketing&utm_campaign=EMNADST08152016&cmp=1&utm_medium=HTMLemail_

Design. How we just love a good design!

These Pods looking so funky and groovy that you cant help but want to touch, feel and experience them! They are double-sided and contain touchscreens making them interactive and functional to boot. Ideal for wayfinding in a busy shopping centre, university or tourist location.

To find out more about these multi-talented new options contact:
tim@signsandlines.com
paul@signsandlines.com

​Looking for a digital sign with a  DIFFERENCE!

This is a high impact idea for any large event, sports activity, fun day, school open day, brand launch .. the options are endless.

In this case the large outdoor screen was used in conjunction with a HSBC Jersey 23 Campaign at all the Waratahs home games in Sydney. 

The brief was to provide a screen that was different from the usual LED or plasma option, that was instantly recognisable and provided available space for corporate branding. It had to be a large screen that could be used at any time of the day in any conditions. The small cube was the perfect solution. 

Let us know if this would be a great addition to your next event or promotion:
tim@signsandlines.com
paul@signsandlines.com

We LOVED this!!

A 7-Eleven convenience store chain in downtown L.A. installed an Anthony iDOOR®, a transparent LCD embedded within the cooler door that plays full motion video at the point of purchase.


The iDOOR increased sales and improves the retailer’s communication, merchandising and engagement with its customers. See more at: https://youtu.be/5QWvHqiVAhA?list=PLvmhz0u7AN6YfNQziif1-u42FvkbjyZQu

Other observations along the way:

CHALLENGES
Customers were so engaged with iDOOR that they spent valuable shopping time observing the door and even went home to bring their family and friends back to the store to view the door. While this increased the number of shoppers in the store, it was extremely busy for store management.

SOLUTIONS
The store owner explained to customers and store management how the iDOOR operated.

RESULTS
Products merchandised in close proximity to the iDOOR showed an increase in purchase incidence by shopper, specifically the carbonated beverages. The iDOOR also successfully strengthened other product categories through selective promotions and limited-time offers featured on the iDOOR

http://www.samsung.com/us/system/b2b/resource/2015/11/19/WHP-LFD-OUTDOORDH-NOV15J.pdf

This article is a great read and highly recommended if you're looking for more information on new display display screen technologies that are allowing digital signs in outdoor applications perform even better.

We particularly like the section about pricing. Outdoor display technology is no different from most technologies – in that there’s always a cheaper option somewhere. But the old saying about “getting what you pay for” rings true!

There are also some key pointers about what to think about when researching outdoor and high brightness displays:

• Is it truly bright enough to be readable in daylight?
• Will people wearing sunglasses see the visuals properly, because the displays handle polarization     properly?
• What is the pedigree – the experience, history and size – of the supplier?
• How does the manufacturer or supplier validate the display‘s engineering? Do they have labs where things like thermal temperatures and sun-loading are tested?
• What’s the warranty period and the life-cycle of the product?
• Are there spare part depots in the region, or at minimum, in the country?
• What’s in place for vandalism protection, and for the security of the screens and particularly the media players inside enclosures?

Happy reading! Speak to us today about any of these questions, we'd be delighted to help you create your next outdoor digital display sign.

+61 8 9274 5151
tim@signsandlines.com
paul@signsandlines.com 

​The rise of more integrated and connected digital signage solutions is bringing unprecedented opportunities for the retailers. Digital Signage is In the middle of this evolution– with ‘bricks and mortar’ retailers integrating online and offline shopping experiences. Gone are the days where in-store digital signage only provided one-way information.

We sense that retail is in the midst of massive transformation – partly driven by new technology, but mainly due to the growing preference of shoppers for a seamless experience.  By combining digital signage with image processing (essentially a camera) kiosks can literally see, sense or even hear the presence of nearby customers, and display dynamic content based on demographics.

Facial recognition technology allows different retail messaging to be tailored to a 50 year old man versus a 10 year old girl, for example. If a marketing campaign is promoting watches, the displays will be tailored to maximise the appeal to each demographic. The girl may fancy a Swatch or Fit-bit, the gent will prefer a Tag Heuer!

These advancements in image processing and IoT sensor technologies mean that the digital signage can provide smart, interactive tools to engage customers in exciting and relevant ways. Smart screens in an aware, “smart” retail environment are providing shoppers’ information about what they’re looking at, and influencing buying decisions, including up-selling.

It's not only the customer that gets a more relevant buying experience. For the retailer, a smart system can trigger content to the customer based on:

• What’s under-performing
  
• What’s overstocked
• Trends of the moment
• Time of day
• Local environmental/weather conditions
• Plus any other number of factors. 

When not in use, these screens aren’t sitting idle. They can be scheduled to display promotions or entertaining content, and also the calls to action that get consumers using interactive tools.

Smart technologies are here today. Contact one of our team to find out more.
tim@signsandlines.com
​paul@signsandlines.com