Category: News

Pylons are freestanding promotional structures that are generally located outside of commercial properties. While these signs come in a range of shapes and sizes, they all serve a very similar purpose – provide effective exposure to passing traffic.

While pylons were once strictly static signs, they have evolved in line with the rapid adoption of technology. Nowadays, LED pylons are often preferred due to their comparative superiority in several key areas. With this being said, even in this day and age, digital signage is not right for everyone. This article will compare LED and static pylons according to 4 key criterions in order to help you decide which option best suits your business.

Reach

The ultimate objective of a pylon is to attract customers as well as improve overall engagement. Perhaps predictably, digital pylons are much more effective at doing this. Research suggests that LED based signage is much more likely to leave a lasting impression on viewers. In fact, a practical study found that 83% of people were able to accurately recall information from at least one digital sign that they had seen in the past month. On the other hand, roughly 40% of respondents retained information that they had seen on a static sign.

In an attempt to explain the major discrepancies between the aforementioned statistics, it is important to understand the profound effect that visual aesthetics have on human emotions. People are drawn to visually pleasing promotional material, and a simple, high quality LED pylon is significantly more appealing than a more traditional piece of signage.

Maintenance

Maintenance costs should be an important consideration for any prospective signage owner. Perhaps surprisingly, research suggests that LED pylons are comparatively superior in this category. This is primarily due to the reliability of LED technology – in this day and age, outdoor LED pylons are exceptionally durable, and can last 10-15 years. With the technology being very self-sufficient, maintenance does not typically extend beyond standard cleaning. Conversely, static pylons often fall victim to a range of environmental factors and are therefore prone to deterioration over a period of time.

Flexibility

Perhaps the most prominent advantage of LED pylons stems from the fact that they are remarkably flexible. Through a few clicks, businesses can effortlessly alter the images, text and infographics that are shown on their pylon. As a result of this adaptability, digital signage is very effective in helping a business communicate any sort of change.

On the other hand, static pylons displays are exceptionally inflexible, and usually cannot be changed once they are completed. As a result of this, they can become worthless for companies that undergo any sort of re-branding process.

Costs

For the vast majority of businesses, costs are the defining factor. While established global entities may be able to splash large sums of cash on extravagant signage, the reality is very different for an average small-medium sized start-up. While prices obviously vary, research suggests that as a general rule, digital pylons are roughly twice as expensive when being compared to a static pylon of the same size.

While LED pylons may seem overly expensive, the initial investment often fails to tell the full story. When effectively implemented, digital signage has been shown to have a positive effect on brand awareness and recognition as well as customer engagement. Therefore, it is likely that the ROI on an LED pylon would exceed that of a static pylon.

The bottom line

Pylons are an exceptional resource that can provide a multitude of benefits to businesses of all sizes. While this article has shown that LED pylons may be superior in this day and age, it is important to recognise that they are not appropriate for all businesses. Namely, a small or rural business that is looking to capture a localised market may feel as though a static pylon is more suited to them.

 

 

Rebranding is a big task but provides the opportunity for big impact. The rebrand process starts with strategy, re-aligning values and goals, repositioning the brand, considering impacts on the existing community and building appeal to a new audience. Brand evolutions help to re-excite, injecting a future focus and detaching from existing attitudes, creating space to evolve into new arenas. Like when your iOS updates or your favourite restaurant changes their menu, change can be hard as people cling to nostalgia. But with change brings opportunities to diversify and ultimately progress forward.

Implementing a national signage rebrand requires planning, taking ideas from conceptual vision and building them into reality. Once comprehensive work has been done around reinventing a brands values, identifying the audience and developing effective strategy, rebuilding the brands identity can be executed. A key factor in identity for physical large format retail brands is signage. Joining forces with a signage partner who has experience in implementing large scale national brand change is essential for a few key reasons.

1. Remove the guesswork: experienced signage partners will ensure every box is ticked and a smooth flow of large scale change with incorporation of every small detail.
2. Consistency is key: having everything manufactured under one roof ensures visuals, colours and designs all align!
3. Doing things differently: your brand identity can be built through a number of new and innovative avenues. Whilst traditional signage is always imperative, diversifying signage options can be supported through professionals who understand emerging technology.

Integrating the update of existing interior and exterior signage and designs, branded digital signage and wayfinding, vehicles and other prints are all important considerations all the way from the planning phase through to the roll out. Choosing a signage partner that can assist you through every phase of concept development, design, creation and manufacture, installation and ongoing support can be imperative for national scale rebrands. Experience really does play a role in managing expectations around timing, delivery of a quality product and ensuring the physical rebrand is achieved in line with or exceeding the desired outcomes.

Whilst no one knows a brand better than those within it, having the same partner on board at each step ensures that no part of the vision is lost. Communication can be effectively managed as partners feel like another member in the team, not only understanding the vision but investing in it. The 2020 chaos might make a rebrand feel out of reach, but maybe this is the best time to re-evaluate and redesign for the new future.

Before the outbreak of COVID-19, online shopping was expected to account for 16% – 18% of total retail spend in Australia by 2025. According to the Australia Post 2020 eCommerce Industry Report, we are now well ahead of this with online shopping now predicted to account for 15% by the end of 2020. As online demand increases so too does the expectation of a more seamless and convenient delivery experience.

Choice, convenience and flexibility in delivery options has never been more important. A survey by Hubbed found a shift in buying behaviour with 1-in-2 Australian shoppers calling for more Click & Collect services. Despite Click & Collect being readily available at many retailers before the outbreak began, an analysis by Numerator has shown an increase of 63% in Click & Collect sales during the COVID-19 period in comparison to January 2020. Woolworths reported a 50% jump in demand for Pick Up services in July.

By offering a well-designed Click & Collect system, brick and mortar retailers can differentiate and compete against pure online brands allowing customers to save on delivery fees and get access to their goods the same day. And it can increase sales with research by KPMG finding that close to 50% of customers who come into the store to collect their online purchases make an additional unplanned purchase.

Convenience is a key foundation of the customer experience and alleviating any stress in the Click & Collect process (such as finding a car park) is essential. Allocating dedicated parking bays for Click & Collect customers not only assists in delivering a more convenient customer experience, it also provides a cost-effective branding platform. As the first touchpoint with customers, the car park is a highly visible and often underutilised branding opportunity.

CV Media & Signage has successfully partnered with several leading Australian retailers to deliver national Click & Collect rollouts during the COVID-19 period. Providing an in-house line marking solution allows CV Media & Signage to deliver improved value to our clients with paint that is built to withstand years of use, along with a range of complementary signage solutions such as bollards, flat panel signs and totems. Line marking rollouts have included all methodologies including cold plasti, solvent and water-based products which offer warranty periods from 12 months to 5 years.

If the statistics are anything to go by, Click & Collect is set to be the new norm for retailers. Talk to the team at CV Media & Signage about how they can help improve your Click & Collect experience to meet and exceed your customers’ demands.

CV is a national trade services group based in Hendra, Brisbane. The group provides a broad range of complementary offerings including electrical design and construction, electrical infrastructure, visual solutions and asset services. Safety is always at the forefront for CV and in order to make sure our over than 200 employees were able to safely return to the Hendra office and manufacturing facility, a structured COVID Safe program was essential.

Taking into consideration Safe Work Australia’s information for workplaces on how to minimise the risk of exposure to COVID-19, the transformation of CV’s Hendra office to ensure it complies was rapidly progressed. Along with the increased measures of workplace cleaning, using WHS risk management to drive the change the measures included a range of soft measures (e.g. increased cleaning frequency and availability of sanitisers) and hard measure (e.g. signage and workstation “sneeze” guards).

Media & Signage, the visual solution business in the CV group, developed a suite of signs and equipment to ensure that the workplace meets the COVID Safe requirements. The suite of signage included entrance signs outlining workplace protocols; hygiene decals in bathrooms and kitchens as a visual reminder on thorough hand-washing; meeting room, office and workstation POD decals informing the number of people allowed in each space; and social distancing decals in high foot traffic areas such as the reception and kitchen to eliminate congregating in these locations.

Automatic hand sanitiser stations, incorporating brochure holders, allows CV to drive home not just the hygiene message, but also provide a prime spot to communicate with the CV team. Reception and desk “sneeze” guards were manufactured in house at CV Media & Signage’s state-of-the-art manufacturing and print facility. The reception “sneeze” guards provide valuable protection for the CV team members against respiratory exposure through people talking, coughing and sneezing.

With workplace PODs containing four workstations at CV, maintaining the 1.5 metres social distancing requirement and 4 square metres of space was going to be a challenge. Installing clear acrylic desk “sneeze” guards between each workstation has allowed all team members to return to the office.

The signage and acrylic guards are a critical part of a broader COVID Safe program for the CV group as they seek to use innovation to ensure all team members can work in a COVID Safe manner.

What’s your strategy for getting your team back to work? As COVID-19 restrictions begin to ease and people start to return to their offices and job sites, challenges are still in place to provide a COVID Safe work place. It’s inevitably the end of shared fruit boxes and the handshake, but what does the new norm look like for Australian offices?

Key rules for businesses to follow as per guidelines set out by Safe Work Australia in order to get employees back to work include;

• Ensuring 4 square metres of space per person
• Encourage social distancing of at least 1.5 metres
• Promote regular and thorough hand-washing by employees, contractors and customers
• Promote good respiratory hygiene in the workplace

The biggest challenge lies in the open plan offices which we have all grown accustomed to. This is where our desk guards come in to play. We have all seen the upsurge of sneeze guards in the retail sector over the last few months. Once only used to protect food at buffets and markets, sneeze guards are now pretty much standard in stores to help protect employees. We’ve installed these for a range of clients including Auswide Bank, Enoggera Barracks, Bayside Health Professionals and more.

With workplace pods containing anywhere between two to twelve workstations, maintaining social distancing can be tough. Acrylic desk guards between workstations will allow for more employees per pod without the risk of transmitting COVID-19. Made of a clear acrylic, the desk guard retains the feeling of being surrounded by work colleagues with the added bonus of noise control and privacy when on the phone. Completely customisable, our desk guards can be made to fit any configuration of desks and work pods.

Signage also plays a significant role in this transition. Through printed decals, businesses can create a visual route for employees to follow from the moment they enter the office. Colour coded walkways can restrict communication between different businesses or departments. Signs can be installed at the entrance outlining workplace protocols; throughout lifts letting visitors know where they need to stand; hygiene decals in bathrooms and kitchens as a visual reminder of thorough hand-washing; meeting room decals informing the number of people allowed in that room; social distancing decals in reception and kitchen areas – the list is endless!

We have been working closely with a number of our clients to get them post-COVID-19 ready. Super Retail Group, who only moved into their brand-new headquarters late 2019, have been the latest to jump on board. We installed a total of 550 signs throughout the 7,000 square metre, three level facility to create a COVID safe work place. Signs included a workplace protocols entrance sign; social distancing decals in the reception, lifts, walkways, kitchens and bathrooms; and meeting room maximum capacity signs.

Contact us now for a no obligation review of your office needs and advice on how the CV Media & Signage team can tailor a COVID safe work place package to suit your needs.

With an audience raised on digital communication, digital signage is an ideal way to engage today’s students and future generations of students. By taking advantage of the capabilities the latest digital signage technologies deliver, universities are empowered to communicate quickly and effectively with students, faculty and visitors. With 73% of educational institutions seeing digital signage as crucial for the future of communication, what are the remaining 27% missing out on? Below are our top five picks.

Streamlined communications

Rapidly replacing static notice boards and posters, digital screens allow campuses to streamline communications with students, faculty and visitors. News announcements and campus events can be displayed alongside class schedules in real-time to keep students and faculty up-to-date. Even more importantly, the use of a secure and collaborative, cloud-based content management system simplifies the management of communications. This enables control of the entire network of screens whilst at the same time allowing for tailored content on specific screens. For example, an advertisement for an upcoming law student networking event can be scheduled to only appear in digital screens within the law faculty area.

For universities with multiple campuses, this provides a cost effective and flexible solution which can be implemented across multiple locations to communicate with any number of students, faculty and visitors quickly and efficiently. Digital signage can also be paired with other technology platforms to enable content to be pushed directly to student or faculty phones.

Increased engagement

Placing digital screens throughout campus common areas can assist in driving interest and boosting student engagement. Utilize screens to welcome new staff and students, share event highlight videos, or recognize student achievements. These forms of messages, which can be tailored to different locations of a multi-campus university, create a feeling of warmth and belonging.

Alternatively, add a personal touch to your universities’ communications through social media. Social media itself is a great platform for fresh, fun and highly visual content. Marketing departments can avoid reinventing the content wheel by simply displaying the universities own social media posts. By creating a hashtag for student or faculty to use on their own social media, you can incentivize with the instant gratification of seeing their posts appear on the screens which in turn builds a sense of community.

Improved guidance

University campuses are constantly evolving and expanding. By offering a digital wayfinding solution, universities can assist new visitors in navigating their way around the grounds and avoid the risk of getting lost. Current students will also benefit from digital wayfinding as locating a new classroom or facility will be easier than ever. Interactive digital kiosks located throughout campuses are an excellent means of wayfinding, with the dynamic capability of digital allowing content to be updated anywhere, anytime. The ability to customize the exterior design of a kiosk also ensures that the digital wayfinding will fit seamlessly within the campus environment and complement any existing static wayfinding signage.

Simplified room management

Room management is a huge challenge for many universities. Linked to a calendar system, digital meeting room signs make reserving spaces simple avoiding confusion and double ups. To avoid unused rooms due to no-shows, universities can utilize a “check in” functionality which allows the central system to set a time when the meeting should be cancelled if not checked in, and the room becomes available to others. Room timetables can also be displayed on common room digital screens, so students and faculty can quickly check which room has availability.

Safety for the masses

Insuring the safety of everyone on a campus is a top priority for universities. In the event of an emergency, a digital signage network is a very effective tool to deliver critical information and necessary directions without delay. For example, if a fire starts, emergency alerts and guidance to the closest emergency exits and fire evacuation assembly points can appear on the digital screens in the affected and nearby buildings.

With people consuming content more frequently than ever, digital signage is fast becoming the norm for universities. And why not? Replacing static posters and flyers by deploying the latest digital signage technology not only streamlines communications and critical information delivery but also reduces ongoing costs and can easily be scaled across multiple campuses.

As featured on Digital Signage Today.

The key to the success of large venues such as casinos, hotels and stadiums is delivering a customer experience that makes people feel like more than just a number walking through the door. The biggest challenge that casinos tackle is servicing all of their customers as efficiently as possible with the first physical touch points of their venue and brand.

Casinos can build technology around their customers that integrates effectively into the facility to provide wayfinding, information and entertainment. Mapping the customer experience can be a critical element in understanding the needs of patrons. With an understanding of different customer types, technologies can be customized to shape and personalize brand interaction. With multiple levels, locations, entrances and motivations for visiting, the task of adequately servicing the broad spectrum of customers can be difficult, but it’s made possible through innovative digital planning.

The digital journey     

Upon entry, digital wayfinding and information kiosks can be the perfect first touch point for customers. Utilizing digital for this purpose provides flexibility and allows an evolution in message delivery to stay in sync with the constant changes at a casino. The opportunities for interactive kiosks are endless with a few key opportunities highlighted for large and diverse venues;

• 3D mapping; an interactive map of the floor plans providing customers with visual directions from where they are to where they want to be,
• Categorized offers and services for customers to peruse and understand what is available i.e. dining, bars, clubs, gaming, accommodation and amenities,
• Detailed restaurant menu information,
• Entertainment and event programs,
• Gaming updates and information, and
• Advertising of specialized promotions and offers.

As patrons move through the venue, digital networks can provide a channel to stay in touch with the integration of video, animation and engaging content that is both informative and entertaining.

As casinos are premier entertainment environments, digital displays also provide the ability to integrate digital art. Providing eye-catching features can elevate any atmosphere whilst also reducing perceived wait and travel times. Unique digital designs release limits on the imagination and can bring the outdoors in, and for designers, make the impossible possible.

Continuing the digital journey, multiple opportunities exist for different destinations inside a casino;

• Restaurants and bars can utilize digital menu boards,
• Clubs can integrate video walls,
• Gaming floors can utilize interactive screens and digital wayfinding, and
• Integration of digital elements can gauge customer experience and gain feedback.

Integrating digital signage provides a unique platform for brands to engage their consumers with customized solutions. Digital options have opened up the possibilities for a greater customer experience whilst boosting the bottom line for casinos. In other words, with digital implementation boosting the customer experience, the house always wins.

As featured on Digital Signage Connection.

Airports and passengers have common goals in mind – process quickly and progress smoothly. Arriving and departing passengers being able to move efficiently and effectively through the space with minimal stress is a critical determinant in airports providing an effective service experience. With the objective of delivering the highest levels of customer service, the utilization of proven communication tools is a vital component in the overall service process.

Traditional static signage and innovations in digital signage both play a key role in ensuring clear wayfinding communications within and around the airport precinct. There are a number of key customer touchpoints that can be leveraged to deliver an integrated approach with effective signage key in enabling customers to experience a trouble-free journey.

Often the first touch point for travelling customers, managing customer flow in and out of the car park is a crucial first impression. Digital car park technology has come a long way, with digital screens enabling an interactive navigation journey to available car parks on arrival and smoothly exiting the car park on departure. With emotions often heightened before travelers get through the doors, smarter car parks with relevant messaging is key in the efficient traffic flow through an often-critical income space.

While the logistics of an airport are complex, using intel from passenger patterns and flight information allows the design and integration of digital signage assets to streamline the passenger processes. Utilizing information, design and an understanding of the customer journey, allows for the airport to answer passenger questions before they to ask them. Clear directional signage for a large outflow or influx of passengers to the correct gate or towards the exit can be significant in minimizing stress and the chance of delay.

Further assisting in streamlining passenger flow is the capacity for digital signage to deliver messages that are culturally relevant and in a broad range of languages. Research conducted by Leib et al, found an overwhelming preference for both Chinese and American passengers to navigate airports accurately with signage integrating both words and symbols. The research also found there was noticeable differences amongst the cultures, in the way they received and processed wayfinding information. With the integration of traditional static signage, digital signage, and an understanding of the market, airports can choose to utilize their signage as critical design features to deliver a passenger experience that recognizes the culturally diverse nature of an airport.

Passenger flow through airports is not only a top priority, it is their core business. It is in the best interest of all parties for passengers to be able to quickly and easily navigate to their flights and on towards their destinations. Managing the passenger experience using intelligently designed out signage strategies, integrating both static and digital technology, is essential in driving an enhanced passenger experience and return business.

Spotlight on Melbourne Airport

Melbourne Airport is Australia’s busiest 24/7 airport, with over 36 million passengers transiting through in FY18. The year also saw the addition of six new airlines and six new destinations. This growth, together with forward projections in handling capacity needs has seen the demand for the airports integrated technology to be intelligently designed, forward thinking and future proofed. Digital signage plays a key role in Melbourne Airports system for the future, with the recent addition of two new LED’s.

These 2.88-meter by 0.96-meter and 2.88-meter-by-1.22-meter screens are situated in heavily trafficked walkway areas, navigating customers to and from key checkpoints, including the car parks, check in desks and gates.

The fine pitch LED allows for a crisp image to not only display relevant and informative passenger content and wayfinding information but also has the capacity for targeted internal and external advertising opportunities.

As featured on Digital Signage Today.

Customer expectations and competition are pushing parking operators to evolve and invest heavily in digital business transformation. The customer path to purchase is no longer linear. Instead, their journey has many touchpoints, both online and offline. A key challenge that operators face is ensuring the overall parking experience is seamless, from booking a parking space online through to the final exit from the car park.

Digital car park technology provides parking operators several key customer touchpoints which can be leveraged to create a tailored and seamless parking experience. After successfully converting offline customers to online, digital signage can then integrate with customer data to display content relevant to a specific customer or even guide them to their pre-booked parking space.

Critical to this is the conversion of offline customers to online customers. Implementing a digital car park technology strategy allows operators to gather and analyse customer data such as payment methods and the frequency and duration of visits. With a digital platform, operators can utilise this data to tailor the customer experience, communications and promotions, in turn improving customer loyalty and increasing revenue.

But how do you convert traditionally offline customers to online?

The Secure Parking digital journey
Over the past five years Secure Parking has transformed from a traditional ‘bricks and mortar’ business to a business with a successful digital strategy in place. With over 600 car park sites throughout Australia and New Zealand, Secure Parking has a range of parking products designed specifically to suit each customer’s unique parking habits.

The introduction of online booking has generated a brand-new audience who had previously not considered using a car park. However, with the success of their newfound digital audience it has proven to be challenging in converting traditional offline customers to the online platform.

Secure Parking has partnered with CV Media & Signage for the past two years to digitally transform their offline experience through digital car park technology. Secure Parking can now reach their customers through multiple digital signage touchpoints including LED displays, variable rate boards and CV’s customised APM displays.

Andrew Sapir, Corporate Marketing Manager of Secure Parking said, “by having effective digital signage throughout our car parks, we can communicate messages to customers that haven’t considered booking parking online.”

Launched in July this year, ‘Smart Cookie’ was Secure Parking’s first national digital signage campaign. Sapir said, “When converting a customer from offline to online it’s important to keep messaging simple. We had a good story to tell within the car park, especially to drive-up customers who encountered parking costs that were higher than expected. Smart Cookie was a visually appealing image that created attention. Combining this image with a simple and relevant message provides these customers with a better solution the next time they need to park.”

“It’s early days but initial feedback from customers has been positive. Everyone loves a Smart Cookie!”

As featured on Parking Australia.