Advertising is going digital: In buildings and outdoors, digital advertising displays are increasingly replacing billboards, posters and printed ads. However, addressing customers and passers-by in public spaces or in the commercial environment offers many more possibilities. Whether as a digital menu and up-to-date information board or as an interactive customer stopper, room allocation plan and price information: digital advertising displays are diverse, flexible and multifunctional. In the guide you will learn more about the possibilities that digital posters and other advertisements offer and get inspiration for the use in your environment.
Digital advertising displays promote your creativity and sales
Flexible and up-to-date, interactive and cost-effective in the long term: Digital advertising displays offer many advantages over printed posters. In a wide variety of formats, they enable content to be updated or exchanged quickly and easily. Unlike analog gauges that need to be printed and replaced manually, digital displays can be adjusted in real-time. In this way, operators can easily adapt their advertising messages and other information to current events, seasonal offers or changed conditions. Viewers will notice your offer more quickly and will receive useful information and entertainment.
Placed in strategic locations, digital posters attract potential customers and draw their attention to your offer. Promotional displays also offer great flexibility in presenting content. They can be easily updated and adapted to changing needs or offers. The tedious task of replacing individual posters is no longer necessary: all devices can be loaded with new content from a central location.
Customers are specifically addressed with digital displays, for example in the catering and service industries: Digital table displays are also known as digital chalkboards and help to increase sales by advertising current offers. QR codes with links to menu cards or special offers can also be displayed. In general, the range of digital displays in various sizes and formats is constantly growing.
Which models and formats of advertising displays are there?
Companies and traders now have such a large selection of digital displays that it can be difficult to decide on the right solution. In addition, the investment should be planned carefully: Unlike static posters, placards or paper-based displays, digital solutions are associated with higher initial investments. However, these additional costs are put into perspective over the entire operating period: Savings on printing costs and shorter times for updating the advertising messages quickly pay for themselves.
In order to make the right choice, it is advisable to first test a display and only then decide for or against the equipment of the entire application area. With our buying guide, you can get an overview of the most important types of digital posters and displays and find out about their performance and possible uses. Once you have decided on a solution, you can let your creativity run free: It often only becomes clear during operation that digital advertising displays can be used in even more diverse ways than for the originally planned purpose.
One of the most common advertising displays are digital posters. Unlike a printed poster, which is physically hung, a digital poster consists of an image, video, or presentation displayed on a screen or other digital display device. The devices can display various content, such as static images, slide shows or even interactive content.
Digital chalkboards have a completely different format. Also referred to as electronic chalkboards or electronic whiteboards, the devices are a modern twist on the traditional tabletop display, using digital technology to display and present information. Instead of chalk and a physical blackboard, digital chalkboards have a screen that is usually fed with content wirelessly via software. Some displays are touch sensitive; many devices rely on e-paper as a display, as this is particularly energy-saving.
There are also many other formats, some of which serve very specific purposes. Room displays show the current and future availability of meeting rooms, for example. Models with a touch display not only provide information, but can also be operated, for example to make a new booking. A very special example among the displays is the Vestaboard: although it is digital, the mechanical display reinterprets the traditional split-flap board (folding display) as known from airports and train stations. The nostalgic display is controlled in a modern way via browser or app. In bars, offices or shops, it is a real eye-catcher that even captivates visitors acoustically: when the display is updated, the 132 elements fold audibly, which further increases the retro factor.
Checklist for the purchase decision: The right display for your requirements
In order to find the right digital display for your purposes, you should have an idea of which messages you want to present where and which target group you want to reach.
Questions you should have an answer to include:
- Will the display be placed outdoors or indoors? When exposed to sunlight, the display must have a higher luminosity and it should also be insensitive to UV radiation.
- Do you plan to stand the solution, hang it on the wall, hang it from the ceiling, or install it in some other way? Many displays can be flexibly installed and combined with different brackets. You can also add these later. Other displays are only intended for one type of positioning, such as digital chalkboards.
- How far away from the display will your customers be? The further away from the customer, the larger the display should be. Conversely, a display should offer a higher resolution the closer it is positioned to the customer.
- How many displays do you want to buy and how often do you want to exchange advertising messages? The more devices you have in operation, the more important networking and the wireless transmission of content to all displays becomes.
Brightness and UV protection must match the installation
If the mobile phone display is difficult to see in direct sunlight, this is annoying, but it is quickly solved by raising your hand to provide shade. Higher requirements apply to advertising displays: They should attract the attention of (potential) customers in any situation and in any weather and ensure that the message displayed gets across. It is also advisable to use models with anti-reflective glass for displays that are used outdoors or in an environment with strong artificial light sources.
When it comes to the brightness performance of outdoor displays, there are several important values that need to be taken into account: The unit of measurement, nits or candela, provides information about the maximum brightness. A typical recommendation for outdoor displays is at least 1000 nits, but depending on specific environmental conditions, even higher brightness may be required. Values between 200 and 500 nits are sufficient indoors. Contrast ratio and viewing angle information will also help potential buyers make the right choice.
You don’t just want to advertise when the sun is shining, but also when it’s raining? Then, in addition to brightness, UV and temperature resistance, moisture resistance plays a role. Various outdoor digital posters are resistant to rain, moisture and dust. This property can be recognized by an IP certification. The code specifies various degrees of protection with just a few digits: IP61, for example, stands for protection against dust (6) and rain (1).
Hanging, standing, gluing: various possibilities for positioning and assembly
Even if you want to digitize your advertising: Digital displays must be just as convincing with their physical values as with their electronic properties. Especially for the commercial sector, digital posters should be easy and simple to put into operation and offer operators extensive, flexible installation options. For advertising displays that are not simply placed on a table or the floor, it is best to buy the desired bracket directly. In some cases it is already included in the offer.
Size and resolution depend on location
The ideal display size depends on the viewing distance and desired viewing comfort. The further the distance, the larger the advertising display should be to ensure good readability and clear visibility of the content. If a digital poster is too small, viewers may have trouble seeing your message. The resolution of the display is also important. Larger, higher-resolution displays can show more detail, improving readability from a distance. A higher pixel density also allows for sharper text and graphics. The following viewing distances and recommended display sizes serve as a rough guide:
- 1-2 meter viewing distance: 32-55 inch display size
- 2-3 meters distance: display size of 55-65 inches
- 3-4 meters distance: display size of 65-75 inches
- 4-5 meters distance or more: Display size of 75 inches or more
The appropriate interfaces for simple playing
Digital displays can save users a lot of work, especially when it comes to displaying new content on many displays at once. For a high level of comfort when loading new content, users should pay attention to the following properties:
- Operating system: If the digital poster is equipped with an operating system, it should correspond to a common standard. Many professional advertising displays are equipped with Android, for example.
- LAN/WLAN interface
- USB interface
Shopping guide: Which advertising display for which use?
You have gained a general impression of the digital advertising displays available on the market and you know which form you need to convey your messages. Discover the extensive range of products now!
Slimline Poster: Noble displays with a lot of flexibility
Flat, large, elegant: Accenta’s SLIMLINE POSTERS are all-rounders with a wide range of uses. All models are equipped with a bright LCD, LAN and WLAN interface and a robust metal housing. With a luminosity of 700 nits, your messages are guaranteed to get through indoors. Display sizes of 27, 40 and 55 inches and various brackets for mounting on ceilings, walls or the floor ensure that you will find the right solution for every application. An optional content software supports you in the creative development and delivery of your messages.diwa: Your digital service employee
Whether in gastronomy, in hotels or in other places: Small messages directly in the contact area with customers have a targeted and effective effect. With the viewneo Diwa digital chalkboard, addressing customers directly is particularly easy and flexible. The counter displays with a 19 cm e-paper display are loaded with content via WLAN and have a timer. In this way, your customers receive the right information at any time of the day: In gastronomy, for example, about the lunch menu, the happy hour or daily specials for dinner. A strong lithium-ion battery enables a runtime of more than 30 days without charging. The Diwa table display is available with feet made of fine real wood, menu card holders or even with an integrated salt and pepper shaker.Vestaboard: Mechanical scoreboard with digital extras
A digital display that nobody overlooks – or ignores: Vestaboard not only draws attention to itself, but also draws attention to your messages acoustically. The mechanical display is a modern take on a traditional split-flap board. These folding displays used to be ubiquitous at airports and train stations, for example. Vestaboard consists of a grid arrangement of small square panels that mechanically fold over to display letters, numbers, symbols and even simple graphics. Each character change produces a characteristic click that evokes memories and draws attention. The advertising display connects wirelessly to the internet and can be controlled via an app, APIs or other software. The Vestaboard is an aesthetic design piece that combines nostalgic elements with modern technology and stands out with its simple display. However, there are hardly any limits to your applications: show your customers notifications, news, appointments, weather information, inspirational quotes or other personalized content.Roomz: Digital room display with added value
Double-booked conference rooms slow down collaboration and can annoy customers. A room planning system brings clarity: A room display with a clever software solution helps to efficiently manage and plan rooms. Roomz is a particularly elegant room manager: The energy-efficient e-paper display serves as a digital door sign and enables meeting rooms to be managed. No cables need to be laid or holes drilled for the devices: the lightweight displays are simply glued to glass, wood or masonry. Roomz can be operated from the cloud as well as on premise and easily integrates into existing solutions. An optional sensor for measuring room occupancy supplements the system with intelligent additional services such as the automated release of rooms that have been booked but are not used.Conclusion: Digital advertising displays unleash your creativity and convey your message
In gastronomy and retail, in companies, at events or in museums and exhibitions: Advertising displays and digital posters offer users a wide range of creative uses to present their messages effectively. Placed in strategic locations, they attract potential customers and draw attention to your company and your services. Let your creativity run free and discover the limitless applications of advertising displays and digital posters. With the range from reichelt you will find the right device for every application to impress your target group.
