The world of advertising seems to have taken a dramatic turn towards digital. All the advertising media that are outside the Internet now seem to be “traditional”. Some companies simply detract from what they cannot see on the Internet, forgetting that there is a whole world of brand experiences out there. However, reaching these conclusions is a part of ignoring the facts.
Advertising actions outside of our mobiles and laptops continue to have weight, being relevant for thousands of brands and, even more importantly, for consumers.
Within this convulsive sector, where it is difficult to predict the final result, LED screens are presented as a fresh alternative. The reality is that, in advertising, there is no final and decisive result. The means we have today to communicate the only thing they do is to evolve and adapt to new realities, all this while other media appear little by little as new options.
In view of what this technology offers today, can we think that LED screens will dominate the advertising market?
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The digital transformation
With the leadership represented by digital media within the advertising sector, it was a matter of time for existing media to take the evolutionary step and be updated.
With the LED screen, we have the precedent of the billboard. Clearly, the screen is presented as the natural successor for abundant reasons and with each passing year, we see that this succession passes from theory to practice.
The digital transformation is a reality but it does not mean that the apparently traditional media, like the billboard of all life, will disappear in a radical and absolute way. The transformation implies just that, a transformation.
But what weighty reasons are there for this transformation to materialize? How is it possible that LED screens replace a medium that seems fundamental to the world of advertising as we know it?
Convenience and savings
Probably, this is one of the most ignored benefits of the LED screen replacing the billboard. The convenience and savings of this advertising medium are not always evident in the minds of those responsible for marketing in modern companies, probably because of the initial investment involved.
The reality in numbers is very different.
Let’s think for a moment about what it means to advertise on a billboard. When we present our advertising message, we do it in a static, not very innovative and striking way. It is nothing more than a large format print that will not change until we make a new investment in material and labor.
Between advertisement and announcement, weeks or months may pass, in the worst case. This is the maximum proof of inefficiency in advertising. Within the world of marketing, things move with great speed, so staying static over time will not bring any advantage. Quite the opposite: we run the risk of invisibilizing our brand while the competition moves forward.
This is where the convenience of the LED screen comes in. With just one click, we can not only change images but also videos. Without going into the enormous advantages posed by the use of flashy videos, we have the fact that the advertising messages of our brand come and go according to our most detailed needs.
This adds a great plus of convenience that also greatly influences costs. When renewing the advertising message of a billboard or vinyl in a shop window can be a cost that not many businesses are willing to have frequently, the only cost of the advertising screen is to click.
Detoxification of devices
When we talk about the future of advertising, many are not aware of the growing revolution that is experienced at the social level and with respect to the way we consume content.
Mobile devices, such as smartphones, took our society by surprise. A few years ago, these products did not exist; now they are an integral and inexorable part of our lives. Indeed, many of us cannot live without these devices today.
This has caused a serious public health problem in a short time. We become products of all the content that we consume minute by minute and mobile devices only make it easier to consume.
Aware of this problem that affects the mental and emotional well-being of millions, little by little is teaching society to take the necessary precautions and achieve a balance. Others go further and pose a life where the minimum use of these electronic media is the common rule, especially once the workday is over.
Is this awareness that leaves us? People who use less Internet and who go out more to the street, to live real life away from these devices. It is here when the advertising media on the street become more relevant and prominent. People begin to pay more attention to their environment, including brand experiences created on the street.
Today, many of the most interesting brand experiences are those where LED screens are used, experiences in which we also include the MUPIs.
Automation of processes
Whatever the sector of the economy, one of the top priorities today is the automation of processes. This not only covers the operational aspect of the companies, but also the administrative and advertising.
With respect to advertising, there are thousands of formulas to automate processes. However, it is much clearer to automate advertising at the level of online media than with those offline.
Using an LED screen is one of the few ways to automate offline advertising. Above we mention how it only takes a click to boost the offer of electronic advertising boards messages that are released to the public. But, going further and as we have mentioned several times in our blog, the software that the screens use allows the user to leave detailed programming of audiovisual media so that they are reproduced in time, always according to the exact needs. This is a powerful form of automation that provides an important competitive advantage to companies.
Augmented reality
Finally, to answer whether LED screens will dominate the world of advertising, it is worth mentioning the role of augmented reality and its relationship with this advertising medium.
During the last years, virtual reality and the augmented one have been two proposals of great weight in almost all the economic sectors that benefit from the last technologies. Particularly, augmented reality has shown enormous potential in sectors such as medicine, real estate, industrial engineering and architecture.
However, advertising has also benefited powerfully from this. The brand experiences have been nourished by this technology and will continue to do so as it evolves to continue offering new functions. In sports, LED screens inside and outside malls serve as the ultimate tool for marketing simulation devices like golf launch monitors. They play a huge role in selling these advanced techs that could be overwhelming unless seen at work.
In the case of the LED screen, we have seen how interesting projects have taken advantage of augmented reality to involve the public in a much deeper narrative and thus create impressive experiences.
An example of this has been the “Look at Me” campaign, a collaboration between Women’s Aid and WCRS. Using giant LED lighting and sensors, they detected how many passers-by dedicated their eyes to see the contents of the screen. Depending on the number of people watching the LED screen, the woman who appeared was more or less physically injured.
The powerful message was clear: the more attention we give, the fewer women suffer from abuse; ignore the matter and directly leave them alone.
Here you have the video to know the project.
Conclusions
Creative initiatives such as “Look at Me” are clear evidence that LED screens are the future of advertising, at least part of it. This advertising medium is capable of creating very original and social experiences, experiences that cannot be replicated through a smartphone or computer.
In the end, it is about creating brand experiences that transcend the public, messages that last longer among people, showing the modernity and ability of the company to innovate and communicate.
