One of the biggest challenges of installing an outdoor digital signage screen is calculating the total cost of the investment compared to the benefits it may offer. For advertisers this may mean working out if the sales generated from outdoor digital signage will drive sales and make the investment worthwhile. While service providers want to ensure they are maximising their investment and the unit is providing a long-term solution for information delivery.
The reason return on investment (ROI) is so challenging to calculate with outdoor digital signage is because there is no possible way of recording how many pairs of eyes look at the screen and act on its content. Of course, estimations on the general footfall of an area can indicate a screen’s potential to reach people, but it’s impossible to be sure of exactly how many are actually interacting with the content.
Another aspect of ROI that is difficult to calculate is the ongoing cost of a screen. Repair, maintenance and replacements can all add to the initial investment of an outdoor screen project. Eliminating and reducing these extra costs, can help increase the ROI potential of an outdoor screen. And one method of doing this is to consider one of Armagard’s PDS enclosures, which offer maximum return on investment due to the length of time they can operate.
Outdoor screens have to face an environment ill-suited to using something as delicate as an LCD or plasma screen. Weather, temperature extremes, and the risk of damage through accidental impact and vandalism can all permanently damage and outdoor screen leading to the need to repair or replace the unit.
Of course, most screens designed for outdoor use are manufactured to cope with these outdoor elements in mind. Several manufacturers produce waterproof and rugged screens with high temperature tolerances that can cope with outdoor environments, but there is another factor that can affect ROI, and that is the natural longevity of the screen.
All LCD screens, whether they are standard units or specialist outdoor screens, have a limited lifespan. Normally, a commercial grade LCD screen under the right conditions will last approximately five years before it needs replacing. Obviously, some screens last longer than others, but rarely will a screen still function with the same luminosity and clarity after five years. Screens, therefore, need to be replaced regularly, which is an ongoing investment. For screens designed for outdoor use, this means discarding the old unit and getting a completely new system, usually at the same cost of the original.
By opting to use an outdoor LCD enclosure system such as Armagard’s PDS range, the same enclosure can be reused time and time again. This means that when a screen eventually does need replacing, the same enclosure can provide the protection for the next generation, a saving that will just go on accumulating over the years, helping to maximise the initial investment and provide a far better ROI for the outdoor digital signage project. Furthermore, LCD enclosures such as Armagard’s PDS range not only allow cheaper, standard LCD or plasma screens to function outdoors, but also they provide a stable and maintained environment inside the enclosure, which will lengthen the screen’s lifespan, further increasing the return on the initial investment.
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