I’m a huge fan of Bob Klausmeier. He’s written a terrific article in the September/October 2014 issue of Out Of Home Magazine on what to think about when you are selecting a digital billboard. Here are my takeaways:
- Square footage matters. Always ask a manufacturer how many square feet their digital sign is. Some “14 by 48” digital signs are 672 square feet, others are only 564 square feet. You want to be able to compare apples to apples when comparing bids.
- Don’t overbuy pixels. A 16mm pitch may be just as good as a 20mm pitch if the sign is viewed from a moderate distance as most freeway signs are. A 20mm pitch will have 60% more pixels than a 16mm display so will probably be 60% more expensive.
- Power costs matter. A 20mm pitch sign requiring 200 amps of power will have electricity costs three times higher than a 16 mm pitch sign requiring 100 amps of power.
- Delivery time matters. A good digital sign can generate $20,000-$35,000/month in revenue. A one month delivery delay is the equivalent of a 10-15% price marked on the cost of the sign due to the opportunity cost of missed revenue.
