Due to the falling cost of LCD screens and the development of protective LCD enclosures for outdoor use, more and more screens are being installed in outdoor locations and for a variety of reasons: information, entertainment, outdoor advertising or outdoor digital signage.
Outdoor screens can be seen in all sorts of locations – flat against walls along high streets; mounted on ceilings in train stations, subways and transport hubs; wall mounted but tilted on brackets; free standing in a kiosk, floor standing digital signage units; and even pole mounted units.
There are, in fact, a myriad of ways of mounting an outdoor digital signage screen or outdoor LCD enclosure and selecting the best method and location is vital to ensure you get the maximum exposure necessary.
Being noticeable is the whole point of outdoor digital signage, and yet, the number of outdoor screens that are placed in the wrong location is staggering. So what is the best location and method of mounting an outdoor digital signage screen?
Well, it all depends on what function the screen is to serve:
Information Screens
In general, information screens are less important with their location and mounting. The reason for this is that people actively seek out information screens so they can be ceiling mounted to save space, without the worry that the screens will get missed. This is why most screens in transportation hubs tend to be ceiling mounted with the display hanging down, usually from a bracket.
Advertising with Outdoor Digital Signage
For advertising and promotion the mounting and location is far more important. To maximise the effectiveness of any outdoor advertising screen it should be able to be viewed by as many people as possible.
Having a screen in the wrong location can lead to the content not getting noticed; this was a common problem in the early days of digital advertising where screens were mounted on ceilings, following on from the information screens that were already around; however, these early screens were ineffective as the advertising content was too easy to miss as people walked under the screen.
The best method of mounting outdoor screens for advertising and signage is to ensure they are as prominent as possible. Floor standing digital signage screens work the best as they pose an obstacle that an oncoming audience has to traverse making it impossible to miss the content. Failing this, a wall mounted screen will receive high viewership if the screen is angled toward the oncoming eye-level of the approaching audience.
Branding with Outdoor Digital Signage
For outdoor digital signage used for branding the screens do not have to be as noticeable. Generally, content generated fort branding is a lot simpler with logos and company names being the most prominent aspect. Flush mounted screens such as outdoor digital posters of wall mounted LCD enclosures can work quite well as the branding has a more subliminal effect on people and even if the sign is not in direct eye-line it will still gene4rate brand awareness.
