Digital LED billboards explained

Digital LED billboards are the bright, moving screens you see at major junctions and outside malls. They work differently from a printed hoarding, and knowing how helps you decide when the extra cost is worth it.

What you are buying

On a printed board you own the whole surface for the full period. On a digital screen you usually buy a slot in a loop that rotates through several advertisers. Your creative might appear once every minute or two, for a set number of seconds each time. So instead of constant presence, you buy a share of a busy, eye catching screen.

The big advantages

• Motion, which draws the eye more than a static image.
• Dayparting, so you can show one message in the morning and another in the evening.
• Quick changes, since new creative goes up without reprinting anything.
• Freshness, which suits offers, countdowns and event promotion.

The trade offs

Screens cost more, and because you share the loop, your message is not on view every second. If a permanent, uninterrupted presence matters more to you than motion, a printed site may serve you better for the money.

Getting the creative right

Keep digital creative simple and let any motion serve the message rather than distract from it. A few clear frames beat a busy animation. Make sure the brand and the single key point are readable in the first second, because that is often all you get.

Used for the right moment, a digital screen adds energy and flexibility to a plan. For steady long term presence, pair it with printed sites that hold the fort between your digital bursts.