UNLOCKING AV INTEGRATOR PROFITS IS AS EASY AS LED
Immersive, multimedia experiences are becoming part of the smart integrator’s playbook, and LED screens are key to unlocking your profit potential.
Immersive media experiences are everywhere, online and in broadcast environments, and thanks to the merging of those technologies and the development of incredibly versatile LED technology—which is currently growing in usage by a factor of five annually—multimedia display screens are expanding to all-encompassing, immersive environments everywhere we go.It’s hard to escape the power of a properly executed LED installation. This sector puts a large number of creative and profit-building options in the integrator’s hands. The numbers bear out the potential: This $2 billion market is projected to grow 15% annually, and it speaks directly to the crucial young adult market, which recalls signage at an astounding 70% rate with 27% activation.The opportunities for integrators to use LED products as a creative path to greater profits are vast. Master this technology and you’ll be well on your way to unlocking your sales potential and elevating your brand.
What’s Driving These Trends?
LED technology wins hands-down in clarity, brightness, and depth, but other factors are driving its acceptance in this wide range of applications and markets.Cost of ownership is now lower than ever, due in part to low power consumption, while flexibility of design is valuable for clients who want to get creative or simply need to retrofit a difficult existing space. Long-term maintenance is lower than other options, as well.The figures present a staggering case: LED screens consume 25% less power, produce just 15% of the heat, and last twice as long as LCD screens. That makes LEDs the smart choice for clients. But what factors can make LED screens the profitable choice for integrators?
The Case for LEDs
LED environments allow users to achieve their goals more effectively than traditional video choices. They can open opportunities the client may not even have considered. Although LED technology is becoming more affordable even as its capabilities expand, uncovering revenue streams that offset startup costs can be attractive to potential customers.Advertising is a cornerstone of the monetizing strategy, especially when you consider that key audiences are plugged in and aware of digital signage: Seventy percent of 18-to-24-year-olds say they are aware of digital signage they’ve seen in the last 12 months, according to Nielsen, while 27% of them took action based on the advertising there Intel reports that worldwide digital out of home (DOOH) advertising revenue reached $2 billion in 2011, and is growing at a projected rate of 15% annually. Accordingly, the company predicts that by 2015 there will be 10 million media players powering 22 million digital screens. That adds up to more opportunities for integrators and their clients. But there are other tangible factors that make LED technology the preferred route for integrators, such as the hidden maintenance costs of traditional video walls versus LED-based systems. When they buy a premium, they’re also getting the operational cost savings.When non-LED video walls such as LCD systems experience problems, they’re usually not simple to fix. Routine color rebalancing is necessary, and overall color degradation happens over time. LED-based screens consume less power than LCD systems, with increased longevity even at 24/7 operation, and maintenance can be as simple as replacing a pixel or a small panel in a modular screen, such as the Nixel in Street Co’ displays.Offering your clients something unusual and unexpected can often influence them to choose a premium LED experience over pedestrian visual media products. They’ve all seen digital billboards, stadium scoreboards, and video walls, but with custom indoor LED screens you can expand their perspectives with displays that bend and curve, resulting in unexpected shapes with high resolution. Remember, they’re looking to create the standard that the competition must match.
Profits: Not Just a Marginal Issue
In recent years, median profit margins for AV integrators have hovered around 3.5% (CE Pro), leaving scarce wiggle room to provide the intangible benefits that clients expect to enjoy when sourcing a large piece of equipment, such as service after the sale. So how can integrators add more pad to their profits by specifying LED technology? Consider the intangibles on your end. Due to modular construction, light weight and flexibility, LED screens are quicker and easier to install than traditional video walls. If you’re able to capture more business in this rapidly growing market with a faster completion rate on installations, your revenues will follow that same trend. Prestige, ego — it’s all part of the mix in high-end installations. The brilliance and versatility of a premium, curveable LED display can open doors you never thought possible and elevate the client conversation from IT or marketing to the C-suite. Show a potential client how you can bring their brand to life in an immersive environment that will increase buy-in from employees and customers alike, and you could see your own brand value rise.Proving client-side ROI is important, as well, and while it’s subject to many factors, Norman McLeod, Director of Market Research at technology research and consulting firm, InfoTrends, believes that a well-designed system with good content can provide a return on investment within 18 months. That’s a strong case for increased adoption of LED-based products.
The Experience behind the Screen
With so many variables affecting your success as an AV integrator, the smart move is to choose a business partner you can trust. Integrity in the product design, quality construction, and a relationship after the sale are all highly valuable and can greatly influence your success.Street Co, the leader in indoor LED solutions, offers integrators a hands-on experience with its LED products through its Certified Partner program. The company fully trains integrators in how to sell and install its lightweight, curveable LED displays, allowing them to talk about digital with customers in places that weren’t able to use video before, whether due to lighting in the space, or challenges with a room’s shape or size. This consulting service even includes making sure your margins are in line with your business model.Every screen that Street Co designs and builds in its U.S.A. headquarters is a project-specific job, built to any size and application with zero bezels—there are no lines or breaks in the picture at any size. The company’s unique modular design makes every screen easily serviceable from the front, meaning less downtime for the client and less hassle for the integrator.But the strongest piece of the Street Co partnership is its six-year, zero failure warranty—the strongest in the industry—that protects integrators and their clients to an unprecedented degree. This premium warranty is included with every purchase, and any customer can register a product for their client, not just Certified Partners.
The Choice is as Easy as L-E-D
As the market for immersive digital environments continues to grow, LED technology is the clear path to greater opportunities for bigger profits. No longer merely another tool in an integrator’s belt, LED has emerged as the leading medium for merging client and integrator interests.
About Street Co
Headquartered in Norcross, Georgia, Street Co(www.Street Co.com) creates engaging, cost-effective, space-efficient, eco-friendly visual solutions that turn every client’s dream into a Visual Reality. Serving leading Fortune 500 clients on five continents, Street Co’ patent portfolio strategically positions it to meet the complete visualization needs of customers in the broadcast, casino, control room, DOOH/transit, financial, higher education, hospitality retail, REIT/property, retail, and stadium/arena markets with immersive custom-specific Street CoCurve™, Street CoSlim™, Street CoSlim™ Engage, and Street CoWrap™ based solutions in any desired size, shape, or curvature. All Street Cosolutions are designed and made in the United States of America and come backed by the industry’s only Six-Year, Zero Failure Warranty.