Digital Signage Debut on Ithaca Roadways, Courtesy of Daktronics Billboards
In the heart of New York's Finger Lakes region, a groundbreaking collaboration between Daktronics and Park Outdoor Advertising is redefining the landscape of digital billboard advertising. The partnership, situated in Ithaca, NY, exemplifies the broader advantages and trends driving this dynamic advertising sector.
### The Advantages of Digital Billboards
The innovative digital billboard offers advertisers unparalleled flexibility and dynamic messaging capabilities. As Joni Schmeichel, Daktronics OOH strategist, explains, "The digital billboard serves both business and community needs." Advertisers can now change content instantly based on the time of day or market shifts, such as a coffee shop promoting hot drinks in the morning and cold drinks in the afternoon - something traditional billboards cannot match.
This flexibility, combined with higher engagement through moving images, video, and animation, ensures that digital billboards attract more attention and engage audiences more effectively than static signs. Furthermore, real-time updates and precision support time-sensitive offers, allowing advertisers to be highly responsive and relevant to local audiences.
Digital platforms also gather data on viewer engagement and ad performance, enabling smarter optimization and more personalized messaging strategies over time. With these insights, advertisers can potentially achieve higher long-term returns by reducing print costs and enabling dynamic marketing that drives better customer responses.
### Key Trends Reflected by the Partnership
The Daktronics-Park Outdoor effort aligns with the industry’s move towards programmatic Out-of-Home (DOOH) advertising, where automated, data-driven buying of digital ad space allows campaigns to be highly targeted and adaptable.
Moreover, digital billboards serve as a powerful, unskippable medium that enhances the performance of other advertising channels such as social media, TV, and mobile. This partnership bolsters cohesive campaigns that unify messaging across platforms.
Sustainability and efficiency are also key trends reflected by the partnership. Digital formats reduce the need for print materials, supporting eco-friendly advertising practices.
The growing market share of DOOH spending, with digital formats increasing advertiser demand for up-to-date, contextually relevant campaigns, is further demonstrated by the Daktronics-enabled digital signage in Ithaca.
### A Strategic Location and a Bright Future
The digital billboard, strategically positioned at a high-traffic intersection just outside the city, replaces three static structures. Kerry Leipold, VP of the Finger Lakes division of Park Outdoor Advertising, stated that the location of the billboard is outstanding.
Advertisers on the digital billboard include a barbecue restaurant, two dispensaries, NYSEG, a local roofer, and more. The digital billboard in Ithaca, NY, is the first and only one in the area, marking a significant step forward in the city's advertising landscape.
Daktronics is proud to support Park Outdoor's vision and help bring dynamic advertising to a new market with the digital billboard. The partnership underscores the potential for digital billboards to revolutionize outdoor advertising, offering both businesses and communities the ability to promote timely messages and adapt to changing market demands.
- The digital signage installed by Daktronics in Ithaca, NY, showcases valuable features such as real-time updates, programmatic Out-of-Home (DOOH) advertising support, and data gathering capabilities, all of which enhance business performance by enabling efficient, dynamic, and personalized marketing strategies.
- The strategic location of the digital billboard at a high-traffic intersection in Ithaca, effectively replacing three static structures, demonstrates the potential for digital billboards to revolutionize outdoor advertising, catering to both business and community needs and redefining the advertising landscape of the region.
