Digital display or printed advertising – where is the future heading?

We come across them in more and more places. In shop windows, restaurants, shopping centers, hotels or at events, digital displays are appearing more and more often alongside traditional posters and Roll-ups.

And not by accident. On a digital display, you can change the message on the same surface even several times a day. In the morning it can show a current offer, in the afternoon another product, and in the evening completely different content. What's more, we can display not only still images, but also animations and videos.

Why are they spreading so fast?

Their biggest advantage is flexibility. To change the content of a poster or banner, you need new artwork, new production and a replacement. With a digital display, the content can be swapped in just a few minutes.

This can be especially useful where offers change frequently, foot traffic is high, or it's important that communication reacts quickly to the current situation.

And of course, there's the movement. A well-made animation or video can grab attention much more easily in a busy commercial environment.

So is it the end of printed advertising?

Hardly.

A digital display is a much larger initial investment. It needs electricity, proper placement, content and occasional maintenance. And if it breaks down, it has to be repaired.

A printed sign, banner, sticker or Roll-up, on the other hand, is simple: it gets made, put in place, and does its job. It needs no electricity, software or updates.

If a message stays unchanged for a longer time, in many cases this is still the simpler and more cost-effective solution.

Not either-or, but both

The question probably isn't whether digital displays will replace printed advertising. A much more interesting question is which surface is best used for what.

A shop's permanent branding elements, lettering and decorations can be printed, while current offers appear on a digital display. At an event, a spectacular backdrop wall, a few Roll-ups and a display showing constantly changing content can work well side by side.

What matters is not the technology itself, but getting the right message onto the right surface.

And which would work better for you?

Not sure whether a printed, digital or combined solution would be ideal? Tell us where and what you'd like to use it for – at PrintONE we'll help you find the right solution.