Signs of the Times - September 2013 - (Page 14)

TECHNOLOGY UPDATE Newsweek magazine, which once had a print circulation of three million, but suffered from falling revenues, is now a digital-only publication. It was recently sold to digital International Business Times (IBT) for an undisclosed price. The Pew Research Center’s State of the News Media 2013 Annual Report on American Journalism said, “In 2012, a continued erosion of news-reporting resources converged with growing opportunities for those in politics, government agencies, companies and others to take their messages directly to the public.” It also said signs of the diminished reporting power are documented throughout the industry. The Daily News (New York City) report said, “Like many newspapers, its paper has suffered from major circulation declines.” According to the Alliance for Audited Media, circulation for the daily paper dropped by 11%, and circulation for the Sunday issue dropped by 2% in the last six months, compared with the period a year ago. Why? Economy, a billion websites, “The stories here are not edited, factchecked or screened before they post.” lack of interest and such entities as YouTube as a news sources. Competition and disruptive technology, right? Yes, but the replacement agencies typically produce shallow work, both in reporting and production. Poorly built videos, accepted over time, will school viewers to accept poor-quality video work as a norm. This trend will eventually reflect in Hollywood-type films, because, as society demands, profit-motivated corporations follow along. A classic, reverse example is the American auto industry’s reaction to Japan’s ugly, but virtually indestructible, cars that were imported in the ’70s. Japan’s high-quality standards eventually caused American buyers to demand the same value from Detroit. But, movie styles? Have you watched any Jason Bourne movies lately – The Bourne Identity, Supremacy or Ultimatum? The Bourne directors choose a kinetic-cinematography filming style, one where the camera moves often, to imitate amateur filming. This isn’t a new technique, but the YouTube era has caused some directors to believe such “realism” adds to the audience’s viewing experience. It’s trendy to overdo it. YouTube users, trained by watching poorly constructed videos, relate to such techniques. One online observer said, “Shaky cam and quick cuts bug the hell out of me, particularly since they have become very obvious techniques when trying to keep an action movie [by making it] difficult to see the action and changing the angles… To say that it takes away from the viewing experience is an understatement.” YouTube, of course, isn’t all bad. You can find many excellent and enjoyable videos. However, bad video is bad video. Overdone, such kinetic videography can cause viewers to reach for the Benadryl. n Who Uses the Phone Book? By Dean Derhak Traditionally, signshops have relied on Yellow Page ads and storefront signage to recruit new business. Today, most also have implemented websites for the same purpose. However, many shop owners have seen that times have changed. They tell me of business lost to big, online-print sellers and believe their shop’s new-business calls and walk-in traffic have slowed as a result of such sellers’ vigorous advertising practices. Interestingly, and despite the apparent trend in online sales, statistics show that people still prefer to buy locally. According to a 2012 Public Affairs Pulse Survey, 88% of adults have a favorable view of local small businesses, and 53% have a very favorable view of local small businesses. So, what’s going on? One of the biggest problems modern shops face is their websites do not appear in places people look for sign providers, meaning mobile devices and “geolocation” sites. Today, it’s not enough to have your 14 SIGNS OF THE TIMES / SEPTEMBER 2013 / www.signweb.com signshop ads only appear in standard web searches. Do this – search maps.google.com, yelp.com or foursquare.com. Determine if your website appears on any. These important sites and their mobile apps are where more and more people are seeking local business references. Another is www.getlisted.org (the site says it’s presently merging with http://moz.com, so you may find information in either place). It checks your shop listing on numerous local search engines and business listings. Take a look. Be sure your shop name, phone number and address appear, and are consistent, throughout all sites. By ensuring your business data appears on popular website and mobile-app searches, you’re helping local customers find you. Remember, the Public Affairs Pulse Survey says they’d rather be doing business with a local business. Dean Derhak is a product director at SAi with 17 years’ experience in RIP software, management, marketing, sales, and engineering technologies. Reach Dean at: deand@ThinkSAi.com http://maps.google.com http://www.yelp.com http://www.foursquare.com http://www.getlisted.org http://www.moz.com http://www.signweb.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Signs of the Times - September 2013

Signs of the Times - September 2013
Contents
ST Update
Technology Update
Who Uses the Phone Book?
Vinyl Apps
Strictly Commercial
Lighting Techniques
The Moving Message
Technology Review - DGS 3D POP store system
Technology Review - KIP C7800 poster printer
Design Matters
New Products
When the Cheering Starts
Enter the ST Intl. Sign Contest!
Starting at the Bottom
LED Lamps for Box/Cabinet Signs
The Aria’s 260-ft. Pylon Sign
Industry News
Advertising index
Editorially speaking

Signs of the Times - September 2013