Scoreboards

Advertising and marketing are both a fine art. Understanding the principles, nuances and variations that attract and keep attention translates into sales. The concepts are important no matter what the sports scoreboard format: static (non-changing) or video. The ultimate goal is to bring together the person viewing the ad and the sponsor for a win-win scenario.

There are five important elements in Marketing 101: audience, advertiser, message, appearance and presentation. Below is a summary of the key aspects of each of these pieces to assist you in creating scoreboard advertising that will get your sponsors to buy and bring repeat sponsorship.

Marketing organizations around the globe understand a single rule-of-thumb: Advertising content can make or break the desired results of an ad. Even the most well-known and professional marketing companies have sometimes forgotten this rule.

There are a few important guidelines that need to be taken very seriously, when deciding upon sports scoreboard content for your advertising. The guidelines pertain, no matter if you are using static (non-changing) or video.

Marketing your sports scoreboard advertising is an art, but one that you can easily accomplish to get the highest level of success. You will need to gather a team of volunteers together. This team can be members of the Booster Club, Alumni, students and even some of your sports team players. These will be the core group that will be responsible for various marketing pieces.

Establishing a presentation format to present to your sponsors will demonstrate a professional level and entice them to buy-into the program more readily. Use the expertise of your graphics design department to create a presentation type. The best format (and most cost-effective) is a PowerPoint presentation. You can customize each presentation for the unique sponsor as this will raise their level of interest when they view their logo and personal information. If you choose a brochure format, there will be printing costs associated with the project and any changes will incur more costs. Always make sure you have a contact-sheet, which can be left for the sponsor for additional questions. This may be a general phone number or a personalized business card.

Video scoreboard advertising can be exciting, enticing and most of all, will grab and keep the attention of the fans. Today’s technologies offer quality production advantages to everyone, bringing the ability of creativity to the non-professional. There are some key components that you will need to be aware of, as you start out on the adventure of building video advertising for your sports scoreboard.

A first step will be to examine the type of technologies you will need for video scoreboard advertising. Today, you have many options and can blend some of the technologies. It is advised that you use a good video camera for the best resolution. Most video files are .mmv files and can be loaded via a computer as well as an outside feed. Video file technical specifications include: bit rates greater than 2Mbps, 32-bit color depth, key frames every 1 second, a frame rate of at least 15 frames per second. While 640x480 resolution is preferred, do not go any lower than 400x300 and be aware that your dimensions can be adapted to accommodate wide screen videos. If you have a low resolution, there are some software tools, such as ParticleIllusion that you can use to create the illusion of a higher res production.

Scoreboard Advertising 101 is designed to assist you in some of your choices to allow you to create the most powerful advertising messages that will capture the attention of your fans.

In setting up a scoreboard advertising ‘plan’ you will need to examine some of the following:

1. A first step is understanding the differences between indoor and outdoor sports scoreboard advertising: Indoor scoreboard advertising may offer the advantage of more controlled lighting, temperature and acoustics. This may not always be the case, as the lighting may cause poor visual quality due to indirect or bright lights that overpower. The control-factor will give you the ability to have options on the type and format of your advertising messages. Outdoor sports scoreboards require a lot more analysis of conditions, view and sound. The hurtles that you come across can be easily accomplished by making the right decisions. If acoustics are a problem, opt to choose advertising that catches the eye and grabs the attention of the viewer, without audio. When external lighting interferes, adjustments can be made in color and brightness of the ads, using editing technologies. Before you begin putting together your advertising endeavors, experiment with camera shots, angles, and both day and night lighting.

Want a "sneak peak" at a project that is underway at Electro-Mech? Our engineers have been busy putting some cool features into a small package. The result will be a set of wireless hand-held controllers that can activate various scoreboard features from down at field level. The prototype u...

After more than 70 years in hibernation, a bear is awakening.  Intercollegiate football is returning to Mercer University in Macon, Georgia, with the opening game set for August 31, 2013.  Electro-Mech has been proud to participate in the design and installation of scoring, video, and audio equipment at the new stadium to be the home of the Mercer Bears football team.

Mercer selected the Electro-Mech Model LX3880 as the basis of their customized football and lacrosse scoreboard project.  At 32 ft. x 10 ft., Model LX3880 is the largest standard scoreboard in Electro-Mech's catalog.  For use during lacrosse games, we added a set of penalty timers that brings the scoreboard section up to almost 14 feet tall.  The scoreboard also includes Electro-Mech's industry leading 14x112 pixel Electronic Team Names.

If you are tired of searching for the best team countdown website widget for your favorite teams, look no further. Electro-Mech brings you an easy to use, incredible method to make sure all of the fans get the latest countdown information available for your website. It is easily placed and viewed on your site without the need of spending hours attempting to design your own or download some of the intricate software that ‘say’s it’s easy (but turn out to be a grueling process). In less than five minutes, you can create your own sports countdown widget, designed for your favorite team and everyone will think you are a pro (without the time and effort). We bring you a countdown widget for basketball, football, soccer, softball and hockey.

The team at Electro-Mech have designed a super easy, click-and-add widget, available for you to place on your site. This is not to be confused with a ‘gadget’. To clarify, a ‘gadget’ can only be added to specific and proprietary websites. The Electro-Mech sports countdown widget doesn’t have those limitations. We let you decide which type of view you want, add your favorite team and once done, you will get a ‘code’ to add to your website.

If you are looking for a way to keep your website updated with the latest scores of your favorite teams, Electo-Mech now brings you an easy way to make sure all of your fellow fans can follow team scores on your site. No longer is there a need to waste valuable time trying to design your own widget or even trying to download one of those intricate software styles. Those widgets may sound easy, but can be pretty involved. In less than five minutes, you can use the Electro-Mech widget and create your own and display your favorite teams: baseball, basketball, hockey, and soccer. With the color and design choices, you can look like a pro (without a lot of time and effort)

Electro-Mech has created a very easy click-and-add for your website widget. This should not be confused with a website ‘gadget’, which is a tool that can only be added to specific types of websites. Our Electro-Mech widget gives you the option to choose which type of view you want and add your favorite team. Once your selection is done, you will get a ‘code’ to add to your website. When the code is dropped in, it displays your widget. How easy is that?

In the world of the internet there is an eternal evolution of terms, buzzwords and changes. One of the most popular in the last number of years has been the use of ‘widgets’ as well as ‘gadgets’. It’s often a challenge to try to keep up on these terms, but in the world of widgets and gadgets there are distinct differences between the two that can make your life easier.

A ‘gadget’ is typically designed by a company and is considered proprietary. In other words, you can use the gadget but only on that company’s sponsored websites or pages. A ‘widget’ is designed to be easily used on any website. You don’t want to be tied down by a gadget requirement, so looking for a ‘widget’ is the direction you should be going to.

Electro-Mech has designed a very easy click and add widget, available right on our website. This is not to be confused with a ‘gadget’ which can only be added to specific and proprietary websites. Our soccerl countdown widget allows you the ability to decide which type of view you want, add your favorite soccer team and get a code to add to your website.

Electro-Mech has designed a very easy click and add widget, available right on our website. This is not to be confused with a ‘gadget’ which can only be added to specific and proprietary websites. Our hockey countdown widget allows you the ability to decide which type of view you want, add your favorite hockey team and get a code to add to your website.