Neon signage
With the rise of light emitting diodes, LEDs and fiber optics in the illuminated sign field, neon signage is coming under a lot of fire. In some instances, neon is even being outlawed. But the neon signage industry is not just rolling over and playing dead. In fact, neon manufacturers and fabricators are fighting back. They are using marketing strategies that promise to keep the industry alive and glowing well into the twenty first century.
Neon an art form and here to stay
Many neon sign designers and manufacturers reckon that nothing will ever take the place of neon. They say that it’s going to be around forever. They reckon that neon is an art form and it’s the brightest thing you can get, period. Marketing strategies however will play a large role in the adoption of lighting technologies in the future.
The problem is that many consumers and sign shops do not really know neon too well and do not understand the advertising benefits associated with the artistic light source that neon produces. That’s because many LED manufacturers have been making a broad marketing push for themselves while neon manufacturers have been narrowly focused on competing against one another.
Neon has a seventy year old success rate
But now the neon signage industry is fighting back, they are embarking on an informal initiative to educate architects, designers, sign shops and end users about the benefits of neon and the interest is gaining momentum. One national sales manager from a big leading neon manufacturer in the USA reckons that with the advent of different lighting technologies, be it LEDs or fiber optics or standard florescent lighting, young designers need to be re-educated on light sources that have been out there for a long time; and the first part of this education strategy is combating so-called false information perpetrated by the LED industry. LED manufacturers are claiming that their technology is 90 percent more efficient than neon and can run for more than hundred thousand hours. The neon manufacturers argue that this is misinformation. They say they are not going to sit back and let LED manufacturers sell their products without contesting their unsubstantiated claims. The neon manufacturers say that there is no LED signage that has been up for hundred thousand hours and that these facts are all just laboratory tests and not real-world applications. Neon, on the other hand, was introduced in the 1930s and has a 70-year track record of success.
Don’t mess with neon
Customers need to be educated on the value of neon versus other forms of lighting for advertising purposes. Nothing beats neon for advertising purposes. New technological advances are helping neon manufacturers remain competitive with alternate light sources in areas beyond safety. High-output phosphor technology is also giving the neon industry a boost. New colors for channel letter usage are increasing lumen brightness by up to 50 percent. Apparently LED is very limited in its color palette.
Since LED is still evolving, it would appear that the neon industry is not an endangered species. As with any new technology, many companies won’t make investments until the prices drop, the product matures and learning curves are overcome. Neon is older technology, but it is technology that works. It’s up to the neon industry to get out there and educate people about neon and the advantages.
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