Since 1963, Electro-Mech has been a proud part of the Wrightsville, GA community. Our journey from humble beginnings to becoming a nationwide leader in scoreboard manufacturing is rooted in a small-town common sense approach. We’ve built a reputation for stability, service, and simplicity that reflects in every scoreboard we create. At Electro-Mech, we believe in promoting the character-building aspects of athletic competition, where discipline, dedication, respect, and hard work are key to putting points on the board. We take pride in knowing that, in a subtle way, we contribute to bringing out the good sport in everyone.
Best Youth Soccer Drills; Learning Skills and Having Fun
While these soccer drill games may be listed as ‘just for fun’, they are indeed enhancing skills, awareness and dexterity. In some cases, the games are focused on individual performance, and in other cases there is a team effort. In all situations, there is a learning process that help the kids in their performance.
P-I-G; Ages 10-14; one of the most fun
Variations for challenges may include a start off where the ball may hit the ground once. For advanced players, require a head ball or full volley.
Get all of your players to form a circle. Players will half volley/juggle the ball back and forth to each other. If a player makes a bad volley or serve, he gets a letter ‘P’. Start the game again. If the player makes another error, he receives the letter ‘I’, and now has “PI”. Continue reading “Best Youth Soccer Drills; Learning Skills and Having Fun”
Best Youth Soccer Drills; Attacking/Defending
There are variations in these soccer drill games to enable players to perform from both a defense and offense position.
Corner Kick Game; Ages 8-14
This game can be played with 6 v 6 or 8 v 8; with just a bunch of soccer balls places at the opposite corners.
When a team kicks a ball out of bounds relating to any line, the other team is given a corner kick.
This creates a situation where the players simply run and run.
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Best Youth Soccer Drills; Shooting
Shooting drill practice is an excellent way to broaden dexterity and awareness skills. Since the games are designed to be fun and work in a team environment, they also bring a heightened attitude towards team comradery. Coaches can adjust the speed, field length and other levels to make this more challenging for the older kids, thereby making a shooting drill game more fun.
Breakaway shooting game; Ages 6-14
Using a series of cones, each player has to dribble the soccer ball to a cone and shoot before he gets to the next cone. If the next player saves the ball, he keeps the ball and runs to the end of his team’s line. If the 1st players shot is wide, the 2nd player gets the ball and goes to the end of the line for his team. After the 1st player shoots, he becomes the goalie.
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Best Youth Soccer Drills; Dribbling – Part 2
1 v 1 Dribbling Through the Gate; Ages 6-14
Use a large field and set up a lot of ‘cone gates’ which are about one yard apart. Pair up the players with one of the two possessing the soccer ball.
When the coach blows the whistle, player will try to dribble the soccer ball through as many of the ‘gates’ as possible and the other player will at the same time, be trying to steal the ball. Time= 30-60 seconds. The player with the ball cannot go through the same gate two times in a row. One point is given for each gate. If the other player steals the ball, he gives it back to attacker. When the time is up, each player will switch positions. The one with the most points wins. This is a great dribbling drill that is a lot of fun.
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Best Youth Soccer Drills; Dribbling – Part 1
Musical Chairs; dribbling drill and fitness; Ages 8-12
Variations on this dribbling drill can include adding different moves and varying the size of the circles. These changes will enhance their fitness levels.
Create one small circular grid and one large circular grid.
Players will have their own soccer ball and will dribble around the small large grid at a decent pace, avoiding each other and maintaining a heads up position. After they have been dribbling for a specified amount of time, call out the word ‘Switch’. When the word is called out, each player must stop their ball, leave it where it is located and run around a cone in the outer circle, then run back into the small circle to a new/different soccer ball. It’s important that this is done quickly and that they go to a completely different soccer ball. The players will then continue dribbling.
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Best Youth Soccer Drills; Passing – Part 3
Passing through the gates: Technique development; ages 6-12
Variations on this passing drill can include adjusting the size of the gates; larger or smaller as well as the distance between the two players.
Using cones, create gates about three yards apart from each other. Split the group into pairs.
Each of the players will take a turn trying to pass the soccer ball in between the gates. Points are scored each time the ball actually goes through the gates without touching any of the cones. Each play should be from three to four minutes.
Continue reading “Best Youth Soccer Drills; Passing – Part 3”
Best Youth Soccer Drills; Passing – Part 2
Soccer passing drills and exercises are a great way to develop agility, movement, decision making and team attitudes. When coaching and working with kids of all ages, there are methodologies of combing skill development with fun while getting their passing down to a science.
Four Corners; Ages 10-14
Make four grids of approximately 5 ft x 5 ft each and about 40 yds apart from each other. There is no ‘out of bounds’ section allocated. There will be two teams, each of from 4-8 players. Variations on this passing drill can include the pass must be a give and go to a team mate player. Continue reading “Best Youth Soccer Drills; Passing – Part 2”
Best Youth Soccer Drills; Passing – Part 1
The Bank Bank: Passing drill with Pressure; Ages 10-14
Set the game up with two teams, each with 4 to 5 players on an approximate 40×40 grid. You can change the variations on this by sending more than 1 defender in, making the grid smaller or, to have an easier game make the grid a larger size and add an offensive player
Coach projects the soccer balls in team X’s grid. The opposing team will send 1 player to play as a defender. Team X will try to connect four passes in a row without the defender kicking the ball out of bounds or stealing. Continue reading “Best Youth Soccer Drills; Passing – Part 1”
Football Coaching and Development by Age
Developing excellence in a young football player is a fine art. Each age brings its own challenges and hurtles, but the approach, patience and guidance should be focused on the age of the potential team player. Children are still in the development of their physical bodies and should be given tasks that they can achieve within their age groups. The variances and approach are called ‘Introduction’ (ages 6-8), ‘Foundation’ (ages 9-13) and ‘Refinement’ (ages 14-16). Each level brings a difference in learning, growing and philosophy for young football coaching. Continue reading “Football Coaching and Development by Age”
Practice Segment Timers Bring Benefits to Sports Training
The key to any winning team is always involved in practice to perfection. One of the major challenges of all practice sessions is to actually have a measurement of progress. Today’s technologies bring new and easy methods to gauge the level of success through Practice Segment Timers. Timers allow you to set your own goals, focus on the areas and team players that may need improvement and see the results.
Electronic timers have come a long way from the days of a stop watch or if you attended a game in the past, you might have viewed the old stop clock at the stadium. The manually observed and activated stop watches used in the past have been replaced with high tech quartz clocks that bring automation and precision to your sports training sessions. The digital electronics are self-contained, can be preset and changed on a whim through programmable logic software.
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Top 10 Funny Outdoor Billboards
Advertising is an art and if a marketing guru is also creative, they can reach beyond the boundaries of the mundane and boring and design an ad that will be remembered for a long time (or at least a few months). As a society, we associate commercials as a bad experience, only comparable to going to the dentist. For outdoor billboards, you have the added disadvantage that these are typically viewed in the seven seconds someone is driving buy. This means the advertisement has to be noticeable, creative, potentially funny and grab the attention, in 7 seconds.
Here are some very creative outdoor billboard ads that could be award winners:
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North Korea Develops their Own Odd Game of Basketball
North Korea is a mystery to most of the world. Their exclusionist attitude, the brain washing of the people, and their lack of association with anything that the rest of the world is involved with, has kept most people scratching their heads as to who they really are. The rather strange visit of Dennis Rodman to North Korea, along with his own bizarre behavior, has had an effect on North Korea when it comes to the topic of basketball. It appears, that the ‘dear leader’ (Kim Jong-Il) also loves basketball, but in his typical methodology, has created his own rules for the game.
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How did Baseball Become America’s Favorite Sport?
It’s understood that apple pie and American baseball are two of our iconic claims to fame as a culture. Baseball is played in every town, city, school and open field in our country and we have established a complete set of traditions that blend with the sport. With so many sports choices and excellent players and teams in the U.S., how did baseball take the top spot as the favorite?
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When Sports Cheerleading Goes Wrong
The topic of sports injuries has been escalating over the last number of years, specifically due to the long term major head injury problems that football players experience. It is odd that a focus was never placed on sports injuries in the past, when we had lower technology sports protection gear. Cheerleading doesn’t have protective sports equipment, so when there is an injury, it can be pretty severe.
1982-1983 introduced a study by the NCCSIR (The National Center for Catastrophic Sports Injury Research), covering both collegiate and high school sports injuries. Strangely, cheerleading was not included in that study, until there were two severe head injuries suffered by cheerleaders that just so happened in the same year as the study.
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World Series Trivia: Just when You Thought you Knew it All!
It seems that we Americans just can’t get enough details and trivia when it comes to our World Series games. It has gone beyond a passion and entered into obsession. There are collectors that deem themselves experts on the World Series topics and collect everything from regular memorabilia all the way to electronic scoreboards. Here is some information that may surprise you, and at least add to your own trivia collection.
The first World Series game was played in 1903. The team known as the “Boston Americans” won the game.
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The Longest Sports Games in America’s History
Americans are fascinated with anything sports, and this carries over into those teams, games, and players that accomplish anything on an outrageous scale. From players that dress and act strangely to an extended duration of a game, Americans soak this up, like a dry sponge, and add them as topics to talk about with their fellow fans. Sports games that extend beyond the normal bounds typically mean a game that will be a hot topic. So what are some of the longest sports games in America’s history?
A sports game that goes beyond the norm in duration is eagerly watched, with all eyes on the electronic scoreboard for points and the winning team. A record was set in tennis when Nicolas Mahut and John Isner had a match that lasted over eleven hours, covering three days.
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Top Most Popular Soccer Jerseys: More than Just a Pretty Logo
Designing a soccer jersey is a tricky business and one that has changed from a plain necessity to an outright fine art. A well crafted look can turn a team into both popular and iconic or make everyone do a double-take, asking “what were they thinking”. Some of the best soccer jerseys that stand out are memorable and recognizable, and, after all, in marketing, that’s the name of the game; especially when you see the team colors on the electronic scoreboard.
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Strategies for Excellence in Outdoor Scoreboard Advertising
There are definite differences between sports scoreboard advertising in outdoor versus indoor venues. When you are planning your advertising project, you will need to take the variances into consideration for the best presentation and results. The purpose of your sports scoreboard advertising is to attract and keep the attention of the viewers and have them remember the sponsors that are supporting the team or school.
Indoor sports scoreboards typically have a controlled environment that you can use to your advantage. Adjustments can be made for low or high lighting with resolution changes in color. The LED’s on the sports scoreboard have such an excellence in technology that they can often overcome the challenges. Check and confirm your audio acoustics to ensure that any announcement doesn’t echo or reverberate as well as the decibel level. You should always test your scoreboard advertising prior to the game(s) and remember that a live performance will have a higher external noise factor. Indoor advertisement will allow you to do more extensive ad campaigns, as you won’t have as much external interference as outdoor venues. This is the environment where those higher resolution videos can come into play.
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University of Phoenix Stadium: 2015 Super Bowl – High Tech Scoreboards and Green Mission
Sports stadiums across the world have taken on the challenge of becoming part of a green mission to help save the planet. This is quite a daunting task as it requires the examination of every aspect of the game, the venue, the attendance and the fans. University of Phoenix Stadium hosts the 2015 Super Bowl and has already set in place the key pieces required to ensure their obligation to go green. To step up to the plate on this topic, it means more than just installing low electric use high tech scoreboards and a bit of recycling. This is serious business.
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View NHL and NBA on New HD Electronic Sports Scoreboards
In 2013, the Pepsi Center unveiled the largest electronic HD sports scoreboard in the NHL and NBA. Home of the Colorado Avalanche and Denver Nuggets, the venue has reached high tech heights that have set a new bar for fans and attendees; and other venues will be hard pressed to compete with. This new electronic sports scoreboard is now larger than the AT&T Stadium and Tampa Bay Times Forum, that had previously set the records.
It took two years to plan and execute the incredible HD electronic sports scoreboard. This process was not for the light hearted, as they placed the 4,400 square foot surface area screen so that it could be viewed by all. With 1080p HD and 16:9 stats, hockey fan length is from each matching blue line and basketball fans will be happy to note the three point line to three point line stretch.
They are calling the HD scoreboard installation the ‘crown jewel’ of the continued enhancement of the Pepsi Center. With three hundred flat screens spread out throughout the concourse, a fan will not miss a beat or point when they want to stroll out to get refreshments. Continue reading “View NHL and NBA on New HD Electronic Sports Scoreboards”
College Stadiums Keep up with the Times with New HD Electronic Sports Scoreboards
College sports has some of the most zealous supporters in the world. Fans will commute great distances and carry flags and bumper stickers on their cars. While colleges are aware of the popularity, they also know that to keep and maintain this fan base they must also upgrade to meet the technology needs for the school and sponsorship. The new HD electronic sports scoreboards have become some of the latest addition to satisfy an every growing immediate information society.
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High Tech isn’t for the Big Stadiums Anymore: High School Sports Scoreboards Really Rock
We are living in a society that has an incredible sense of high expectations for our technology. Smartphones and tablets bring immediate information and date, as it is happening around the world. This confidence has spread, so that even sports fans have access to home entertainment systems that once rivaled the best stadium presentations. The evolution of these technologies to bring sports fans out of their living rooms and into the bleachers has spread from the largest venues and is now becoming a more common scene in local high schools. The savvy choice of sports scoreboards has a multifunctional aspect that schools are taking full advantage of.
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Better Just Keeps Getting Bigger: Giant Video Sports Scoreboards
If you are keeping up on the news on the topic of sports stadiums, you would not be surprised that sports venues are continuing to grow at an exponential rate. As old stadiums fall in ratings for what they are offering, the attendance and sponsorship also falls. The number of stadium facelifts and new construction are entering into a whole new era of bigger means better. Any stadium that wants to jet to the top of the ratings also needs the kind of giant video sports scoreboard that will wow the crowd.
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Bringing the HD Sports Scoreboard Experience to the Fans and Field
Competition on the sports fields continues to be incredibly fierce. As each new season approaches, stadiums and fields battle to offer a supreme game experience for the fans. In today’s world of technology, this now means moving from a standard sports scoreboard and into the world of HD. The expectation of the fans needs to be addressed with every technology available.
Sports Authority Field at Mile High is known to be the home of the Broncos, but the addition of the new 220 ft long and 40 ft high HD video scoreboard will elevate this field to the third largest NFL scoreboard in the country. There is an almost 1,500 ft ribbon display that spans the field at club level, a sound system that guarantees the best audio quality and the installation of over 1,000 flat screen displays around public places and stadium concourses. Continue reading “Bringing the HD Sports Scoreboard Experience to the Fans and Field”
Latest Technology: High Definition Video Sports Scoreboards
Attracting and keeping sports fans has never been a problem, but in today’s world the competition to bring them to the stadiums has become quite fierce. With the advent of better technology for home sound and visual systems, sports venues have had to step up to the plate and bring an elevated excitement experience for live attendance. Stadiums around the world are changing out their electronic sports scoreboards for the latest in increased size, and incredible HD.
When looking at the latest technologies in sports scoreboards, the first thing you notice is that the quality is not the only thing that has been stepped up; the size has also been increased. Stadiums are making way for larger screen size, added audio surround sound and high definition visuals. The added technologies that are being brought to the table also include live web streaming, instant replay, social media and direct fan interaction through texts and tweets.
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Creating a Brand-Choosing your Colors
In today’s world of marketing, branding is everything and this is a particularly important topic when it comes to color choices. Branding goes beyond the idea of just using your school or team colors and enters into the area of psychology. Colors make an impression and, depending upon color selections and combinations, it can be a complete loss or a total win. Research has shown that between 62% and 90% of people will make immediate judgments based on color, so you want the first reaction to be the right one.
The first thing you need to consider in color choices for your branding is your target audience. Younger people are attracted and react to colors in a different way than middle aged people. If you have a combination audience, remember to think beyond trend colors. These colors will quickly go out of fad and if you make the wrong choice, your scoreboard will look very dated.
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Quality Aluminum Construction is the Mainstay of Electro-Mech Scoreboards
Aluminum has become the metal of choice for many industries. In the past, steel was once thought to be the metal to use, however, the use of steel brings a plethora of problems and expenses that are not shared with aluminum. Due to its inherent properties aluminum brings durability with ease of use. In a world that is focused on recycling and more earth-friendly, aluminum is one of the few easily recyclable metals. The use of quality aluminum construction in every scoreboard is a standard of Electro-Mech.
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Electro-Mech Now Offers Scoreboard Leasing Options
Leasing has become a more popular option in business decisions today. From extensive trade show floor displays to automobiles, there is often a more cost-effective aspect to a leasing choice as opposed to a full purchase. Due to popular request, Electro-Mech is now offering your school, team or stadium the choice of leasing an electronic sports scoreboard.
Electronic sports scoreboards are often included as part of the marketing budget. Everyone knows that today’s concept of marketing is changing on a quarterly basis. The demands of branding, technologies and overall appeal may be lost if the budget can’t keep up. An investment in a quality electronic sports scoreboard will be a reflection of your school, team, field or stadium and you need to maintain appearances with competition for sponsorship at such a high level.
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Electro-Mech Uses Automotive Grade Enamel Based Paint to Protect Your Scoreboard
Electronic scoreboards should be designed for longevity and to maintain their fresh look and appearance. After all, when fans look up to your scoreboard, its appearance is a direct reflection on your team, school or stadium. There is a lot that goes into manufacturing a quality scoreboard and Electro-Mech makes sure that every aspect of your scoreboard is carefully examined and cared for. One of the most important aspects is the exterior protection of a scoreboard and Electro-Mech makes use of the highest quality, automotive grade enamel based paint for its protection.
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Scoreboard LED Lighting – Looks Better From Every View
You might remember when the first widescreen televisions entered the market. One of the challenges of that technology was that to get a good view of the picture, you literally had to be face-on in front of it. Moving to any other angle, meant that you lost the brightness, clarity and picture. That was because the early LCD screens were manufactured with what is referred to as ‘narrow viewing cones’. Technology has come a long way since that time, especially on the topic of electronic scoreboards. LED lighting has hit the market and has not only overcome any viewing issues, but has taken scoreboard viewing to such a level, that even the seats in the back of the stadium can usually see all of the colors and tones clearly.
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Electro-Mech Scoreboard Coating Gives Extra Protection for the Outdoors
It is kind of understood that an outdoor electronic scoreboard is going to take a beating. Mother Nature has an array of weather conditions that she will throw at a scoreboard: extreme heat, extreme cold, extreme temperature changes, rain, wind, dust, dirt and ice. The importance of a high grade, high quality conformal coating on a scoreboard offers protection and longevity in a number of ways.
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Technology Innovation Brings Energy Savings and ‘Green’ Stadiums
As the world embraces the concept of becoming less dependent on oil and gas as a method to help the planet, technologies have also been developing to meet these challenges. A variety of alternative and renewable energy sources are being created through innovative companies around the globe. This is a topic of great interest and importance in the sports industry, as they perceive a dual benefit in both energy cost savings and helping to reduce carbon emissions. The popularity has spurred a number of stadiums around the U.S. to take the baton and run with it and they are setting a precedence for other organizations and institutions as we see more stadiums and sports arenas going green.
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Electro-Mech Sports Scoreboards are ETL Tested and Approved
You may have seen the ‘ETL’ logo on products but may not be aware of the actual testing and approval process that goes into getting approved. All Electro-Mech products are tested and receive flying passing colors through the ETL safety process, and this is an important consideration when choosing a reliable and quality sports scoreboard.
The ETL Mark on your electronic scoreboard proves that the product has passed rigorous testing processes for safety and efficiency. The ETL safety checking service actually began during the time of Thomas Edison. The testing process was established in the Edison labs to ensure that the products passed all safety factors and were of a level of quality to produce on the market. The ETL service has continued to this day and is an international testing, inspection and certification organization.
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LED Scoreboards bring return on investment through electric bill savings
The term ‘LED’ has entered mainstream dialogue and almost everyone is familiar with it. However, most people don’t really know what ‘LED’ lighting really is, how it works and most importantly, how it can bring big time savings in the electric bill. This is of special importance when you are talking about the subject of larger LED sports scoreboards, where an electric bill impact could reduce a budget or the savings could bring extra money where it is needed.
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Top 10 Advertising Ways to Target the College Student Crowd
College students and Gen Z aged young adults can be a rough crowd to appeal to in advertising. The target audience typically has a limited income, but the key thing to remember is: it’s all about the deal.
College aged young people are technologically savvy, desire to have top brands but are on a tight budget. When appealing to this demographic group, you need to be creative so that you offer an incentive to get their attention to buy, without giving away the store and losing money. One of the most attractive deals might be a BOGO (buy one, get one free) but remember your margins are slipping when you use the word ‘free’.
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Top 10 Scoreboard and Billboard Costly Advertising Mistakes to Avoid
The key to successful advertising is knowing your target audience and timing, timing, timing. Sports scoreboard and billboard marketing can be one of the best (or worst) investments, depending upon your message and timing.
Sports marketing is a completely unique concept in that the advertiser has a trapped audience for the duration of the game. Typically that can be from two to four hours, which is unlike any other form of advertising. While our society does not readily accept commercials on television, we are far more receptive to advertising from sponsors at sporting events. This can quickly turn sour if the advertising is mismatched or timed badly.
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Importance of Advertising Signs at Sports Events
Advertising and sponsorship helps to pay for the cost of the stadium, the teams and to keep the price of the tickets for each fan to a lower rate. Without advertising, there literally would not be any games or at least anything that the average person could attend.
Marketing and advertising is a critical part of the overall sports stadium and team support. Advertisers and sponsors know that they have a trapped audience to pitch their name and brand and that most of the fans are not only in a spending-mood, but appreciate the sponsors that take care of their favorite teams. The cost of building and maintaining a stadium is never covered in the price of the average ticket, but through the income that they receive from advertisers. It is a symbiotic relationship that assists in keeping a balance.
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What does it Cost to Advertise at Sporting Events?
NFL games are undoubtedly one of the top attendance sporting events around the country. With thousands of attendees and fans paying top dollar for tickets, it is no wonder that sponsors and advertisers consider these to be some of the premium venues for the year. The most well-known brands, and names vie for attention with imaginative marketing campaigns, all geared to get the fan to buy their products and spend money. Their marketing message does come at a price, as these are some of the most expensive advertising campaigns in existence.
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Billboard Advertising: Cost per Thousand Viewers
Advertising is a huge market that can make or break your marketing. The world of advertising has come a long way, with much of the analysis now being converted into more of a science. Billboard advertising is one of the oldest forms and therefore has a lot more data to show if a decision is a good one for the right return on investment (ROI). If you are considering billboard advertising, here are some easy summaries to help guide your decisions.
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Why it’s Better to Buy Scoreboards Manufactures in the USA Instead of Shopping for Scoreboards Made in China
Let’s face the facts, everyone is on a budget when it comes to choosing an electronic scoreboard. In most cases, there is quite a group of people involved in watching over the money spent and the decision is often based on investigation and results supplied by just a few individuals. The pressure may be on to purchase the cheapest electronic scoreboard, and sometimes that means looking at those made in China. But buyer beware. There is a massive downside to buying a cheap scoreboard from a foreign country that could cost you a lot more in the long run.
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Lightning and Severe Weather Warnings Broadcasts on Scoreboards
When you have thousands of people gathered in an open outdoor venue, surrounded by a lot of metallic objects, it can be a recipe for a massive weather disaster that could potentially kill hundreds. This was a topic of discussion at the University of Maryland for NOAA’s lightning and safety workshop. Based on the lightning strikes that hit and killed over fifty people in two different arenas in India and China, decisions needed to be made on protecting fans and players during some of Mother Nature’s most volatile weather.
The science of lightning can be complex, as lightning bolts can hit in a range of over ten miles from the main storm and can measure at 200,000 amps, 300,000,000 volts with a heat measurement at over 60,000 degrees Fahrenheit. Lightning explodes concrete out of sidewalks, blows out bricks and devastates large trees. The threat for sports venues is real and the group needed to develop a method of protection for outdoor venues.
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America’s Top Video Scoreboards
Technology is racing by at a lightning pace, with consumers demanding bigger, better, flashier and more pizzazz. Sports fans seem to be at the core as they want to experience in-stadium with the same glitz, glamour and color that they get on their home sets. Manufacturers of video scoreboards have kept pace with the requirements as they bring sports enthusiasts off the couch and into the stadiums with scoreboards that create the wow-factor. The list may change as competition increases, but here are some of America’s top video scoreboards.
One would think that the top ratings for electronic scoreboards in sports might go to football or baseball, but in reality the top three in the country are dedicated to automotive and horse racing.
Charlotte Motor Speedway in Concord, NC is home to the NASCAR Auto Racing. Their video scoreboard measures 16,000 square feet.
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Top 10 Largest Scoreboards in the USA
It seems that sports enthusiasts are never satisfied with the size of their favorite stadium electronic scoreboard, and manufacturers in the U.S. are stepping up to the plate to bring the fans what they want. Whether college or professional, the scoreboards are getting bigger with technology to wow the viewers. Competition is fierce, and the list is ever changing for the winner of the top biggest scoreboards.
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Audi Creates the Largest World Cup Scoreboard with 28 Cars
Audi made an executive decision that is destined to put them in the hall of fame for genius advertising. The method to their madness involved the understanding that Americans love cars. So their marketing people got together to create a plan to bring together the love of soccer, World Cup broadcasting, the biggest electronic scoreboard ever created and….cars.
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Marketing and Money in an Advertising Presence at the World Cup
I don’t think any of us have a real grasp on the amount of money that is invested and spent in the marketing, advertising and promotions for the World Cup. Each year, FIFA, has a list of partners and corporate sponsors that are some the major big bucks behind the scenes. But the rest of the marketing dollars total into the billions.
In 1984, a World Cup sponsorship jumped from $2,000 to $16,000 in 1996. The major sponsors for that game were Coca-Cola, McDonalds, and Adidas. The sponsors count on the millions of viewers, but the hosting cities also count on the huge influx of fans that will show up to attend and spend. An example is the 1994 World Cup, held in the U.S. This generated $623 million in economic profit for the area. Compare that to 182 million for the Super Bowl.
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The Soccer World Cup Winners Throughout History
FIFA established their international competition for soccer in 193, with the games being played every four years. There were two exceptions: due to World War II, the 1942 and 1946 games were not held. Whether you all it soccer or football, the World Cup games have been a frenzy of international excitement, comparable only to the Olympics.
There have been nineteen tournaments held and of these, seventy six nations have participated in the games at least one time, with twelve making it to the final match and eight announced as winners. Over the years, the World Cup has made some major transitions from a more subdued game to a complete world championship competition. Different countries vie for the honor of being the host country for the World Cup and it is considered an important national treasure to be selected as host.
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USA Fans Jump on the Bandwagon to Support the Teams
If anyone was following the World Cup games (and who wasn’t), you may have noticed a drastic change in everyday life. Social media feeds were a blaze with updates, images and favorite team members and business was not quite operating in the same way. USA fans made a quantum leap in the support of their teams and life will never quite be the same.
If you work in an office and that office has a video screen, it might as well be the electronic scoreboard at the World Cup games. IT specialists were busy rigging up the best view for the most staff members and conference rooms quickly became sports bars. Snacks, food and drinks were added to former display tables and even the CEO’s were spending way more time viewing the games than doing work.
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The 12 host Stadiums in Brazil for the World Cup
This year’s World Cup has brought about some of the most spectacular venues in FIFA’s history. Brazil has pulled out the red carpet in creating twelve host stadiums that can only be described as over-the-top. With a main focus on ecology and renewable/sustainable energy, these stadiums have demonstrated that Brazil knows how to throw a party, while still respecting nature.
Sao Paulo’s Arena De Sao Paulo: Seating capacity is set at 65,807, however, 20,000 of these are temporary seats that were added solely for the World Cup games. 269 miles from Rio, this stadium is nestled on a plateau in the southeast on the Atlantic Coast, it is the home of the Corinthians.
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Some of the Best of NBA Finals History
Any time you ask anyone about their favorite or best moments in NBA finals history, you get a flurry of responses. Everyone has their favorite player, team or moment, and always wants to show off. Thanks to today’s technologies and mass internet, we can see the replays from the electronic scoreboards on the internet as many times as we want, and even share them in a friendly competition. Here are some of the most popular.
In 1992 Michael Jordan was unstoppable. In Game 1 of the finals, he hit six 3-pointers, just in the first half. Suddenly, he stopped, turned to the announcers and made his now famous ‘shrug’ stating he didn’t understand why he was on fire.
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Weirdest Baseball Moments that will Leave You Laughing
I grew up sitting in the bleachers, watching my Mom play on a women’s team in Missouri. This was a team of working women, most of the moms, and were some of the hardest playing games I ever saw. With a semi-pro player like my mother, I couldn’t begin to compete, but she gave us the legacy of the love of baseball. Another of her legacies was that we should never take ourselves too seriously. We shared many a day watching ball on television and laughed until tears ran down our faces when we saw a blooper, something silly or a player performing out of character. Some of these have become quite popular, being played and replayed on the electronic scoreboards to the joy of the fans.
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Going Green with Solar Powered Electronic Sports Scoreboards
It seems that technology is moving faster than most budgets can keep up with, and this is no more true than in the world of electronic sports scoreboards. In the concept of time, it wasn’t that long ago that old fashioned flip boards were changed out for light bulb scoreboards and then to the more efficient and cost effective LED scoreboards. The latest phase in the efforts of going green have been to make use of solar power for not only the field or stadium, but to power the score boards as well.
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The Next Generation of Electronic Sports Scoreboards: Solar Power
If you have been to a sports game in any of the stadiums around the country in the last three years, you will probably have noticed an incredible increase in efforts to go green. Due to the intense amount of waste and trash along with the high electrical requirements that occur at every game, many stadiums took the challenge of the green commitment. The most recent adaptation has been the installation of solar power for what started out as powering the high tech LED electronic sports scoreboards, but is now expanding into full on renewable energy for the stadium itself.
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The Introduction of Solar Powered Electronic Sports Scoreboards: Busch Stadium, St Louis, MO
The pride of Missouri is the Busch Stadium in St. Louis and every Cardinals fan will back that up. But the stadium has made the ultimate decision to take their sense of pride into the next level and include a commitment to ‘greening the game’. While the idea is being embraced by many stadiums across the country, Busch Stadium has introduced electronic sports scoreboards that are operated with solar power.
The addition of the Busch Stadium solar power project began in 2012 with the installation of two solar arrays placed on the ticket building roof as well as on top of the left centerfield bleachers canopy in the Ford Family Plaza. This has expanded to a total of 106 solar panels to support the stadium’s electrical needs, resulting in the production of 32,000 kWh per year. Continue reading “The Introduction of Solar Powered Electronic Sports Scoreboards: Busch Stadium, St Louis, MO”
Top Strangest Baseball Rules
150 years offers a lot of leeway for the development of traditions in baseball. There is always an evolution of rules and guidelines when it comes to sports; and in most cases, these are established based on safety or fairness. Baseball, however, has some rather unusual or downright weird rules for the game. As you watch the game and view the electronic scoreboard with confusion, keep these in mind and the fact that they are completely legal.
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If You Saw the Football Equipment of the 1920’s, You Wouldn’t Have Played the Game
Football has become an iconic American sport, with billions of dollars spent each year on teams, players, stadiums, electronic scoreboards, equipment and, of course, merchandising. The sport itself has experienced an evolution, from humble beginnings as a spinoff of a kind of Rugby game, to the mega-sport of today. If you could turn back the hands of time and attend a football game in the 1920’s, you might not want to watch it.
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The Evolution of Our Beloved American Football Game
The U.S. considers football to be our own American sport and has made a rather profitable business out of it. In towns and cities across the country, local, collegiate, state and national football games are celebrated with fanfare like no other. The actual history and evolution of our oh-so-well-loved sport is actually quite interesting and surprising.
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Cheerleading is just ONE of the Things that is Considered Odd by the Rest of the World
American was founded by people that considered themselves individual thinkers. It is therefore not surprising that this culture continued as we developed as a nation. The U.S. takes great pride in establishing unique traditions that are completely alien to other countries. Our attitude towards our sports games is often a lot more obsessive than the rest of the world and this includes the concept of cheerleading. But cheerleaders and sports fans are not the only things that differentiate Americans from other countries, there are many things that we do that, frankly, the rest of the world considers bizarre.
We have to understand the other countries are not quite as expansive as the U.S. The logistics of the sheer size of America allows us the opportunity to hop in the car and drive long distances, without even thinking about it. Other countries find our fascination with driving everywhere, rather odd.
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Cheerleading: European View on Another Odd American Tradition
As Americans, we don’t think twice about cheerleading. This is part of our culture and we are introduced to the tradition at a very young age in school. In the U.S., a certain stigma has developed on the topic of cheerleaders, as they fight the generalized concept of ‘dumb blondes’ that usually date the jocks. The idea of ‘cheerleading’ is not one that is shared or even a consideration in other countries. Europeans are completely alienated on the topic and, it is often a topic of both amusement and irritation.
Americans take our sports very seriously; but with that, comes an idea of fun and competition. We associate sports with smiling, laughter, fans, stadiums, players, and of course, cheerleading. This is not always the case in other countries. Some cultures do not express emotions, such as smiling in public, as they feel it makes them look stupid or, in a kind of ‘Vulcan’ concept, makes them appear weak.
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The Best and: ‘What were They Thinking’ in College Basketball Cheerleading Uniforms
Any fan will tell you that there are many nuances involved in a college basketball game. Beyond the game itself, are the players (and the favorites), the build-up on the electronic scoreboard, and of course the continued excitement generated by the cheerleaders and dancers. The latter can take a game that could be ho-hum, and pull it up to a reveled area of frenzy. While fans are focused on the people, there is a subliminal view of the uniforms and outfits. These can make or break a cheerleading team, and therefore there is a lot of competition when it comes to design, look and color. Some of the college basketball cheerleading uniforms are winners and some are rather questionable.
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World Cup Footwear: the Billion Dollar Battle in Brazil
Sports footwear is big business, and pretty much dominated by the two behemoths, Adidas and Nike. The two giants are in the midst of a battle to have their names and logos on everything that relates to the World Cup. The winner will appear on uniforms/kits, all the way to electronic scoreboard ads. The quest to be the top brand is an ongoing marketing war between the historic name of Adidas and the newcomer, Nike.
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Brazil Takes Soccer to a Whole New Level: The Art of the Sport
If you watch any news or view it on the internet, it is hard to miss all of the fanfare about the FIFA World Cup in 2014, in Brazil. The country is considered to be one of the top nations in the world for soccer expertise and no wonder; at any given time Brazil has over 10,000 players, on a professional level; complete with playing fields and electronic scoreboards.
Soccer is to Brazil as baseball is the America. There is not just a love for the sport, but a true passion. Soccer was brought to the country by a Scotsman in the 1800’s. Already a popular sport in Britain, he introduced Brazilians to a game with very little in the way of equipment or professional guidance. As more British began living in Brazil, they brought equipment and the kind of experience that helps team and player development.
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Why does Brazil have so Many Good Soccer Players?
Brazil seems to have a unique knack for generating an incredible line of players of excellence when it comes to soccer. There is never a surprise when a new player is chosen for a team and he ends up becoming a star from Brazil. One might wonder what is it about this country, that they can produce so many good soccer players? Well, this isn’t something new, Brazil has actually had a long history in soccer.
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Top Things You didn’t Know about Some of the Top World Series (and may be Surprised At)
American baseball continues to top the sports arena as most popular. Around the world, baseball is the all-time American sport and stands up there in status with apple pie and hot dogs. There are, however, some rather interesting facts about this favored game that only those true aficionados are aware of.
The 1971 World Series game stands out as a game-changer. It was the first official World Series game that was played at night. This also brought about changes for all electronic scoreboards needed and used for future World Series games.
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Strange NBA Facts: the Fun, the Unusual and the Odd
The fascination, obsession and passion of basketball in the U.S. has increased exponentially over the last number of years. We, as a society, cannot seem to get enough information about our favorite NBA teams and players. The internet and social media has catapulted the speed of accessing this data into an immediate gratification situation. We no longer have to wait for the evening news, but instead, get updates on everything we need. There are, however, some unusual NBA facts that few are aware of!
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Asia’s Love Affair with Basketball: Proving Might Outweighs Height
The competitive nature of the Asian communities is exemplified in their intense love and attitude for sports. Basketball, is by far, one of the top four favorite sports in Asian culture and there have been some controversies as to how and why it became so popular.
Many Americans seem to believe that the excellent playing of China’s top player, Yao Ming, in the 2,000’s, catapulted basketball to the front of the fray for Asian sports. While there is no doubt that Yao’s fame is top notch in China, he is not followed in the rest of the Asian countries as a main reason for their love of basketball. If you look at the number of basketball jerseys worn by fans, you will by far see more of LeBrons, Jordan and Kobe shirts, than anything else.
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How Have Field Goals Changed to 3-point Expectations for a Game?
It seems that every season brings out a new basketball star or hot team and the bar is getting set higher and higher for the demands. In the past, a team that had an excellent percentage rating in field goals while winning the games was all that mattered. Today’s basketball has become a lot more complicated as fans seem to need better, higher and more 3-point shots.
A field goal measures the overall team effectiveness from a field standpoint. The standard points-scored-per-possession has always been the main theme of the game and author Dean Oliver, in his book “Basketball on Paper” details basketball’s four points: 40% Shooting, 25% Turnovers, 20% Rebounds, 15% Free Throws. The formula that is used was a gauge for a standard game, but the concept of ‘standard’ has made some rather drastic changes in the last few years.
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Miami Heat: Favorite for Field Goals and Everything Basketball
NBA fans usually have their favorites when it comes to their home team, but there is a quickly rising star that is swaying even the most loyal fans to their side. Miami Heat has not only surprised and astounded with their incredible field goal averages (around 55.2%), but they are shooting at an average of 55.1% as a team!
No one ever thought that the record set in 1984-1985 by the Los Angeles Lakers could really be beaten. That season presented one of the most stellar performances by the team, with a 54.5% field goal record. The Lakers were the darlings of the NBA and the fans. While the Lakers tipped the field goal scales, there didn’t seem to be that many attempts at 3-point shots. The 1994-1995 Utah Jazz team appeared to change that trend when they doubled the number of 3-point shots and came incredibly close to matching the Lakers’ record.
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A Bit of History on Those Soccer Jersey Numbers that will Surprise You
Numbering soccer jerseys goes back to an original concept of just knowing who the players were on a specific team. Those were the days of simplicity, with easy team colors and recognizing your favorite player with a single large number on the jersey.
Soccer wasn’t the first sport to put numbers on jerseys; the tradition was used baseball. In that game, the numbering sequence was based on the batting order. Numbers one through nine were initially started, as we might recognize Number 3 for Babe Ruth and Number 4 for Lou Gehrig, of Yankee fame. As new players and substitutes were added, the numbering sequence increased, beginning with number 12. In the days before electronic scoreboards, fans would look out on the field for these players.
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The Top Soccer Jersey Sponsorships: a Lot of Cash for a Name
There is no denying that corporate sports sponsorships have evolved into big business on a global scale. A winning team name that is associated with a hot corporate sponsorship logo equates to a win-win in more ways than one. This means that the team jersey that dons both titles becomes some of the highest price, per square inch, real estate in the world.
Almost every hot team is now seeking (or being sought out) by a corporate sponsor, and these are some of the biggest and most recognized names. There are some teams, such as Barcelona, that went against the tide and avoided sponsorship for over 113 years; but last year, they caved in to the pressure with a jersey deal with Quatar Airlines. We know that sponsor will be on the electronic scoreboard display!
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Creating Scoreboard Advertising with Little or no Investment
You may think that creating electronic scoreboard advertising is an expense that is out of your reach, but with a little savvy planning, you can actually create top notch, high quality ads, with little or no investment.
Consider this: how many people do you know that have pc’s and movie cameras? The answer to what you considered a dilemma is to make use of the technology, talent, people and resources that is probably already in your grasp. In addition to lowering cost, using existing materials and talent will contribute to an earth-friendly philosophy; and this is something that sponsors will be attracted to.
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Best Practices List for Installation of Outdoor Sports Scoreboards
The correct installation of an outdoor electronic sports scoreboard is paramount to the success of the scoreboard itself. You want to ensure that your scoreboard achieves ultimate viewing status and will not require any additional manual maintenance.
Prior to receiving the scoreboard, as in real estate, the priority is location-location-location. The scoreboard should be located for equal view by any seating arrangement as well as weather considerations (wind, rain, snow). An additional topic will be whether the area is a single sport or multi-sport venue, as this can affect the right placement. If you are using audio, you will want to check the acoustics of the location as well. Other pre-installation preparations will include whether the power lines will be hardwired and buried underground (this will require approval to dig trenches for the power lines) or if you will be using wireless.
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Scoreboard Considerations for Best Efficiency
When you purchase a high quality electronic sports scoreboard, such as the Electro-Mech system, you will want to make sure that you have covered all bases of consideration to ensure the best efficiency and optimum performance for your scoreboard. We have included a few miscellaneous topics that you may not have thought of or even are aware of.
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Supporting the Earth with a ‘Green’ Electro-Mech Electronic Sports Scoreboard
The world has come a long way since the first Earth Day in 1970. It’s hard to believe that, during that era, people didn’t think twice about wasting products and considered the natural resources of the world to be eternal. The philosophies of recycling, reusing and no-waste have permeated on both the individual and business level and Electro-Mech has led the way in recycling within the electronic sports scoreboards industry.
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LED Scoreboard Advantages: Saving the Power and Money
LED lighting has come to the forefront of common use around the world. Beyond just the exciting colors, LED helps in your ‘green effort’ and is a substantial electrical savings. Schools and organizations are focused on every possible method to contribute to a continued green effort and participate in technology that supports this process. Electronic sports scoreboards have adopted LED lighting for quite some time, offering a savings over board systems that use standard lighting. The ability of the LED to withstand changes in weather, shock, extreme temperature and vibration make LED’s the perfect lighting technology for indoor and outdoor electronic sports scoreboards.
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To Use Audio (or not) for Scoreboard Videos
As a society, we are not only accustomed to experiencing excellence in technology, but we are now in a condition where we expect it. On a daily basis, we view high resolution videos with special effects and extreme sound quality. This expectation can also translate into the world of electronic sports scoreboards, where we face a few more challenges and hurdles in video displays. While we have a total environmental control when viewing a video on a pc, tablet or our smartphone, this is not the case in either an indoor or outdoor electronic scoreboard. Each venue may offer limitations and there are rules-of-thumb that can be applied for the decision as to when to add audio to scoreboard video.
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Led Vs Other Light Sources: Creating The Best Sports Scoreboard Advertising Indoor and Outdoor
The advantages of LED lighting in today’s electronic sports scoreboard supersede all display sources of the past. The high resolution, sturdy, safe and long lasting LED lights bring millions of colors to a screen, offering a clarity never before seen. The LED lights in your electronic scoreboard are not only earth-friendly, by not containing the mercury of fluorescent lights, but are recyclable. The LED lights have longevity of over 60,000 hours, and lower electricity use to bring additional savings. While the initial cost of LED lighting is higher than standard or fluorescent lights, the longevity outweighs and quickly pays for itself. The enjoyment of your electronic scoreboard will last for years to come; however, when additional lighting sources are in place, there are considerations that need to be included to give your audience and sponsors the very best indoor or outdoor scoreboard experience.
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Not All Sports Scoreboard Video Advertising is Equal: Overcoming Technology Limitations to Create a Success
Video creates a powerful connection to the viewer and accelerates the sales process for your sponsor. Statistics show that consumers that watch video are 144% more likely to buy a product or service. These are incredibly important mantras when you a considering video for your electronic scoreboard. You might be in a situation where you think you have limited technology tools to make the kind of powerful video you think that you need. There are some shortcuts and special hints that can help you on your video journey to help make your presentations look like the pros.
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Simple Scoreboard Sports Advertising Videos can Often be the Best: The Success of Less is More
You are the master of your electronic scoreboard advertising and as such, have chosen a video format for the best possible results. Now that you have made the biggest decision, you will need to tackle the topic of what kind of video advertising will do justice to your sponsors.
The stats show that video with audio bring a higher retention rate in the viewing audience. This will translate into measurable dollar return on investment for your advertiser or sponsor. Video scoreboard advertising offers a higher level of creativity, but with that you may find there are some hurdles to overcome.
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Creating Scoreboard Content: Technology Tools, Camera Sources and the Creativity
There are many variables on the topic of electronic sports scoreboard advertising and you will need to examine each one to accommodate your abilities and the requirements of the sponsors. The technology of today offers easy to use software that is available to the non-professional, and yet brings the look and feel of a professionally designed presentation. Video has been proven to not only attract but maintain the attention of the viewer over static and slide show options and brings additional repeat sponsorship.
Video software packages are now available at reasonable costs so that you can be a pro at video advertising. The technology can be pc or Mac and software such as TriCaster, vMix, Wirecast or Casper CG includes editing tools to use multi-camera sources, lighting adjustments, pixel definitions, and Auto HD. These are important factors to create the highest quality advertising.
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Scoreboard Video Advertising with Audio: Indoor vs Outdoor, Understanding the Differences
Choosing the right electronic scoreboard advertising can be both fun and challenging. As you embark in the endeavor of creating sports scoreboard ads, you will want to consider a number of options: slide show, static, streaming video, and audio. While the choice of total video with audio may be your first selection, it is not always the best, based on the type of venue you have.
The outdoor stadium presents a number of issues for electronic scoreboard advertising. You might create a top notch video, only to find the color has faded due to the variations in lighting and the acoustics are questionable due to wind and temperature. Having software that allows you to adjust for lighting and change the clarity can address the lighting problem, but the audio portion is based on volume, and that can cause additional presentation problems. If the outdoor venue is one that has consistent weather situations that affect audio, you may want to change to a slideshow or static advertising format.
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Scoreboard Advertising Video: Technologies and Tools to Create a Vision
Video advertising for sports scoreboards offer a number of positive choices and solutions. As the ‘creative engineer’ you and your advertising team will be responsible for developing quality video for your sponsors. Today’s technology allows non-professionals the ease of video creation, with some simple options available to just about everyone.
Videos can be created as a preroll video, typically in .wmv format or you can use a slideshow format with displays static single page ads. Each style uses a different type of software. The preroll video will require a computer base (laptop, pc or Mac), movie camera(s) and software such as TriCaster, vMix, Wirecast or Casper CG. Editing tools are available so that you can take the various ‘shots’ and blend, delete, enhance and duplicate as well as overdub and add music as background. Studies have shown that the preroll video format with enticing content capture and retain a larger audience than a static ad. For the advanced user, software such as MStream allows multi-screen video advertising and will stream via an electronic scoreboard as well as social media feeds. You need to keep in mind that full video advertising requires more time and dedication than a static or slideshow ad.
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Sports scoreboard Advertising Complemented with Website and Social Media
We are a society that is connected in more ways than ever before and are accustomed to instant notification, within minutes (if not seconds) of something happening. Sports scoreboard advertising is making use of the complementary formats to entice sponsors as well as fans.
There are a variety of choices and options that you have when thinking about scoreboard complementary services. The most popular has been a streaming live feed via website broadcasts. This requires that you have the camera equipment, editing software and a web tech that can not only link the live feed video, but focus in on the advertising spots. Make sure you have the support of the school or organization web master. This individual is responsible for all content and will need to be an integral part of the project. The massive popularity of smartphones offer an enhanced ability for live view and will be an enticement for sponsors as their advertising message will reach an even larger audience. If you are experiencing financial problems and have the talent but not the equipment, you can talk to sponsors to assist in helping with the technology as part of their program. Adding their name and logo in recognition of their additional sponsorship level will offer an additional advertising and marketing opportunity and elevate their position in the community.
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Sports Scoreboard Advertising: Getting Your Message to the Masses for Support
As you move into the world of sports scoreboard advertising development, you will quickly realize that you need the help of others to make your creative genius come to life! This is indeed a case of “it takes a village”, as you will need to enlist the assistance of a number of people and marketing concepts for the total success of your endeavor.
The first people that you need to look to are your internal resources. These can include Booster Clubs, Alumni, students, faculty, friends and family. These are the core groups that will often be the most receptive. Booster Clubs and Alumni already have the experience and the local business contacts. A meeting with both groups will enlighten you on the most successful campaigns as well as the most receptive sponsors. In many cases, the rest of the group is often readily available and sometimes eager to help. You will find that they are the group that needs direction, so it’s advised that you set up a plan before you start talking with them.
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Marketing 101 for Your Sports Scoreboard Advertising Success: How to Get Sponsors to Line Up and Buy
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.
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Creating the Best Content for Your Scoreboard Advertising
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.
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Methods and strategies to market scoreboard advertising to your local businesses
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.
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Video and Audio Scoreboard Advertising: The Tools, the Content, the Wow Factor
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 640×480 resolution is preferred, do not go any lower than 400×300 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.
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Choosing the Best Kind of Scoreboard Advertising that Works for You
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.
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Wireless Handheld
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 unit shown above is designed to be used by the official in charge of the Play Clocks at a football game. The ref can keep his eye on the game and his thumb on the buttons. Using this little battery operated device, he can reset the Play Clock time to two different values, start the countdown, stop the countdown, and blank the displays.
Variations on this unit will allow you to control the main Game Clock, or basketball Shot Timers, or Practice Segment Timers, and more. Several customers are helping us test prototype units this year, with a release of the finished products scheduled for 2014.
The Return of the Bears
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 14×112 pixel Electronic Team Names.
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Electro-Mech Brings You Easy Team Countdown Widgets for Your Website
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.
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Electro-Mech Offers an Easy Way to Add Your Favorite Team Widget 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?
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Electro-Mech Offers Free and Easy Countdown and Scoreboard Widgets for Your Website
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.
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Electro-Mech offers: Easy Soccer Team Countdown Widget for Your Website
Looking for the best soccer countdown widget for your favorite team? Electro-Mech brings you an easy to use and incredible way to make sure everyone gets the latest countdown info, and it can be easily placed and found on your website. No need to spend hours trying to design your own or download an intricate software that gives you what they say is an easy way to create a widget. In less than five minutes, you can create your own soccer countdown widget design for your favorite team and look like a pro (without all of the time and effort).
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.
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Electro-Mech offers: Easy Hockey Team Countdown Widget for Your Website
Looking for the best hockey countdown widget for your favorite team? Electro-Mech brings you an easy to use and incredible way to make sure everyone gets the latest countdown info, and it can be easily placed and found on your website. No need to spend hours trying to design your own or download an intricate software that gives you what they say is an easy way to create a widget. In less than five minutes, you can create your own hockey countdown widget design for your favorite team and look like a pro (without all of the time and effort).
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.
Continue reading “Electro-Mech offers: Easy Hockey Team Countdown Widget for Your Website”
Electro-Mech Offers: Easy Basketball Team Countdown Widget for Your Website
Looking for the best basketball countdown widget for your favorite team? Electro-Mech brings you an easy to use and incredible way to make sure everyone gets the latest countdown info, and it can be easily placed and found on your website. No need to spend hours trying to design your own or download an intricate software that gives you what they say is an easy way to create a widget. In less than five minutes, you can create your own basketball countdown widget design for your favorite team and look like a pro (without all of the time and effort).
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 basketball countdown widget allows you the ability to decide which type of view you want, add your favorite basketball team and get a code to add to your website.
Continue reading “Electro-Mech Offers: Easy Basketball Team Countdown Widget for Your Website”
Electro-Mech Offers: Easy Baseball Team Countdown Widget for Your Website
Looking for the best baseball countdown widget for your favorite team? Electro-Mech brings you an easy to use and incredible way to make sure everyone gets the latest countdown info, and it can be easily placed and found on your website. No need to spend hours trying to design your own or download an intricate software that gives you what they say is an easy way to create a widget. In less than five minutes, you can create your own baseball countdown widget design for your favorite team and look like a pro (without all of the time and effort).
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 baseball countdown widget allows you the ability to decide which type of view you want, add your favorite baseball team and get a code to add to your website.
Continue reading “Electro-Mech Offers: Easy Baseball Team Countdown Widget for Your Website”
Why You Should Use the Electro-Mech Scoreboard Widget and not a Proprietary Gadget
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.
Continue reading “Why You Should Use the Electro-Mech Scoreboard Widget and not a Proprietary Gadget”