The out-of-home ad industry is definitely undergoing a transformation in the digital age. As technology starts permeating every aspect of online advertising, it is becoming an increasingly ecosystem to compete in.
In the most developed markets around the world, programmatic advertising is now becoming common place in digital out-of-home solutions.
Marketing Magazine recently sat down with the team at Interlight Technologies to discuss their manufacturing aspirations with Interlight Technology.
Its a fascinating deep dive into what makes them tick in the Malaysian marketplace.
Q:How is the 2019 outlook for Interlight right now?
A: I think this should be more about the outlook for Interlight. 2019 has been an interesting year for Interlight Technologies.
There have been some big wins in this year with new businesses from direct clients and media owners erecting new sites.
We have established our own factory facility to support the Malaysian market with LED screen supply & support.
The rest of the year promises to keep us busy with many more media owners converting static OOH to Digital OOH and direct clients approaching us for LED screen solutions.
In a nutshell, we are positive that we are going to enjoy a great year, doing what we love.
In today’s DOOH landscape, what are some of the key strengths that clients are looking for in companies like yours?
Integration is the key here. Clients today want a one stop shop, where all their needs are taken care of.
At Interlight Technologies, we are able to bring these integrated solutions to market due to the diverse experience of the team.
Our strengths range from fabrication to LED screen hardware and even software development & integration.
In essence, we have packed the company with all the services required by a client or Media Owner.
Interlight Tehcnologies bring a vast amount of experience to the table, having executed multiple projects with success.
Also key to the LED business is the support that the company provides. Interlight’s integrated service team provides that ease of mind to prospective customers.
Q: Can you talk about some big wins for 2019? in terms of new business?
A: Some of the big wins for 2019 include the HSBC Indoor LED Screen & Cycle & Carriage whole showroom conversion to LED screens (Mutiara Damansara, Johor Bahru & Ipoh branches) Ramcel (NZ Curry House Jalan Ampang/KLCC), Visual Retale (Pinnacle, Sheraton PJ) largest single-faced LED screen in KL & WIsma Rockwills, Old Klang Road), and Prisma (Kota Damansara).
Aside from these, Interlight has also received an award by Asia Pacific Golden Brands Products, in recognition of the quality of the products supplied. This is a proud moment for us, in recognition of our dedication to quality work.
Q: Please tell us more about Interlight Technologies and how their solutions trailblaze the marketplace?
A: Interlight is a leading LED supplier and installer in Malaysia. In partnership with China manufacturers, the company provides cost effective, quality products, bringing the latest technologies to clients here.
In view of the expanding LED business here, Interlight has brought in LED stock to the tune of 10,000 m2, to ensure local clients have ready stock at their disposal.
This in turn, ensures quick turnarounds for clients, as opposed to when buying the screens directly from China.
Usually, the process involves paying the manufacturers up front before the screen is shipped out.
Furthermore, where other vendors import the built up screens into Malaysia and proceed to install, we bring in the components and assemble everything locally.
Details as minute as soldering are done in-house, at our facility in the Klang Valley.
Factoring in production time & transportation, the process usually takes a few months and thus may also delay, when it comes to Malaysian authorities clearing the product.
To avoid these situations, by having the stock locally, you tend to reduce the delays in project execution and of course, local support for installation & service.
Q: How is the LED screen manufacturing landscape? Is it difficult to maintain a presence in Malaysia as the technology must be evolving quite rapidly…how do you stay ahead of the curve?
A: LED manufacturing is indeed a challenging landscape with many manufacturers and many products.
The technology does evolve rather quickly and having a finger on the pulse of the latest technologies means having to be present at the source of the products.
The Interlight team works closely with the principals and other manufacturers in China, to ensure that clients are provided with the best solutions, at the best prices.
Our screens are of the highest quality and our LED bulbs in use on the screens are produced based on ISO manufacturing standards. This ensures the quality of the LED bulbs on our screens, which speaks to the longevity of the screen and reduced maintenance.
Some clients require very high spec’d screens and there are some who require lower specs.
We pride ourselves on being able to provide solutions to fit all client’s budgets and requirements.
In summary, to stay ahead of the competition, we work closely with China to bring the latest technologies, at the most competitive prices to the market, whilst maintaining the highest quality possible & providing the relevant technical support.
Can you give us an overview of the technology, product lines, and how it matters in today’s advertising marketplace?
An LED screen is akin to a TV you have at home, but the usage of the screen defines the type of screen used.
For Outdoor screens, we use the latest SMD technologies, which allows us to go very fine pitch, which creates extremely sharp images, whilst saving at least 30-40% on your power bills.
For Indoor LEDs, similarly, we have all ranges of screens, from small formats like LED standees, to large format, auditorium/amphitheater style screens. Additionally, we have screens available for rental, to be used during events like concerts or corporate events.
Q: Will you think local media owners are going to be receptive to your technologies? How about cost and implementation strategies?
A: At the end of the day, the most important factors for local Media Owners is cost, implementation time frame & support.
We have the trifecta as the services are integrated. Cost and implementation strategies are always open for discussion and we are flexible to negotiate and come up with solutions in both aspects.
Q: Please elaborate on the one-stop solution (full suite LED screen supplier, fabricator and cloud based CMS service provider). A bit of a deep dive into the tech may be helpful for clients who want to understand the advantage of your solutions.
A: Interlight Technologies provides a full suite of services, all integrated under one roof.
We supply all forms of LED screens, at all sizes and all common pixel pitches. For Media Owners/Clients who want to build a site from scratch, we have in-house fabrication, which can build standard or custom structures to meet the client’s need.
In most cases, others would sub-contract with a fabricator to build the structure, however, we have an in-house facility for fabrication. This ensures our cost control and quality.
The next important service provided is Electrical Cabling & TNB site works, which are an integral part of the LED screen operation.
Lastly, we also provide a Cloud – Based CMS to run and manage the screen content.
We are moving away from the native manufacturer-based CMS, which only allow limited functionality.
In today’s day and age, clients require Media Owners to provide data in terms of playtime logs and other relevant information, which native CMS’es do not provide.
Our CMS provides all that data, allows for scheduled & dynamic content changes and is also open to integration with sensors and third – party applications.
These aspects are integral today, as we are looking at crossing DOOH over into the Digital advertising space.
By providing these solutions all under one roof, we ensure that Media Owners/Clients are equipped with latest in technology to match the requirements of Advertisers.
This article first appeared in the print version of Issue 239.
You may download the PDF version of MARKETING’s ISSUE 239 by clicking here.
To advertise, call Jarrod on +6018-220 0682 or email [email protected]
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