The newest, and possibly the Best new advertising and Marketing tool since the world wide web, is the new medium of electronic signage. Also called electronic signage, this lively media, with its Flash technology, enormous and not-so-massive display screens, its sharply focused LCD advertising player displays, its movement, sound, and colour is clearly the future in mass advertising. Narrowcasting networks, LCD-dominated advertising kiosks, digital billboards, all offer a solution to your point-of-purchase marketing requirements, among a number of other benefits. With this emerging new advertising medium, of course, come emerging Difficulties, such as cost issues, return-on-investment ROI questions, the adaptability of the technology to several procedures of programming, an as-yet-unproven record of success within the advertising and marketing business, and a plain lack of understanding of this technologies and systems involved.
This lack of understanding encompasses not just the hardware and software, but programming and installation parameters, also. Sadly, this lack of understanding has been frequently expressed by venders of digital signage technology, in addition to users. A lack of interoperability, and what is called complex value chain, also complicates, occasionally even compromises, the effectiveness of the innovative technology. Certainly, what is digital signage, though beyond its initial teething stage, is Still in the middle of its inevitable growing pains. Thinking about the intricate technological and broadcasting standards involved with in-store, narrowcasting networks which are intended to offer out-of-home programming, such issues aren’t surprising. Luckily, neither are they unsolvable.
Studies, by Arbitron, among others, show that digital signage is an Effective instrument in prompting customer recognition, retention, and recall of the information that they see when introduced as dynamically, and as vividly as it is via electronic signage. Additionally, smaller scale investment of, by way of instance, one LCD display in a specific location would cost just some 4-6,000 bucks. The ROI for this kind of installation would be returned almost immediately. The development of more open and compatible standards for electronic Signage has been actively pursued by industry groups such as the Point-Of-Purchase Advertising International, and the Outdoor Advertising Association of America. Each one of those organizations are working feverishly to unwind and facilitate technical standards to be able to facilitate interoperability of their technology and equipment of various distinct venders.