subject: A Digital Signage Primer [print this page] A Digital Signage Primer A Digital Signage Primer
This article will attempt to explain the necessary components that make up a typical digital signage system, but first, a little history. Thanks to its accessibility and acceptance, digital signage has grown significantly in the retail industry as a far-reaching form of marketing and advertising. The accessibility comes from one place: TV. By extending the reach of televised media to the sales floors of stores, digital signage provides targeted, visual content to consumers surrounded by the merchandise. It's a powerful concept with one purpose in mind: To produce sales. Conditioned to this digital technology in similar ways as they are with television, people have accepted and almost expect some sort of digital signage wherever they go.
Technological advancement is a major factor. Historically, retailers purchased printed, static media for their advertising (and still do to an extremely large extent). However, digital signage can provide an audio/visual presentation that attracts the eye with moving content. It's a simple concept, but often the simplest of ideas prove to be the most powerful. When the new LED billboards started appearing on the nation's highways, the State Highway Advertising Act needed to be updated with new brightness specifications. The digital billboards were too bright and appealing to the eyes of drivers and concern was voiced over the attention averting qualities of these new-fangled billboards. Attention averting? Just the thing retailers want to know about. Now armed with a powerful tool to wield inside their stores, retailers never looked back. Furthermore, digital media can be revised or updated as fast as you can switch a TV channel at no extra cost. In comparison with the more highly priced process of printing new graphics for each new promotion, the savings in labor, time, and money can be considerable.
Three Parts Equal a Whole
The hardware needed for a digital signage setup involves three components: The TV screen, the TV mount, and the digital media player. If the screens are to be left on constantly without interruption, then commercial-rated monitors are a necessity. Rated to run 24/7, these flat screens offer special cooling technologies and more sturdy housings to shelter them from airborne pollutants. Warranties provide 3 Years Parts & Labor, typical. High Definition, 1080p resolution TVs, however, are not a requirement since legitimate 1080p media only comes in the form of HD movies (for example Blu-Ray). Since most firms would not be exhibiting movies, flat screen TVs with 720p resolutions are acceptable since cable stations broadcast HD media (shows and sports) at 720p.
With digital signage becoming more popular, TV mount manufacturers have stepped up to the challenge with a dizzying array of wall mount brackets, articulating arms, and ceiling-hung mounts. Unlike residential TVs, most commercial flat screens are mounted up high with tilt attachments pointing the screens down to the viewers as in the case of bars and restaurants. Another technique of display is the floor stand. Whether planted next to this year's new car in the showroom or on the trade show floor at any convention, floor stands supply fast solutions for temporary setups. The nature of floor stands also permits them to be height adjustable for applications in window displays or alongside merchandise aisles. Locking casters supply easy transportability.
The media player is the machine behind the system. Broken down into three types, they offer simple plug & play versions, pre-formatted media, and multi-frame advertising networked with Live TV. As the best tool for both informing and entertaining, digital signage can be something as uncomplicated as a slideshow. Insert a USB flash drive with your image or video media into a plug & play box and it sends the signal to the flat screen. More advanced media players connect to the internet, offering access to live sign channels supplying pre-formatted media such as weather, sports, stock tickers, and entertainment news that updates on an hourly basis. The supplemental bonus of an internet connection permits the digital signage to be controlled anyplace from any computer. Media players streaming Live TV can also display custom advertising targeting your clientele. As an example, a restaurant bar can display the football game for its clients while food and drink specials run along the side of the game. This media can be rotated to showcase more offerings over the course of the game, boosting profits on a wide scale.
The use of digital signage can inspire impulse purchases. The thing to remember is you're not just offering what the client expects, you want to exceed their expectations. Simply displaying a TV in your establishment may or may not increase the probability of more sales, but offering engaging content informing customers about new menu offerings or sales campaigns can inspire customer sales, and that's what we're looking for.
