Digital Dynamic Signage

Now that we have a feel for the technology, what do we need to know to consider using them in our retail space? The first consideration has to be the content and the overall objective of the display. Is it to enhance a brand's image? Is it to allow for up-to-the-minute merchandising of special sales and promotions? Is it to enhance the experience of the shopper, make their wait time more

With a good source, these displays are capable of spectacular image quality, which communicates the quality and image of the product or brand being displayed.

enjoyable perhaps? Maybe you want to offer the display to your suppliers as a vehicle for them to promote products within your store? The plasma display when connected to a source can allow for all these applications, and many more. But the application you choose affects the source you need.

Sophisticated digital signage servers are available which allow you to connect from 1 to 16 plasma monitors to a single source and have them synchronized to show unique images on each display. Furthermore, these images can be static images; images with dynamic fades, wipes or animations; full motion digital video "commercials" with CD-quality sound; or a combination of all the above. The servers can be scheduled to show shoe specials in the mornings, business attire during the lunch hour and teen fashions at 4pm. Best of all, new scripts and images can be created locally or at headquarters and downloaded to the servers in all locations in the middle of the night.

The content itself is usually already available from a number of sources. The same images currently used for Sunday Supplements and In-store flyers can be "re-purposed" for display on your digital dynamic signs. The same folks who do your website will usually be happy for the additional business of creating you sign content, and they already have the hardware and software (and images) they need to do it. If not, you can be sure there's a number of multimedia companies in town prepared to compete for this business. So how do you afford this exciting new technology for your store? Done right, it should cost you a dime…

The Business Model

Digital Dynamic Signage needs to be seen not as another way to spend marketing and merchandising dollars, but as a way to EARN more marketing and merchandising dollars. Why not make access to your digital dynamic signs something your suppliers compete for and pay for? With high-quality, compelling content and creative use of promotions you can tie access to the display to specific vendor programs and specials. These promotions coupled with stimulating images on digital displays can be tested against stores running the same promotions with simple static signs. While the results of formal, third-party studies have not yet been made available to the public, the rapid increase in the adoption of this technology suggests early results have been positive.

Once you have tested and confirmed these results in your store, with your vendors and their products helping to foot the bill, you can prepare a realistic roll-out schedule for other departments or stores. With the right retail environment, or in public spaces such as shopping malls and movie theater lobbies, it is very possible to generate significant advertising revenues by selling time on the displays to suppliers and tenants. The great thing about the technology is that they can easily be moved and mounted in other locations, reprogrammed with other content and used for a completely different purpose. In fact, one of our customers sells the ability to program the display to deliver training to store associates before the store opens to further cost-justify the display.

The Retail Experience

These days, it is clear that to compete for the attention of shoppers against on-line merchants and warehouse super stores, creating a unique shopping experience is critical. While plasma displays and digital dynamic signage are not the whole answer to the continued vitality of the retail specialty store, it is clear that they can be a potent and cost-effective tool in shaping a compelling and exciting shopping environment.

Why Implement Plasma-based Digital Dynamic Signage Network?

Impact - Plasma displays have more stopping power. The display will be seen and noticed! Image - With a good source, these displays are capable of spectacular image quality, which communicates the quality and image of the product or brand being displayed. Flexible - The content can be continuously changed and updated, locally or from a central remote location. They can display video or graphics. They can easily be moved and used for numerous purposes. Results - These displays get noticed and stimulate a response from the viewer. They are compelling, sexy and dynamic. Effectively integrated and implemented they can drive additional sales and generate incremental advertising revenue.

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