Digital Signage, Visual Merchandising, Electronic Billboards…? Dictionary Please!

Yep, you've heard it a million times before... the digital age is well and truly upon us! You need only take a look around to see the world is converting to digital in every way - cameras, tvs, books music - so it is no surprise that signage has jumped on board and taken a step into the digital world.

Appearing everywhere before our very eyes, digital signage can be found in a variety of different places; the supermarket, post office, public transport, nightclubs and pubs. With the convergence of digital signage in a number of diverse industries and technologies, the digital signage industry is starting to become closely aligned with other, much larger industries such as point of purchase (POP) displays, or even advertising. While this integration into other industries is vital for the growth and evolution of things like interactive kiosks and digital signs, there is a definite problem moving forward... what do we refer to ourselves as?

Digital signage is referred to by a number of different names - captive audience networks, electronic display networks, digital dynamic signage, narrow casting, data casting, digital in-store merchandising, employee TV, out-of-home media networks, retail TV, digital media networks, electronic billboards... and this list probably grows week by week. There is a huge amount of overlap between these terms, but the slightly different connotations given to them by the different companies in the market makes it hard to figure out what to look for when doing a web search or talking to a consultant.

In a proactive stance, an American retail marketing organisation named POPAI has been created to promote the adoption of dynamic digital signage, technologies and applications. This new group is organised as part of the POPAI structure and focuses on issues specific to dynamic digital signage and in-store networks.

Whatever you refer to it by, there is no denying the benefits that the vast array of products and services under the umbrella of digital signage can provide businesses and venues alike.

About the Author:
David Steel
To get music, content and digital services pumping into your digital signage and reap the many rewards of this communication god-send, you need to talk to Rippamedia. It’s your one-stop-shop for everything digital! So visit http://www.rippamedia.com.au and see how they can make digital easy for you.
Article Submitted On: November 16, 2006
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/