Dynamic digital signage is a phrase often used as a synonym for digital signage, electronic billboards and narrowcasting. It is an appropriate term as well, when you consider how dynamic digital signage really is.

In North America, growth in digital out-of-home advertising has been in the high double digits over the past few years. Businesses in Western Europe have also jumped on the bandwagon. A recent report by Research and Markets showed trends similar to those in North America – revenues from dynamic digital signage are expected to quadruple over the next 5 years, making it the only advertising sector that can expect any real revenue growth in that period.

Digital signage is effective, it’s increasingly affordable and it has an undeniable “cool” factor, largely due to continued innovation by digital signage providers. Retailers have clearly decided that dynamic digital signage is the way of the future. A glimpse at some new trends and technologies will show us what that future might look like, while demonstrating the pioneering spirit of the digital signage industry.

What’s on the Horizon

Expansion is, of course, one of the buzzwords of the future for the dynamic digital signage industry. And it isn’t just in in-store marketing. Consider two unique examples:

• The city of Venice will suspend 5 huge (2,250 ft2) signs in 900-year-old St. Mark’s Square. The signs will serve a very distinct purpose – help generate revenue to offset the costs of restoring the Square. They are not intended to be in place permanently, but will hang from scaffolding during the 6-year restoration project.

• Ernst & Young is using dynamic digital signage in its UK offices to communicate with its employees. Finding that email was inefficient – messages could be passed over too easily in crowded in-boxes – the company decided to try digital signage. They tested it and found that employees were more engaged by video messaging. Their messaging combines text, video and Flash and is used in everything from company news to training videos.

Merchandising has gone digital in a big way. Not only can digital signage be used to convey interesting messages in a unique way, it has unsurpassed abilities to target messages to specific shoppers. Consider:

• One of the latest products in audience measurement is called iCapture. It uses a high-resolution camera to capture faces. Its software processes them and can segment them by demographics. Age is one of the demographics they have recently mastered, which will allow dynamic digital signage content to be targeted to seniors (as opposed to previous efforts which could only distinguish between adults and children). This software joins projects like Nielsen Media’s P.R.I.S.M. and Arbitron’s Portable People Meter to help retailers gather valuable (and anonymous) demographic data about their shoppers.

You might want to file this next innovation under “just because you can, doesn’t mean you should”. We all know digital signage affects the visual and auditory senses, but what about the olfactory senses?

• A Japanese company has developed an aroma-emitting device that can be attached to digital signs to emit “mood-heightening” aromas. Using a proprietary “fragrance communication” online service, the signs are programmed to emit certain scents that may draw attention to the signs. In testing, a cosmetics company used the technology to emit the fragrance of roses and reported that awareness of the fragrant signs was double that of standard digital signs.

There has been some debate about the need and efficacy of fragrance emitting signs, but that they were developed at all shows that the name “dynamic digital signage” is certainly justified.

Venco Electronica, an electronics solution provider with more than 25 years in the Spanish industrial electronic market, has announced the integration of TruMedia’s iCapture audience measurement solution into its digital signage screens.

Venco’s DS for Digital Screens division produces turnkey DS solutions, including HD resolution screens, platform, audience measurement, and communications. Venco screens are the first to include a fully integrated audience measurement solution with built in iCapture Camera and SmartBox. Embedded screens are available as 46- and 52-inch hi-definition LCD screens as well as 46-, 52- and 65-inch totems.

“We believe that the success of digital signage hinges on the ability to accurately measure ROI and effectively target advertising to the viewing audience,” said Joan Clotet, managing director, Venco. “Venco prides itself in offering cutting edge DS technology and integrating TruMedia’s iCapture audience measurement solution into our screens was a natural progression.”

“We are pleased to see our solution integrated into Venco’s screens and believe that we will continue to see our solution become an integral part of Digital Signage solutions.” Said Jerry Henzen, TruMedia’s vice president of international sales & marketing.

Like all TruMedia products, iCapture is fully respectful of the audience’s privacy: no images are ever recorded, and no uniquely identifiable data is extracted.

Venco will be demonstrating the company’s new integrated screens at shows all over Europe this coming September including – Spanish Malls Association Congress and Exhibition (17 September), TOTAL MEDIA - first Digital Signage Fair (25-26 Sept), VISCOM SIGN POP and POS (16-18 Oct), MATELEC Electronics and Integrated components (28 Oct-1 Nov)

TAMPA, Fla. – Venco Electronica, a Spanish electronics provider, has integrated TruMedia’s iCapture audience measurement solution into its digital signage screens.

Venco’s DS for Digital Screens division produces turnkey digital signage solutions for audience measurement and communication. Venco screens are the first to include a fully integrated audience measurement solution with built-in iCapture Camera and SmartBox. Embedded screens are available as 46-inch and 52-inch hi-definition LCD screens as well as 46-inch, 52-inch and 65-inch totems.

“We believe that the success of digital signage hinges on the ability to accurately measure ROI and effectively target advertising to the viewing audience,” said Joan Clotet, managing director, Venco.