“Also, our PCAP touch screen giant tablet is frequently used in digital wayfinding applications in busy public areas such as train stations, airports, and shopping centres, with our floor standing digital touch screen poster being installed in shopping malls and showrooms across the country.” Out-of-home company Clear Channel UK has witnessed the creative uses of both digital screens and posters through a variety of installations like giant billboards, bus stops, and shopping centres. Jonathan Acton, head of Creative Delivery at the company, says: “It’s all part of the user journey, and digital’s sweet spot is providing advertisers with the flexibility to hit audiences with messages that are more contextually relevant. A print poster will do an excellent brand job, but digital and interactive can make it more relevant to an audience’s mindset. “Our research in collaboration with JCDecaux and Posterscope has also shown that the use of contextually relevant messaging in digital-out-of-home increases its effectiveness by an average of +17% so the role of digital screens within the media mix is invaluable.” Speaking about the innovations from physical to digital, Van der Woude adds: “The subject of evolving from paper to digital is something our teams at PPDS have had in scope for some time, working to create solutions that bring customers sustainable savings and the opportunity to rely on their signage investments for more. “That’s why we have recently introduced the Philips Tableaux, the first, advanced (full) colour ePaper digital signage series introduced by a leading manufacturer. Incredibly, it doesn’t require or use any power to display static content. What’s more, networked, content can be managed and updated remotely and without needing to be plugged in, removing all limitations.” The capabilities of digital cannot be underestimated, but as highlighted by Acton and his mention of the “media mix”, physical prints and signage are just as important. “There will always be a desire for different textures, materials, and colours to create stunning environments that reflect a brand and organisation’s ethos,” comments Gray, who adds: “Essentially, people need things they can touch and feel, and digital can’t replace this. Both digital and hard signage can, and should, sit alongside each other in a cohesive way and complement one another.” Research and development When looking at adopting different technology, it is important to learn from the technology, to understand it, and make sure the product you are suggesting or investing in, fits the bill. PPDS, a part of TPV, a global manufacturer of digital displays, holds the exclusive rights to bring Philips digital signage, interactive displays, dvLED, and professional TVs to partners and customers around the world. The company has seen the expansion of digital displays over the past few years, especially following the effects of the pandemic in which digital solutions were needed more than ever. Van der Woude says: “The role of digital displays continues to grow exponentially, rapidly advancing from a ‘would like to have’, to a ‘must have’ solution. Displays of all types, sizes, and shapes are now regularly found in almost every vertical market. Such is the growth, it’s now almost impossible not to have some form of interaction with a digital display outside of the home, be that through physical touch, or simply viewing marketing communications.” When it comes to research and understanding the technology, Van der Woude comments: “At PPDS there is no such thing as a one size fits all solution. What works for one business may not for another, so it is important to tailor solutions to meet exact needs and requirements. “This needs the right levels of research, which includes usage, lighting conditions in the room, hours of use, and more, allowing us to support energy consumption reductions that could result in significant cost savings and a greater ROI.” ◄ Martijn Van der Woude, vice president of global business development and marketing at PPDS Augmented reality (AR) enhances the real surrounding environment by adding layers of virtual objects and tasks. Virtual reality (VR) is a completely virtual and computergenerated environment e.g. The Metaverse Factoid 61 Issue 245 - April / May 2023 email: news@signlink.co.uk TASTE FOR SUCCESS / DIGITAL AND INTERACTIVE SIGNAGE Predicted growth of digital video advertising by 2026 12.4%
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