Advertising is as old as commerce itself. Being able to promote brands, push new products or raise awareness of promotions, is a highly important aspect to any retail or service industry. And even none commercial sectors require to raise awareness for specific programmes at certain times (such as government information messages).
New methods of advertising arise all the time, especially in the digital age with so many new technologies – such as mobile phones and the internet – being continually developed.
Nearly any medium can be used for advertising so it is no surprise with the advent of flat screen technology used outside the home for purposes of signage; advertising became the earliest adopters.
Digital signage has many advantages over other forms of advertising, including:
- The ability to reach large audiences without the excessive costs of TV, radio or newspaper advertising.
- Is far more eye-catching and noticeable than traditional printed media
- Flexible – messages can be uploaded centrally and even scheduled to appear at specific times – such as rush hour or lunch time.
- Advertisers can use the same screen for multiple messages and adverts with a single screen able to display endless number of adverts.
Digital screens used for advertising are now everywhere; even outdoor digital signage is spreading along our high streets and roadsides; seemingly there is no place where digital screens can go.
This is partly due to the all-weather technologies that are emerging to protect these devices in outdoor and hostile locations. Waterproof TV sets are readily available (at a price) as are waterproof LCD enclosures which can ensure even standard LCD screens are kept dry and at optimum temperatures in outdoor locations.
