Out of home advertising is one of the oldest forms of promotion. From the Romans to Victorians, signs have always adorned our high streets and city areas. With the advent of printing during the eighteenth century, out of home advertising exploded and by the twentieth century signs, posters and billboards littered nearly every space, blank wall and outdoor location that received high footfall.
Now were into the twenty-first century, out of home advertising is, for the first time since the development, beginning to change.
Increasingly, digital signage is replacing the static posters, billboards and adverts, around our high streets, shopping centres and other locations with a high footfall, but is this new, modern medium any better at attracting people’s attention and getting the message across?
With any out of home advert, content is king; whether the sign is static or a modern outdoor digital signage display, the content needs to engage people. However, there are some distinct advantages to going digital.
Dayparting
Splitting the days into segments and scheduling different content for different times is one distinct advantage static media can’t match. By providing content at different times, advertisers can target specific audiences—food retailers can provide content at lunchtimes, while bars can advertise during the evening.
Remote Uploading
Another advantage of outdoor digital signage compared to static media is the ability to upload content remotely. With static media, technicians need to travel around replacing old content with new. This is both costly and time-consuming, but with digital signage, uploading new content to a network of screens can be both instant and remote.
Multiple Adverts
Another distinct advantage to digital signage is the ability to provide content from multiple providers on the same advertising space. This can maximize the space for the screen owner as well as generating more profits by using the same screen to provide content from several advertisers.
