“Digital Signage” is being used more and more in retail, hospitality, restaurants and other venues. So what exactly is digital signage? Digital Signage typically involves one or more networked computers, custom software and large Plasma or LCD displays. The displays show marketing, advertising, entertainment, real-time news and other information as desired by the display owner.

Content is displayed based on location and time of day, and can be remotely scheduled and updated 24/7 from any Internet computer. Digital Signage can also be interactive (think kiosk on steroids), allowing customers to directly control the content displayed.

The power of POP digital signage. In today’s world of Tivo and DVRs, Internet Radio, Ipods and other new technologies, it is becoming more difficult for advertisers to get their messages to their target markets. A strong advantage of digital signage is that it delivers targeted messages directly to customers who are about to buy at the Point of Purchase (POP), vs. other mediums which deliver during non-shopping times (TV, print, radio, etc).

Seventy percent of consumers make purchase decisions after they arrive at a retail location, and 75% say POP influences their decision to purchase. Furthermore, consumers are five to ten times more likely to notice and two to five times more likely to recall dynamic media vs. static posters and other displays* (Source: “Retail Technology in the Next Century” KPMG).

Many businesses start their voyage into the digital signage arena by installing a plasma or LCD screen at one or more locations, and then running a looped DVD or PowerPoint show. While this is a great start, it misses some of the prime advantages digital signage offers, namely the ability to target content based on time of day, customer location, or even specific customer demographics based on loyalty cards or other means to identify each customer and their buying habits. Secondly, digital signage guarantees your displays are showing current information, not last week’s or last month’s DVD. Finally, your staff won’t have to remember to hit the “play button” every 15 minutes, which is a challenge that many retailers and restaurants experience when setting up their own displays. In fact, most digital signage software will even turn the displays on in the morning and off at night, taking staff requirements completely out of the equation.

Digital Signage is experiencing mass adoption nationwide and now in Hawaii, as hardware prices continue to fall, the software become more robust, and more business owners realize the value and opportunities it offers.