Flash9… what a feeling!
The quality of content for digital signage displays varies broadly–from low-level, static images to blockbuster-worthy graphic effects. But what medium can be used for animation, video, and interactive design? The answer lies within 10 years of creative vision and envelope-pushing from Macromedia and Adobe, manifesting itself in a program called Flash. While it may be responsible for those annoying pop-ups and confusing websites, Flash is irreplacable in the digital signage industry because its versatility allows it to solve a myriad of problems. I’ve been the Creative Director for Captive Indoor Media for a few years now, and I know first-hand how Flash has helped us create great screen content. It has the ability to bring in dynamic information on the fly, such as retrieving live weather and news or auto-populating the correct, current numbers for a bank’s digital rateboard. Using the powerful and mature ActionScript language, you can build attractive presentations and interactive applications. Flash can be used to show video in all or part of the screen and you even have the ability to move or alter the video feed dynamically. It can even be used for touch-screen interfaces. I used Flash to build our corporate demo CD that we send to clients. The possibilities for digital signage are virtually endless, and as more retail video software providers abandon their built-in content creation tools in favor of the robust Flash9 (coming soon!), the importance of in-house Flash developers and designers will become appartent. We currently have several designers and programmers who know Flash inside and out and are already creating media using the latest language, ActionScript3, an engine that dramatically improves the performance of Flash content, especially pertaining to embedded video. With the digital signage industry growing by leaps and bounds, it’s crucial to find a provider that understands and embraces the expanding Flash medium, and can successfully use it to create impressive, dynamic screen content.
-Brandon Bass
(excerpt from) Picture This: Flashy Digital Signage
Jeff Sauer, Digital Content Producer
Oct 4, 2006 3:49 PM
THE FUTURE OF FLASH
This year marks Flash’s 10th anniversary, and its new owner, Adobe, is marking the occasion with a section of its website (adobe.com/products/flash/special/flashanniversary). The site reflects on Flash’s history and growth, offers tricks and tips from Flash developers, and has the winning Flash-enabled websites that visitors voted on from a number of influential Flash-driven websites from each of the last 10 years. There are some amazing websites, especially when viewed in the context of traditional HTML or even Java-scripted websites.
It probably won’t take too much looking at those sites to realize that Flash is extremely capable and presents information in a rich way. Indeed, it is far more mature and proficient at developing eye-catching content than any of the digital signage creation tools currently on the market. Of course, Flash doesn’t inherently have the scheduling component that digital signage products have, and while it does have serious network management tools, they are not specifically designed for signage infrastructures.
Still, there is an army of Flash developers and creators out there on an order of magnitude far in excess of any digital signage tool, and many are already working in the creative and web departments of companies that might be interested in using digital signage. Therefore, it’s inevitable that more Flash content will start to emerge as signage and information presentation reach the next level.
Nobody’s arguing these days that digital signage won’t be big, but thus far, it has been a slow road. That’s mainly because of the human costs, rather than the hardware costs. StrandVision smartly helps smaller potential users move past those inherent roadblocks. Leveraging existing Flash content and expertise could very well be the catalyst for getting larger companies to move, too.
None of that means that AV contractors need to become Flash developers; however, it’s becoming increasingly clear that contractors who enjoy success with digital signage will be the ones who understand the underlying technology and the possible solutions first — and that will probably include an understanding of the content itself and where it comes from.
Designing in the moment
The ability to instantly repurpose and redesign the screen content for your digital signage system is both a blessing and a curse. On one hand, you’ve got the power to completely change your digital content instantly and provide a fresh advertising message to your customers. Unfortunately, this also means you also need to make new content as often as your sign changes (which is often in a good digital signage campaign). After all, one of the most common mistakes in implementing digital signage is allowing the content to get stale. The “wow-factor” we hear so much about is lost when your recurring customers are confronted with the same content they’ve seen before. Sure, the screen itself is cool, but the content is fundamentally what makes the real impact. Here’s an excerpt from an article I found that speaks to this problem:
EXCERPT – Picture This: The Content of Digital Signage
Apr 1, 2006 12:00 PM
By Jeff Sauer, Sound & Video Contractor
“…But what exactly is digital signage content and where does it come from? On one level, especially in our industry, designing digital signage content really means assembling existing content, including still images, video clips, text, and audio. The obligatory layout and scheduling software that accompanies each of the digital signage products, however, rarely includes much ability to build anything other than textual elements… It’s more common for the elements of digital signage content to be created by design professionals using applications like Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator, nonlinear video editing systems, or a professional animation tool. Often, those content elements are repurposed from television, print, or other existing promotional materials. However, as digital signage matures, it will likely become increasingly important for content to be generated specifically for digital signage. Awkwardly, the traditional model for creating that type of content typically means involving an ad agency, which in turn hires a production staff. But that’s an expensive and drawn-out process that does not suit the constantly changing nature of effective digital signage. As such, it’s a dynamic that probably needs to change in order for digital signage to proliferate.”
I totally agree with this guy. Digital Signage demands quick turnaround and instant implementation in order to maximize potential (and ROI). Like Sauer writes, most software for managing digital signage doesn’t offer much ability to build content yourself. So how do you maintain your signage system with constantly updated content without hiring an ad agency and design team working around the clock? A Louisville-based company called Captive Indoor Media provides full-service digital signage solutions, and also quick-turnaround content design and creation. Additionally, they start each customer off with hundreds of pre-made ads that can be used as they are, or customized, altered, tweaked, and repurposed in any way imaginable. Using a cheap ($99) and easy tool, marketing directors or entry-level employees can edit files directly and push them out to be displayed on screens in no time. It doesn’t have to be an extremely time-consuming process–you can rely on CIM to get your content done and on your screen in time for any promotion, or get it done yourself with minimal effort. Check them out: Digital Signage from Captive Indoor Media.
-BBASS
Targeted Marketing through Detailed Reporting
Here’s a super-short article from MEDIA Magazine that has far-reaching implications about just how important digital signage will become in the following years. Digital Signage networks are already targeted at specific audiences, and can update their messages based on time of day, location, weather, etc. But with the onset of RFID readers and personalized self-service kiosks, digital signage installations are taking on a whole new level of customized consumer interaction. This article points out the data reporting that is a crucial component of your digital signage software, When you can track and analyze how your customers respond to certain campaigns instantly, you’re better prepared to react, evolve, and stay perfectly targeted in your marketing.-BBASS
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Getting The Drop On Media — While You Shop
IN-STORE DIGITAL SIGNAGE IS ABOUT to get a lot more attention from data-addicted media buyers with the unveiling of a state-of-the-art, real-time measurement system created especially for in-store networks. Washington-based DS-IQ and Broadsign Inc. have integrated their technologies to create a system capable of measuring and predicting sales lift based on ads running on various retail networks. “This integration will help the digital signage industry to upgrade its status as an emerging medium and an indispensable part of the media mix,” explains BroadSign CEO Cord Christiansen.
The new technology enables BroadSign play logs to merge with retail point-of-sale data so that retailers and advertisers can monitor how each ad campaign affects sales directly from their laptop PCs.
“Leading retailers and consumer packaged goods companies have told us that they want to expand the use of in-store media to reach their consumers and boost same-store sales,” says Tom Opdycke, CEO of DS-IQ. “But in order to start moving their ad dollars, they have to have access to this sort of detailed information.”
Tricia Despres is a freelance writer, who has worked at Starcom Mediavest and Discovery Communications.
Digital Signage HQ 