Digital signage association faces task of managing expected growth in private digital networks

A new association being formed by some of Canada’s most active digital signage players could help advertisers buy into the nascent medium by providing educational outreach and standards. This summer, a half dozen players from the sector met in the wake of the Digital Signage Inaugural Summit conference (CNM, Feb. 17/05) and agreed to work cooperatively to create the new group, the Canadian Digital Signage Association (CDSA). Already, the CDSA has a first newsletter to publish, and it’s expected that it will be able to establish a public presence and campaign by this fall to recruit more members. The CDSA has a broad name, but it’s likely the group will focus, at least initially, on private digital television networks. One of the key forces behind the association is OneSTOP Media Group, which has gained prominence as the operator of a large network of screens in Toronto’s public transit network (CNM, October 6/04), as well as VST Canada, the company behind the screens built into gas pumps at Esso stations in Canada. The duo is at the vanguard of a new crop of companies such as Scala and Barco that put networked screens in public places and then sell advertising to reach commuters, shoppers and others. OneSTOP’s Mike Girgis tells Canadian NEW MEDIA that private digital TV networks such as his company’s and VST’s should be thought of as a new advertising medium, separate from traditional media such as television, radio, print, the Internet and out-of-home media (billboards, etc.). Price points for the technology behind digital signage such as networking gear and flat panel screens of all types have dropped considerably lately, and multiple players are hoping to capitalize on the opportunity. But, he notes, the industry is too new to have widely adopted technology and reporting standards that would convince media buyers to give digital signage the same legitimate consideration as other channels. Texas land grab "It’s like the Texas land grab out there. Everyone is trying to secure the real estate, get a sign up and start selling advertising. And, that’s not what it’s all about. So, we need to make sure that there’s a method to the madness, and this association’s going to play a key role in that." "You’re finding so many people from different sectors from advertising to out-of-home companies to newbies that are coming out and saying I want to launch a digital network. These have to have the same standards as what our advertisers are looking for. Content is still king. They have to see their ad run logs. They have to have proof-of-plays. "Unless these networks are seen and used just like television and broadcast, our buyers and planners are not going to take you seriously. They’ve got to get ad run logs like they get from our broadcast guys. This is an absolute natural extension of the broadcast brand." The CDSA will next meet – only its second rendezvous – on July 28 to begin fall planning when the organizers hope to have a board and committee structure in place, as well as a public web site.

Digital signage association faces task of managing expected growth in private digital networks

News | 07/20/2005 4:00 am EDT

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