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WireSpring BlogDigital Signage in Europe: A Comparison of Germany vs. the USAuthor: Bill Gerba on 2008-12-03 15:32:42 Pat Hellberg, who launched and ran Nike's digital signage operations for the better part of a decade, has certainly kept busy since leaving the iconic firm earlier this year. After starting a new company to focus on content production and creative services for digital signage networks, Pat was asked to share his insights at the Viscom trade show in Germany. While we often hear stories about one market or another setting the pace in this industry, Pat found (and I'll readily agree) that once you clear away all of the rumor and hype, the US and European markets for digital out-of-home advertising are actually quite similar. Here is Pat's take on the topic:It's a small digital signage worldA global audience means global innovation Pat's words got me thinking about how the perceptions and implementation of digital signage may vary in different parts of the world. Clearly, products and services sold online have a global audience. Software can be downloaded instantly. News publications no longer have physical limits to their distribution. So why should markets be so different? OK, sure, third-world and developing nations will sometimes lack the necessary infrastructure to compete at the same level, but when you take a look at North America, Europe, Japan, Australia, even the large cities in China, the market dynamics for digital out-of-home are remarkably similar. And I guarantee that you can go to any of these places and come across a cool, new and innovative use for digital signage that you haven't seen elsewhere before. So, if you were getting ready to pack your bags and move overseas in search of new and better opportunities, I recommend you hold off on that plan for a while. But I do encourage you to take a cue from Pat Hellberg. Have a look at what's going on with your counterparts overseas, even if it's just over the web, and see if there are some best practices you can incorporate into your own projects. And for more of Pat's insights, check out his previous article on the art and science of digital signage content. Have a story about something you've seen abroad but have yet to encounter at home? If so, leave a comment and share it with the world! Comments (2)
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2008-12-04Frrançois Reeves writes: Nice story. The Canadian Out-of-Home Digital Association (CODA) output a nice document that describes the industry in terms of common factors (screen size, #screens, venue, etc.) that can be found here: http://www.oohdigital.ca/files/pdf/CODA_Standardization_Phase_1.pdf It would be nice to have this for every country. 2008-12-13Bill Gerba writes:
Hi François, Thanks for the link - that is quite useful. I wouldn't be surprised if OVAB or POPAI or some similar body didn't come out with a similar list for the US, or possibly even globally, sometime in the near future. Leave a CommentPrevious Article: 4 Places to Find Digital Signage Growth in a Down Economy Next Article: Why the Cross Promotion Trend is Good for Digital Signage Front page of the digital signage and interactive kiosk blog LEGAL STUFF: The WireSpring Blog is written by Bill Gerba but may periodically include articles by guest authors. The author of each article is clearly identified at the start of the article. The opinions expressed in each article are solely those of the author, and do not reflect the official opinions of WireSpring Technologies, Inc. All blog articles are copyright © 2004-2008 William F. Gerba or the guest author, as appropriate. All content besides the actual article text, e.g. surrounding branding and informational content, is copyright © 2000-2008 WireSpring Technologies, Inc. All rights reserved. Except as provided in WireSpring's Republishing and Syndication Policy, no blog content may be reproduced, in whole or in part, without WireSpring's express written consent.
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Bill Gerba is CEO of WireSpring and maintains an active role in the digital signage and self-service kiosk industries. An industry advocate since 2000, Bill is the chairman of POPAI's Digital Signage Awards and a member of the group's Education and Advocacy Committees. He is a frequent speaker at industry conferences (including the Digital Signage Expo) and has been featured in numerous publications. If you would like Bill to provide feedback for a story you're working on, or you want him to speak at your event, please contact us.
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