Next year is the year of the tiger on Chinese calendars, but Kelly Moulton, vice president of marketing for never.no says it could turn out to be the year of the digital sign for advertisers

Moulton told DigitalSignageScene.com that, the year could turn out to be the year of the digital sign for advertisers, or - to use a broader term that may also be more accurate - the year of digital-out-of-home (DOOH).

But, in order for DOOH to achieve its potential both for advertisers and consumers, Moulton said a change in mindset has to take place. "All three of the constituencies involved - advertisers, consumers (also known as viewers, audience members, and customers or potential customers), and site-owners - should recognize that DOOH signs are not really signs at all in the traditional sense. Rather, they are distinct, new and exciting media channels, and as a result they are also highly desirable, no matter which of the three constituencies you belong to.

Content is king, but must be engaging and relevant

"From the point of view of the fourth constituency in the equation - the providers of the technology and content for DOOH - the goal for 2010 is to nudge this change in mindset along. To do that requires the achievement of one principal goal: to improve delivery of useful and entertaining content so that it is both pleasing and arresting. Once this has been accomplished, consumers will adopt the habit of looking for the screen whenever they enter a public space such as a store or train station, and this habituation will further enhance the effectiveness of the medium.

"Habituating the consumer requires him or her to feel satisfied by the interaction. Thus, the screen must deliver solid and helpful information that rewards the consumer for his attention. This information could include anything from promotions of discounts at nearby stores, to news and weather, to train times, to games and prizes.

"Moving to the advertisers' point of view, the highest priority is engaging consumers in a dialogue, which can be actuated by the use of the mobile phone. Such prolonged engagement has the potential to result in:
1)Gleaned information to support more accurately targeted marketing,
2)On-site sales in the vicinity of the DOOH screen,
3)Word of mouth advertising as the novel media platform generates excitement.

Technology maturing to enhance interactivity

"Successful dialogues between consumers on their mobile phones and the DOOH screen might consist of the advertiser delivering a coupon or barcode for a limited-time discount to the mobile phone, of the consumer answering on-screen trivia or other game questions using his mobile phone, or of the consumer posting a comment or responding to a question then seeing their input on the DOOH screen.

"As the providers of DOOH technology and content move toward the twin goals of better content and better delivery in the coming year, this new and exciting media channel will gain a higher profile and further demonstrate its value, causing more and more advertisers to integrate DOOH as a key part of their marketing mix. Important to this process will be the accretion of metrics relating to footfall, dwell time and engagement. Also important to it will be advertisers' gaining the necessary experience that enables them to take advantage of the information gleaned about the consumers engaged by DOOH means, and about sales resulting from DOOH.

"As is apparent, the success of DOOH will breed more experience and thus more success, creating a feedback loop that further supports the fledgling industry," he concluded.

Never.no connects broadcasters, brands, outdoor media owners and digital screen networks with online and mobile consumers.