Digital Signposts: How to Build a Digital Signage Network Brand
Dec 13, 2010 9:32 AM,
By Vern Freedlander, X2O Media, Vice President, Production
We all know the importance of branding when it comes to a company. A brand is what gives an organization a sense of identity. It relates to the company’s personality and the promises it makes to its customers and partners. Similarly, digital signage networks need a sense of identity to communicate to viewers that they are watching or interacting with a unique channel that has a specific purpose. The purpose, or the digital signage content, may be to inform or entertain or to convey ads, but a network’s sense of identity goes a long way to help viewers relate to the content.
Like a television network, digital signage operators need to give some thought to what specifically is their network’s brand and how will it be conveyed visually. Broadcasters use strong, identifiable graphics, marks, and music that clearly distinguish their network from the rest. For corporate communicators, the elements on the screen should conform to the company’s brand bible, which dictates logo usage, tag lines, use of images, color scheme, and precisely how they can be used. The visual style presented on screen will speak volumes about a company’s personality. The key here is to have a consistent look that matches the tone of all other communications within the organization, so that the signage network blends in seamlessly.
At its very core however, branding is even more than a logo. It speaks to the very essence of a company or product. This is translated to digital signage through the company’s content choices and its consistent messaging. This creates a sense of exclusiveness, letting your audience feel that they are watching something special, and giving your network a distinctive voice.
Vern Freedlander is vice president of production services for Montréal-based X2O Media, a full-service provider of technology, network management, and content services for professional digital signage applications. With more than 20 years of broadcast television experience as a producer, director, and executive, Freedlander oversees all of X2O Media’s content initiatives. He can be reached at [email protected].
