LFP - Large-Format-Printing
Digital Signage Best Practice Award: International award as European business booster
Monday 07. June 2010 - It has come to be regarded as the industry's seal of quality and has become an additional advertisement and business promoter for companies throughout Europe: the Digital Signage Best Practice Award of viscom in cooperation with Dockter Marketing.
At the International Trade Fair for Visual Communication from 4 to 6 November in Frankfurt the prize will be awarded for the fourth time already this year. “The number and quality of the entries demonstrate that this competition has achieved a very high degree of acceptance in the industry, many have come to consider the award the most reputable prize for digital signage projects in Europe”, viscom Director Petra Lassahn is happy to report. Since 2007 it has been her intention to improve, together with her team, the acceptance of what is still quite a new medium and at the same time to encourage more companies to expand their portfolio to include a digital signage segment.
This plan has worked out, as is clear from the fact that not only multinational corporations such as Deutsche Lufthansa AG and Audi AG but also lesser known newcomers have repeatedly succeeded in winning the award with convincing concepts. One case in point is Bamoa Communications, a young company which, due to the high quality of its products, was able to take home the award two years running: 2008 in the Retail Signage category with the integration of the new business segment of direct lotto sales in the retail sector, 2009 in the Content category with its Infocaddy project, an innovative golf course information system. No wonder that this is a source of particular pride for Managing Director Thomas Brill: “We had such a lot of feedback on this award and attracted such strong market attention that we went all out and submitted another entry for the next competition straight away. Also an award of this type is an additional boost for the credibility of a company, particularly if, as in the case of the Digital Signage Best Practice Award, it is awarded by a competent expert jury.”
This is also emphasised by Dirk Wahrheit, Managing Director with Macnetix: “We were delighted about winning the Digital Signage Best Practice Award because it means a further quality distinction to our successful editIT/playIT digital signage system, a kind of quality seal. We specifically use it in marketing campaigns and presentations. Existing customers see their choice justified by the award, potential customers, on the other hand, may be prompted to decide in favour of Macnetix. All in all, it has had quite positive effects for us.” Macnetix received the award in 2009 in the Guiding Signage category for the digital guiding and guest information system installed at Andel’s Hotel in Berlin.
Engelbert vom Kolke of Vis-à-pix GmbH, a company which received the Special Jury Award, calls it a true business promoter: “With the Digital Signage Best Practice Award the Face Tracking project, our innovative interactive solution for addressing customers, was recommended to a broad specialist audience. The jury’s reputation acted as a great value enhancer for this solution. As a result, interactive content management was brought to the attention of several large retail corporations, and the first applications have meanwhile been installed in retail stores.”
International participants and European experts
Over the past three years, the international significance of the award has grown enormously. Proof of this is, on the one hand, the large number of entries and also of award winners from all over Europe, among them DISPLAX from Portugal, who implemented the interactive Multimedia Optimus Concept Store for the Optimus telecommunications company and was awarded the prize in the Interactive Signage category in 2009. Or Garex d.o.o. from Slovenia who convinced the jury in the Information Signage category in 2009 with the Pota Slovenije projects “It’s not just about letters”. On the other hand, the international character of the prize is emphasised by the high-calibre European jury. In 2010 it includes Morgan Angrove, International Development Manager dagobert Paris, Andrea Kurtz, Chief Editor with handelsjournal, Adrian Cotterill, Editor-in-Chief DailyDOOH.com, Prof. Thorsten Kraus, Professor for Communication Design for Digital Media at the Hochschule Niederrhein and Interactive Director with People Interactive in Cologne, responsible for the field of interactive installations.
Online applications possible as from now via new website
With its five categories, the Digital Signage Best Practice Award reflects an extremely wide range of projects: Retail Signage (digital applications in the retail sector), Information Signage (digital information on public display ares), Guiding Signage (digital guiding systems in public areas), Content for Digital Signage (content for digital signage applications), Interactive Signage (digital signage applications with interactive elements). Manufacturers, service providers, agencies and integrators can apply, on the condition that applications are made jointly by the respective client and supplier.
Applicants do not necessarily have to be exhibitors at viscom. Applications can be submitted until 2 August on www.digital-signage-best-practice-award.eu. The site also provides information on past winners and the jury in (moving) images and sound.