In one recent example, Bezier, one of the firms which has led point-of-sale away from simple ink on paper, last week revealed a series of Halloween-themed in-store displays for supermarket Asda. Apart from looking scary enough to satisfy the kids, the units feature flashing and glowing lights, shuddering monsters, revolving bow ties and the creaking sound of broken floorboards. You can’t do that on a silk-screen press.

Even more advanced are the products sold by Media Zest, the London company which, as PrintWeek reveals this week, has just formed a partnership with Docklands large-format firm Capital. Media Zest’s systems include animated floor panels which respond to where people walk on top of them; for instance, the panel can show a fish tank, in which the fish swim away from a person’s feet as he or she walks across it. Ano­ther technology is a double-sided TV screen which can be stuck to a shop window and will integrate with printed vinyl graphics around it.

Natural integration
Elsewhere, technology-driven outdoor advertising has made headway, notably in London’s Underground, where plasma screens instead of posters are increasingly commonplace. But with these new developments, it seems that the print side of the large-format display industry is waking up to the possibilities offered by movement and sound.
David Gill, founder and managing director of Capital, says that the merging of static print with more technology-based units is a natural next step for printers in the sector.

“PoS is developing to produce the maximum visual effect. Advertising is all about awareness and impact, and these visually impressive displays, that utilise technology, are becoming commonplace as high-tech media merges with print-based point-of-sale advertising.”

He stresses, too, that the trend should not be seen as a threat to print. “We are always looking at how PoS will evolve, be it with or without the use of print. However, I think print is always going to be part of PoS marketing and presently these kinds of high-tech displays are simply too expensive for most manufacturers, certainly for the next 15 years or so,” he says.

Other large-format and PoS printers agree. Daniel Pattison, group sales director at Capital’s east London rival Augustus Martin, says: “Retailers and brand owners are increasingly looking to specialist PoS printers and manufacturers to develop new and innovative ways to promote their products and promotions in-store. These partnerships are likely to be­­come more commonplace.”

Right message
Glenn Batty, technology director at Bezier, which is based in Wakefield, York­shire, adds: “Point-of-purchase is a hugely influential marketing tool, so it’s crucial we assist our clients in communicating the right message, in the correct format.”

In some quarters, though, the rise of technology-based PoS has been seen as a potential threat. Gordon Neile, sales director for Eurostand in Essex, argues that the bigger PoS printers already have an advantage in that they can invest more in faster kit and therefore offer quicker turnaround time on jobs. “They will have price advantages over smaller printing companies when it comes to creating bespoke POS to a tight deadline,” he says. “Tech­nology is another possible threat, especially to smaller printers that can’t meet these demands.”

Full media spectrum
But for non-print firms like Media Zest, partnerships like the one it has struck with Capital make for wider exposure to clients and a more complete product offering. And, it seems, clients are slowly warming to the idea. Andy Hawkins, group sales director at Media Zest, says: “By working with Capital, we believe that we are providing clients with the full spectrum of media solutions, be it print-based, or technology orientated, or both.

“PoS is evolving, but often companies fail to see the benefits that can be yielded from the – initially high – cost of installing technology. The market will see more synergy between print and technology. Nokia, for example, use a printed display case combined with an integrated LCD screen.”

But Hawkins points out that print does still have advantages over its more technology-driven alternatives. “There are limitations with current PoS technology,” he says. “LCD displays can suffer from the glare caused by harsh sunlight. Print, conversely, thrives in bright conditions and is – obviously – cheaper.”