Digital picture frames are a growing consumer electronic following on the coat tails of digital photography.
Since so many individuals now have transitioned to digital cameras and digital pictures, it only makes sense that they would want picture frames that can display their collection of digital pictures.
Digital frames are still a relative new category of products, and often they are purchased as gifts or by home decorators.
One unique area where they are becoming more popular is with corporate gifts.
Businesses use gifts to recognize important customers, as well as key partners and even vendors.
Usually these gifts are something unique that stands out, and the monetary value of the gift is less important than the act of the gift itself.
Companies usually want to find something new, leading edge, or relevant to their industry when choosing a gift for customers or partners.
Of course this varies a lot from industry to industry, but the characteristics of corporate gifts do seem to be similar with many companies.
Likewise, companies often reward employees with gifts either during bonus time or to signify certain events like years of service.
Key sales people may receive a gift for reaching quota, or employees may receive a gift for their 5, 10, 20 year anniversary with the company.
Again, companies usually want to find a gift that is unique, memorable, or customized to the event, and you'll find human resource departments constantly looking for the latest cool gadgets as gifts for deserving employees.
One product that fits this description is digital picture frames.
Since digital frames are relative new consumer electronics products, many people don't yet own one, thus making them good gifts.
Since digital cameras and photography are almost universal, digital photo frames are also something most employees could immediately use.
So many people have digital pictures stored away on computers that a new digital picture frame would immediately allow them to start displaying them in their home.
Companies that want to use digital picture frames as corporate gifts for customers also have more options.
Digital frames can be easily customized by pre-loading them with pictures, whether it be promotional shots of company marketing material, product pictures, or joint customer-vendor material.
A digital picture frame allows a marketing group to easily use their creativity in customizing a gift with any type of media most appropriate for the gift purpose or recipient.
It can also be as simple as photos from recent joint customer-vendor events loaded into a slideshow that auto plays as soon as the frame is opened and turned on.
Of course the cost factor of any gift is critical to companies, which is also making digital picture frames viable corporate gifts today.
As prices of digital frames fall to below $150 (and some under $100), they can now easily become customer gifts or employee gifts.
This trend should continue.