In order to illustrate some of the applications of data hiding (for a more detailed discussion see [1], ch. 2), one use case describing an application of steganography:
and three use cases considering digital watermarking:
are presented. They show the practical benefits of both technologies in comparison with traditional cryptographic approaches as well as the possibilities for flexible integration into modern web-supported processes of communication and distribution of intellectual property.
References:
[1] I. J. Cox, M. Miller, J. Bloom, J. Fridrich, and T. Kalker, Digital Watermarking and Steganography, 2nd ed.: Morgan Kaufmann Publishers, 2008.