Delivering on objectives
A successful digital signage deployment starts with objectives. Both parties—the sign company and the client—need to understand the goals of the project. These in turn will lead to content strategy and technology decisions; never the other way around.

The reason this approach is important is that goals and objectives are measurable elements of the project. Metrics should be established early on and further actions taken upon achievement.

For signmakers to take advantage of digital signage opportunities, they need to understand the technical aspects of implementation and field support, but this does not mean they have to offer those capabilities right away. By investing in the right partnerships, they can leverage relationships to become trusted as integrated signage advisors.

In other words, embracing digital signage as a growth opportunity means not only learning about its various elements, but also exploring ways for outside partners’ work to mesh with the needs of the customer base. Joint sales are almost a necessity today, so there needs to be a foundation of trust. Only then can the optimal strategy be developed.

Ken Goldberg is CEO of Real Digital Media (RDM), which develops digital signage software, and past chair of the Digital Signage Federation (DSF). This article is based on a seminar he presented at the International Sign Association’s (ISA’s) 2016 International Sign Expo. For more information, visit www.realdigitalmedia.com, www.signs.org and www.digitalsignagefederation.org.