{"id":29391,"date":"2016-09-06T10:00:30","date_gmt":"2016-09-06T14:00:30","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.signmedia.ca\/?p=29391"},"modified":"2016-09-06T10:00:30","modified_gmt":"2016-09-06T14:00:30","slug":"digital-signage-becoming-a-trusted-integrator","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.signmedia.ca\/digital-signage-becoming-a-trusted-integrator\/","title":{"rendered":"Digital Signage: Becoming a trusted integrator"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"restaurant_iDOOR1\"
Photo courtesy RDM<\/span><\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

By Ken Goldberg
\n <\/strong>Digital signage has evolved significantly. In its earliest days, updates were manual and costly. Systems offered low compliance and low reliability. Screens were not networked and the reach and impact of their content was not measurable.<\/p>\n

With the automation of digital signage and the development of medium-specific software, compliance and reliability were improved. Screens were networked and audience measurement became possible. Costs remained high.<\/p>\n

Today, reliability is higher still. Cloud-based services have improved measurability and helped reduce overall costs. In turn, the adoption of digital signage has grown and accelerated further.<\/p>\n

Static signage still matters too, of course. While digital signage has answered many challenges, it is not suitable for all of them. There are and always will be many different formats for signage, including printed posters that can be installed at the individual store level by employees, in contrast to centrally managed digital signage content.<\/p>\n

That said, there is still more for digital signage to do. Content, for example, can become more timely and relevant through proximity marketing, more finely targeted ads, triggered content and well-curated data feeds. Media players, meanwhile, will continue to become smaller, faster and less expensive.<\/p>\n

Software, too, will become commoditized. As the scale of digital signage networks continues to increase, the costs of providing software-as-a-service (SaaS) are falling. In short, the capabilities of the technology are soaring while the costs of implementation and operation continue to drop.<\/p>\n

Both small and large digital signage customers are looking to outsource several key functions relating to their networks, including (a) the creation and management of content and (b) the management and monitoring of their networks. Each of these functions represents an opportunity for sign shops.<\/p>\n

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Retail stores are opportunity-rich environments for digital signage.<\/span>
\n Photo courtesy NEC Display Solutions<\/span><\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Service-oriented signage
\n <\/strong>Retail stores and restaurants are especially opportunity-rich environments. Chains want to see incremental sales improvements, while independent businesses seek to break through to new customers. Adoption rates of digital signage in these markets are soaring, creating an air of inevitability and necessity, particularly as customers come to expect to see screens in use.<\/p>\n

Lower price points and proven case studies are also making it easier for these businesses to adopt digital signage. There are now many successful examples of promotional retail screens, menu boards, ambient content, video walls, interactive displays, drive-thru boards, wayfinding, assisted selling, tabletop and countertop displays, corporate communications
\n and training.<\/p>\n

Signmakers can uncover many new opportunities in this field by thinking like a customer when visiting retail and food-service establishments and considering what works, what doesn\u2019t and where digital signage content could be of assistance.<\/p>\n

As a signage provider, it is also important to listen to existing clients for various cues, such as \u201cI wish we could \u2026\u201d or \u201cIf only we could \u2026.\u201d Acting in a consultative role, signmakers should ask these clients what they are trying to achieve, how they are measuring success and what their own customers and, for that matter, competitors are telling them.<\/p>\n

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In an example of digital signage success, Subway is now expanding upon its existing network with the addition of digital menu boards.<\/span>
\n Photo courtesy RDM<\/span><\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Delivering on objectives
\n <\/strong>A successful digital signage deployment starts with objectives. Both parties\u2014the sign company and the client\u2014need to understand the goals of the project. These in turn will lead to content strategy and technology decisions; never the other way around.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

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\u2019 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.<\/p>\n

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\u2019s (ISA\u2019s) 2016 International Sign Expo. For more information, visit www.realdigitalmedia.com<\/a>, www.signs.org<\/a> and www.digitalsignagefederation.org<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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