Digital Signage Finds its Niche in Retail

The explosion of the digital signage market is exciting. With its promise of growth in so many areas, it’s unlike anything marketers have seen before. When you consider all the elements involved in the deployment of a digital signage network — PCs, software, displays, signal distribution, cabling, fabrication, installation, content development and management — you begin to understand why this is an important market segment to be associated with.

Years ago when flat-panel displays first entered the market, I had conversations with retailers about the idea of replacing all their traditional back-lit box signs and poster boards with dynamic digital signage. The easy part was getting them excited after showing off the latest in large-format displays with vivid images of everything from housewares to expensive perfumes. The hard part came after I presented them with a price quote and explained what would be involved in the design, deployment and support for the project.

Today, the benefits of digital signage have gotten easier to understand. It's become easier to deploy, with the costs of the hardware and software coming down considerably. Pair that with the advancements in signage platforms, and the technology is easier to present than ever before. Throw in the green component — i.e., how much paper, fuel and resources can be saved with digital signage — and you'll really get some attention.

So, how does a traditional signage or AV company become successful in migrating to digital signage? Through education and the understanding that effective digital signage is much more than canned video or flashcard picture frames — or even a PC with PowerPoint. It starts with understanding the essential elements that make up a signage solution, and the workflow methodology for scheduling and managing content. Once you get your customers to grasp the concept of time validity and how it relates to zones and playlist schedules, you’ll have conquered the majority of confusion associated with digital signage.

Let’s start with the architecture of typical digital signage layout, which is comprised of various zones, each capable of managing a content playlist. The ability to manage each zone and playlist independently is what differentiates digital signage from traditional static signage or canned video.

When you add time validity, which is the ability to control the schedule for each zone and playlist independently within a given layout, the ultimate power of digital signage begins to emerge. More advanced systems can even provide the ability to assign permission rights to specific users for control and management of specific zones without affecting the overall layout design.

We’ve all heard the phrase “content is king.” It’s true in the sense that a digital signage network is ineffective without content. To truly optimize a signage network, the content needs to be relevant to the audience you’re addressing. I often reference car racing when explaining digital signage optimization. You can have the most advanced racecar on the track, but if you don’t have the right fuel formulation and pit crew, your performance and outcome will be drastically affected.

It's critical that you not only understand the full capabilities of your digital signage network, but also the necessary resources to manage and optimize it.

Steve Acquista is director of digital signage at Black Box. Steve can be reached at steve.acquista@blackbox.com.