Digital signage, the umbrella term used to describe dynamic place-based, advertising-based or corporate communications display networks has continued in a double-digit growth path - at about 23% compounding annually.
Attitudes are a primary driver of digital place-based use and the market. Given that strong supply capability exists, and this continues to grow as markets advance, it appears to be the attitudes related to planning and advancing the use of the medium that are most impacting growth.
“We’ve used it; it works; let’s go!”
In recognition that the medium works well when properly applied, end user executives are increasingly charging their staff and advertising agencies with integrating dynamic place-based media into their plans, campaigns and their services.
By better linking paid, owned and earned media, marketers and communicators seek to gain greater value from their overall media investment toward engagement with targeted audiences such as customers, patrons, staff and students.
The timing of this end user executive focus is coincident with agencies’ struggles. As agencies that offer niche services, or are service or mandate silo-ed, struggle with media integration and their contribution to multi-channel, omni-channel and 360-degree marketing, they are aware or concerned that their competitors are seizing new revenues through dynamic media while potentially moving into their service areas.
Retailers that are operating or planning showcase locations are taping into a wide range of digital engagement technologies to benefit from a "wow factor", increase destination traffic and generate public relations profile, while also experimenting and generating shopper insights on approaches that could be broadly applied for higher return on communications investment.
“Us too” deployments are a natural industry driver because the value propositions stand to reason and its use is visibly evident by competing organizations. The innovators and early adopters who are sharing very little information about the business benefits that they have been deriving, are themselves a market force.
Digital signage is demonstrating the natural growth pangs typical of technology-enabled innovation. The drive to get more out of what is clearly capable of delivering more, is a natural force of end user desire and dynamic media commerce.
Suitable executive involvement/perspectives does deliver successful and organizationally empowering projects. An excellent recent example of such success was illustrated in the many end user discussions that were held with project leaders from Zions Bank at the trade show floor booth of Broadcast International during the recent Digital Signage Expo.
This project at Zions Bank was recognized during Customer Engagement Technology World in late March 2012 as the Digital Screenmedia Association (DSA) presented two Industry Excellence Awards to Broadcast International for its “first-of-its-kind” managed media services network; a digital signage network designed to accommodate the multi-channel marketing needs of financial institutions. Broadcast International, which has a demonstrated positive record of stakeholder engagement with end user organizations received awards for
Best Financial Services Deployment – Digital Signage, and
Best Financial Services Deployment – Self-Service / Interactive Kiosks.
The next chasm to be crossed is one in which end user management including marketing, human resources, patron experience, etc., and project managers including, for example, the chief information office, information technology of digital media initiatives engage in facing cost and benefit analysis together.
Information and support is available. As noted, award entries and case studies can offer insights, but the greater benefit lies in the planning and review of the use of the medium specific to the mix of business and communications goals in a specific use scenario. Frameworks for ROI analysis are available
from the Digital Screenmedia Association (to members) and in a 40-page whitepaper subtitled ROI or Die.
