At the Gas Station, the Coffee Shop... They're Everywhere...

I'm seeing these things everywhere.  I go to the gas station to fill up my car and there's one at every pump.  I run into the grocery store to pick up a few items and they're all over the store (including the check out stands).  I go to my local coffee shop to get a cup of java and there's one next to the barista station.  And I go to the ice cream store to grab an ice cream cone and there's one there.  And I make all of these sightings in less than an hour!

If you can't tell from the pictures, what I'm talking about is flat panel monitors or "digital signage" displays that are popping up at businesses across multiple industries and locations.  For the most part, these monitors contain some type of dynamic content (i.e. news, weather, traffic info., sports, entertainment...etc.) along with advertising or branding messaging.

After doing a bit of research, I discovered the key benefits of digital signage include (but are not limited to):

• Enhanced customer experience
• Elimination of the high cost of creating and distributing print ad campaigns
• Dynamic, relevant content that's easy to change and grab customer's attention
• Promote, cross-sell/up-sell to customers "in store"
• Ability to generate ad revenue from suppliers and other interested parties

I suspect a big reason for the explosion of digital signage is the perfect storm of increasingly cheaper hardware (i.e. flat screen technology, servers...etc.), increased network capacity & connectivity and the availability of inexpensive and easy to use software to produce, manage and distribute content and manage targeted ad buying and distribution.

To learn more about digital signage including the benefits, applications, products...etc., I'm heading out to the Digital Media Systems Division at Cisco Systems (which develops and markets digital signage solutions), so stay tuned.  Until then, feel free to share any experiences (or better yet) any interesting sightings that you've made of digital signage displays.

Comments

[Ray Hartjen]

Digital signage might enhance the customer experience - I think the jury is still out on that. But, the network - owning the network and controlling the distribution of messages - huge potential returns. If Safeway and others can get their acts together, watching out revenue streams!