Digital Signage Needs Commercial Context
I discuss an impressive example of modern screen hardware and the growing versatility of digital signage. Whilst the technology is remarkable, I question whether demos like this do enough to show practical business value and justify the investment.
Key Takeaways
- Modern screen hardware is becoming more durable, versatile and visually impressive.
- Many digital signage demos focus on spectacle rather than commercially useful content.
- The industry needs to show clearer business applications and return on investment.
Topics
- Digital Signage
- Hardware
- Content Strategy
- Business Strategy
Transcript
Screen hardware is more durable than ever. Just don't put it on a floating billboard, if you know, you know. So this video is pretty incredible, really. It shows the versatility that hardware now has, and that we don't just need to think of screens as those big boxes on a wall with a black frame. I wonder a bit about the cost. I imagine this is still quite expensive to do, and therefore it's probably better to show off than really to go and actually implement. One of the long-term criticisms I've always had of digital signage demos like this is they always show things like a hummingbird flapping its wings to show off HD or 4K or anything like that, and they don't actually show content that would be useful to a business. The technology is marvellous, but we need to try and lead people more into how to apply this commercially so it's worth the investment and they do get a return on it. So this is an amazing sign of genius, five out of five for the technology, but for the way of showing it, I'm going to give it two out of five. Let's do better as an industry.