How big is the future for interactive digital signage?
by The CommerceLab — Jan 28 '14
This article is part of the CommerceLab Reference Library, a set of online business tools that provide introductory and background information to help educate those new to the areas we cover.
There is no doubt that interactive digital signage and displays are here to stay. More and more businesses are investing in digital signage technology, not only in a traditional sense to advertise products and services, but also to use them as interactive touch points to engage customers.
So, how big is the future for interactive digital signage? While there is no guarantee when it comes to predicting future trends, especially when it comes to technology (remember how many people thought social media was going to be a fad?), one thing is for sure—the future lies with the new generation of technology users who are growing up with touch screens and interactive displays.
As argued by James Velco in his article entitled Interactivity, Data Mining, and the Future of Digital Signage:
“Thanks to the iPad, iPhone, and Android devices, an increasingly younger population has the expectation of interacting with displays to obtain specific, personally relevant information. For my two sons, personally relevant information is finding specific videos they want to watch. So how do two little boys have any bearing on the direction of digital signage? When they grow up, they’ll expect to interact with every display they see. They will have grown up thinking interactive monitors are part of everyday life.”
Velco’s point accurately encapsulates exactly where the future for interactive digital signage is headed. Since Generation Y is going to come to expect it as part of everyday life, it is likely that it will be part of everyday life.
Traditional signs will become digital, and digital signs will become interactive. For example, things like restaurant menus, digital signing in stores, and advertising on the subway will take the next step and become more interactive and engaging.
Factors Impacting the Adoption of Interactive Digital Signage
Digital signage technology has a lot going for it, and these digital forms of advertising are appearing in all different types of marketing and advertising campaigns. But the success of interactive digital signage really comes down to an effective deployment strategy as outlined by Gene Ornstead in How to Increase Engagement with Digital Signage.
Ornstead argues that for successful adoption, and for future success, companies need to be mindful of the four pillars of digital signage. The signs need to be used as a communications tool not only to advertise, but also to educate, inform and entertain. Therefore, to meet these communications objectives, high quality content that customer’s value needs to be present. As argued by Velco, “Making content valuable is the primary challenge. Once the content can be considered valuable to the viewer, it becomes engaging and effective.”
The benefits of the technology are there. As Ornstead correctly outlines, interactive digital signage is cost effective, there is flexibility in how the signage can be used, it has the ability to engage customers, and of course, it has the wow factor to grab people’s attention and get them the interact with the signage.
This generation of technology users who are growing up with interactive digital signage technology will be the driving force in the future. They will be the key determining factor that will dictate how big the future for interactive digital signage will be going forward.
