7 Key Elements of Digital Signage

Wall Mounted Display

Digital Kiosk

Touch Screen Display

Outdoor LED

Microtiles

Tabletop digital sign

Why 7 elements?

• Follows logical flow of steps to plan and execute a project

• Adds structure to client/prospect discussions

What are the 7 key elements?• Objective/Business• Message/Content• Solution Design• Software• Hardware• Connectivity• Support/Operations

1. Understand the Business Objective

• Similar to defining the objective of a static signage solution– Starting point in process; what is the purpose, pain

point, challenge this is seeking to overcome?

• Objective drives the message, which impacts type of content created• Digital signage must offer unique value proposition and achieve an

objective

• The objective and content will determine the software and hardware needed, placement, etc.

1a. Measurement Most solutions include a mix of ROO and ROI

• ROI (Return on Investment)– The value of the project defined by the amount of financial benefits gained,

minus the amount of cost invested– Typically hard dollars spent and returned– Not always relevant to all clients such as a church or non-profit

• ROO (Return on Objective)– Way to measure success based on meeting objectives rather than hard dollars.– Increasing program adoption by X; Getting 2500 people to event

1b. Vendors and Revenue

• Who are the Vendors? – The companies you choose to assemble

the appropriate digital signage system for the customer

• Revenue– The money earned by a digital signage

system from the creation and management of the content and the hardware sold

2. Media, Advertising and Marketing

What message are you trying to communicate, and to whom?• Inform, direct, sell, and/or entertain• Animation, static images, video • Day-parting– Adjusting the message throughout the day

• Dwell time: How long viewers see the content

3. Design: Deployment, Purpose and Environment

• Link the hardware, software, and content into a total package that achieves the objective

• Ask the right questions– Location (indoor/outdoor, hot/cold)– Who will manage the content?– How many displays?

4. Software• Creation, Control, Player, Scheduling,

Design – Create and save as JPEG, MP4, etc…

• PowerPoint, Adobe After Effects, Scala Designer and Flypaper

• Manage – Add and manage content that was

designed in another program• Update/schedule content based on objective• Free, subscription or license based-software• Ex: Scala, Sign Channel, Magic Info Lite

Design

Manage

5. Hardware• Display, brackets/mounts,

hardware, media player and infrastructure such as cables

• Objective, content and environment will drive what hardware you choose

6. Connectivity• Connecting the display and media

player to the source of the content (typically the PC or Server)

• Common forms of connectivity:– Hard-wired (most reliable)– WiFi (wireless internet connection)– LAN (local area network)– Cellular (Android stick)– USB Drive (no internet connectivity)

7. Support/Operations• Installation/Delivery • Ongoing software updates• Maintenance– Replace worn and outdated components

• Monitoring – Ensure system is up and running

• Warranty– Repair warranties on hardware vary based

on manufacturer