David Little is the director of marketing for Keywest Technology.
So, you’ve decided your business or institution will be well served by adding a new digital signage network. Now what?
Where to turn and what to do can be
confusing, especially if you’re responsible for your organization’s
communications or IT department, but don’t really know anything about a
digital sign. While there are many good companies in business to help
you achieve your goals, you can make the endeavor easier and far more
successful if you avoid the problems many before you have encountered
when rolling out and maintaining their digital signage networks.
Having worked with hundreds of
customers on their digital signage needs, I have seen a lot of
difficulties that could easily have been avoided — along with the
associated delays and added expense — with a little knowledge up front.
As the saying goes, forewarned is forearmed. So, keep these top 10
digital signage pitfalls in mind as you plan your new digital signage
network to make the experience smooth and rewarding.
No. 1: Lack of a clear purpose
Someone in your organization has
read that digital signage can make marketing messaging more effective.
It can reach potential customers at the point of purchase, promote
desired behavior, target different demographic groups associated with
different times of the day, and do many other wonderful things.
But what exactly does your
organization need to accomplish with digital signage? That’s the
seminal question. Without clearly defining the purpose of a digital
signage network, it is impossible to find success in any phase of its
deployment or use.
Taking the time up front to define
the expectations for the system and write them out on paper for the
approval of key management will provide direction and focus effort on
attainable goals. Struggling to fulfill a nebulous purpose for the
digital signage network will rack up unnecessary expense and leave
everyone connected with the project frustrated.
No. 2: Taking on digital signage as an IT project
Digital signage network - the very
words sound IT-oriented. While there’s a lot of IT technology involved
with digital signage, taking on a digital signage network as an IT
project is dangerous.
While highly skilled, the typical IT
manager does not have the background nor the experience needed to roll
out a successful digital signage network. There’s a powerful temptation
on the part of IT managers to look at digital signage playback as if it
were a Microsoft PowerPoint presentation. It isn’t.
PowerPoint does an excellent job at
making business presentations, but how many TV stations rely on
PowerPoint to create and playback the programs, commercials, news and
promotions you see nightly? Exactly zero. With respect to playing back
video, graphics, text and animation, layering multiple visual elements
and building and maintaining a playout schedule, a digital signage
network is much more like a TV station than a boardroom with a
projector and a PowerPoint presentation. Keep that in mind if an IT
manager volunteers to take on your organization’s digital signage
project.
No. 3: Lack of content
Congratulations. You have a digital
signage network. What are you going to display? Having a digital
signage network without content is like having a newspaper without
print. There’s just a whole lot of nothing and an overwhelming sense of
emptiness.
Communicating in some form must be
part of the reason behind the decision to add a digital signage
network. However, there is no communication without content.
Fortunately, many organizations have existing resources to draw upon
that can be repurposed as digital signage content. Logos, commercials,
promotional video, print advertising, plans and drawings can all be
reused in whole or in part to communicate a message on a digital
signage network.
Additionally, RSS Internet feeds are
a tremendous resource for updating a digital signage network with fresh
“newsy” content, weather and sports scores that can give an audience a
reason to take a second or third look.
Regardless of where it comes from,
content is critical to the success of a digital signage network.
Knowing where it will come from is as important as actually having the
digital signage network in place.
No. 4: No one assigned to manage the project
While it’s not like designing the
International Space Station, putting a digital signage network in place
can be a complex undertaking. For that reason, it’s essential that any
business or organization taking on a digital signage network assign
someone to manage the project. Having an individual identified to own
the project will minimize the impact of the unforeseen problems that
inevitably creep into any complex undertaking.
Just as bad as having no one
assigned to manage the project is its closely related cousin:
management by committee. Offering up conflicting directions from
multiple individuals will leave your system integrator bewildered and
your project incomplete.
No. 5: No one to update content
While RSS feeds and subscriptions to
newswire services are two sources of fresh information for a digital
signage network, where will updated content conveying your company’s
specific messages and current offerings come from?
A digital signage network that
attracts attention has an insatiable appetite for fresh content. Thus,
it’s essential that an organization taking on a digital signage network
assign a qualified, competent person to the task of creating that
content. Without someone in charge of the network’s content, the text,
graphics and video being displayed will soon become outdated. Stale
content will have the opposite of the desired result for a digital
sign. It actually will drive viewers away and impart a sense of “been
there, done that” that will be difficult to reverse.
No. 6: Taking the cheap way out
There’s nothing wrong with being
budget conscious about a digital signage installation; however,
selecting products (including displays, controllers and software) and
services (like content creation) solely on their price tag can result
in a system that in the long run will cost an organization dearly.
Systems designed solely on the price
of the component miss the point. Digital signage networks are about
communicating information — perhaps a marketing message, maps and
directions or instructions — to their intended audience. Spending money
on a system just because it’s inexpensive could cost a business or
organization far more in lost opportunities than the money saved.
No. 7: Not knowing the locations of the signs
Knowing where your organization
wants to locate the flat panel monitors in its digital signage network
is important for a few reasons. First, locating the digital signage
content players needed depends on where the sign or signs it’s
controlling are located. The length of cable that's running between the
player and the sign must be taken into account. Clearly defining the
location of the signs will allow you to minimize
construction/renovation expense and avoid paying for “do-overs.”
Secondly, understanding exactly
where the signs will be positioned will make it easier to understand
what you'll need to mount the flat panels in use. Are wall studs
available where a sign will be located? Or, will a freestanding
structure be required? What’s the condition of the wall studs? Is
electrical power available? What’s the status of ambient light sources?
Will a window or skylight need to be shaded to reduce glare?
Finally, not knowing where the signs
need to be located may be a symptom of a bigger problem -namely, not
having a clear idea about the purpose of the digital signage
installation.
No. 8: Installers without general contractor capability
Installing digital signage can be
messy. Drywall and plaster may need to be cut. New electrical plugs
with isolated grounds may need to be installed. Beyond these obvious
construction challenges, less apparent structural modifications may be
required. They can vary from relocating HVAC ducts to re-enforcing
walls.
For that reason, choosing a digital
signage installer without the skill and experience to serve as a
general contractor for the project can be a big mistake. Depending on
the specific installation, it’s not unreasonable to assume carpenters,
electricians, plumbers and even heating and cooling contractors might
need to be involved to make necessary structural modifications. Having
an installer who can serve as a general contractor to bring those
diverse resources together and manage them properly can save a lot of
time and expense.
No. 9: Failing to allot adequate time to learn the system
Far too often, the people
responsible for new digital signage installations at businesses or
organizations are so excited about their systems that they can’t wait
to show them off to upper management. After all, a significant sum of
money goes into making the digital signage network a reality, so
showing it off as soon as possible only seems natural.
However, creating content for a
digital signage system, scheduling it and making changes to playback
along the way require some skill. It takes time to be properly trained
to use a digital signage network. Failing to allocate sufficient time
to learn how to use the system not only could be embarrassing in front
of management, but it could also be disastrous to your communications
efforts with the general public, if it's your first audience.
No. 10: Failing to keep future expansion in mind at the time of initial design
Designing yourself into a box when
first contemplating a digital signage network can be costly. Without
casting an eye towards future needs, it’s possible that portions of the
network might need to be replaced before they’ve been amortized to
accommodate expansion.
Without exception, experience shows
that businesses and organizations that fund the addition of digital
signage networks express interest in expanding their systems after
they’re installed.
* * *
There you have it, the top ten
digital signage pitfalls. Take these lessons to heart as you proceed
with your digital signage rollout, and you’re much more likely to have
a successful experience. More importantly, your company or institution
will avoid costly mistakes that will delay the installation and prevent
your communications from having their desired effect.
