Countless screens, mounts, racks, and even holographic augmented reality boards crowded the show floor at the recently-concluded Digital Signage Expo (DSE 2018) in Las Vegas. But the most valuable digital signage trends for integrators were much larger in scale than even the biggest board or screen in the exhibition center.
It’s that whole idea of “thinking big” that captured the attention of three industry veterans during the show. Alan Brawn, owner of Brawn Consulting and Mark Stross, CTO of ANC, both agree: gone are the days of looking at this business as one that merely plasters up a bunch of screens.
Now, you have to create experiences with end users in mind. But you also need to learn how to collect data from them to prove your solution’s effectiveness.
Software/Analytics is the Future of Digital Signage (Not Larger Boards!)
Alan Brawn, founder of Brawn Consulting, has been to each and every Digital Signage Expo. His predictions on what to expect at the DSE 2018 floor focused specifically around direct view LED’s influence on digital signage trends this year — and he says he was proven correct. [related]
What Brawn says was understated yet just as important, however, was the presence of analytics & software companies.
Most clients seeking digital signage solutions need some sort of proof that investing in such equipment will pay dividends in brand awareness — something the industry adopts only at an excruciatingly slow pace.
“It took the AV community a while to adopt AV over IP — so the industry is slow to adopt to change,” Brawn says.“Digital signage has evolved beyond retail and now enters the realm of being a major tool for communication and collaboration.”
Stross mimicked that opinion, going so far as to say that the very future of this industry is about creating proof.
“There are lots of companies here trying to show that they can prove brand exposure.”
Check out more of our Digital Signage Expo (DSE 2018) coverage here.
