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How AV Integrators Can Cash In On the Growing $28B Digital Signage Market

Published: November 20, 2024
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The digital signage industry is large and growing, with a current market valuation of $28 billion and expectations for that figure to expand to $45 billion by 2032. Several factors are fueling this growth, including the fact that customers increasingly expect rich multimedia experiences, such as interactive or dynamic marketing, and digital signage is an effective strategy to deliver on that expectation. At the same time, declining equipment costs and technological advances that allow for more interconnected marketing strategies are lowering the barrier to entry for delivering them.

As companies compete for customers’ attention spans, digital signage is a great way to catch shoppers’ eyes. But digital signage isn’t just for retailers — though a whopping 94% of retailers use them. Digital signage also has a proven impact in transportation, healthcare, government, education, manufacturing, hospitality and more. With a wide range of applications and tremendous growth ahead, savvy AV professionals should be ready to take full advantage of the opportunities available in the world of digital signage, today.

Setting Up a Successful Digital Signage Practice

To set up a successful digital signage practice, AV integrators must first understand the options and benefits of this channel. Digital signage comes in a variety of formats, from interactive and self-service kiosks to indoor and outdoor LED displays to touchscreen tablets. In simplest terms, the display device uses a computer connected to a network to broadcast visual content.

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Digital signage presents a more engaging and dynamic option than traditional print signage. It also allows for real-time control of the broadcasted message. Signage can be quickly altered to display timely messaging, inventory updates, last-minute promotions and the like. Changes can be made across locations with the simple click of a button. Interactive options are particularly appealing, especially given that most customers are accustomed to digital experiences every day on their personal devices.

In a retail context, for instance, the vast majority of brands who have turned to digital signage have seen positive results, including a 33% increase in sales for 80% of brands, along with 81% of retailers who saw improvements in cross-selling and upselling. For AV integrators looking to launch a digital signage practice, the ability to communicate these benefits is crucial to selling customers on the technology.

How to Evaluate Available Partner Programs

Once integrators have a foundational understanding of digital signage, they must choose the right provider or partner. Generally speaking, there are two ways to get started with partners:

  1. Reseller: As the name suggests, being a reseller means you’re selling the partner’s digital signage directly to your clients.
  2. White-label: With a white-label approach, on the other hand, the digital signage is branded and sold as your own solution. This allows you to define your own pricing model and bundle services according to your business strategy.

With either option, choosing a reputable partner is crucial to success. Factors that should be evaluated when choosing a partner program include ease-of-deployment, scalability and security. The best partners are ones that offer turn-key solutions that seamlessly integrate with core AV services such as installation, configuration, maintenance and marketing. Finding a provider that offers free, ready-to-use templates for a wide range of sectors and use cases is a great way to ensure you’re quickly ready to go to market. Some providers also offer free trials and entry-level packages, which let you explore offerings without any financial commitment.

As mentioned, a key benefit of digital signage is the ability to easily adjust multiple screens at multiple locations. Ensure the partner you choose can easily manage multiple accounts, ideally through a single touchpoint, as this will make scaling fast and easy when the time comes. Enterprise-grade security is also crucial and should include firewalls, passwords, player restrictions, transport layer security (TLS), and encrypted storage. Before deciding on a partner, ask them about their security protocols and how security is ensured on an ongoing basis.

The Bottom Line

Digital signage represents a tremendous market opportunity for AV integrators. Static signs pale in comparison to digital ones, which offer greater engagement, scalability and possibility— made clear by the high estimated growth rate for the market. By choosing the right partner, especially ones that offer volume discounts and no growth commitments, AV integrators can ensure they are well-positioned to get a slice of this growing, multi-billion dollar market. From kiosks to tablet experiences, digital signage is a great way for AV integrators to diversify offerings and demonstrate to customers that your business is ahead of the curve.


James Robins, CMO at Yodeck.

Posted in: Insights

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