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DSE: Standards and solutions in digital signage
Organizations in digital signage are working toward standards for networks, and companies are moving to problem solving for customers.
February 23, 2011 by Christopher Hall — w, t
Themes running through the first day on the show floor at Digital Signage Expo 2011 in Las Vegas seemed to center around standards and solutions.
And the themes from DSE Day One, not surprisingly, echoed themes running throughout the digital signage space and echoed comments made recently by leaders in the space: setting standards for digital signage advertising, and finding solutions —or solving problems — for customers.
Real Digital Media CEO Ken Goldbeg moderated a panel discussion at the show yesterday, looking at standards, and he also brought up solutions, or problem solving.
Along with Goldberg, who represented the Digital Signage Federation's standards committee, the panel also featured AMI Entertainment's Mike Nickerson, from DPAA (the Digital Place-based Advertising Association); Dirk Hulzerman, president of OVAB (Out-of-home Video Advertising Bureau) Europe; and WireSpring's Mike Smith, representing POPAI, the global association for marketing at retail.
According to Goldberg, each panelist gave an update of what each organization is working on now and going forward, followed by an engaged discussion with the audience.
"We talked a lot about audience metrics and compliance, proof-of-play reporting and the real need to embrace the media-buying world and make them comfortable with what we do, or we're not going to succeed," he said.
Hopefully what comes out of that in the future is the organizations working together to create one standard on each topic rather than several, Goldberg said.
"And I think everybody knows that's the way to go," he said. "And then the next level above that is going to be, can we get the networks to comply with standards? And can we get the vendors to comply with standards? But if the money is there, if the advertisers insist, it's going to happen, it has to happen ... it makes the industry legitimate."
Goldberg also talked about what RDM was highlighting at the show, which was "the same old reliable hardware and the same old ever-improving software."
"So we don't have product news, and frankly I think it's boring anyway. What we're trying to get to, and what my new mantra is, we want to sell outcomes," he said. "We want to solve problems."
That sentiment echoes comments made recently by Captivate Networks President and DPAA Chairman Mike DiFranza that his company was focusing on solving problems for brands and agencies.
And it also echoed comments made earlier that day at DSE 2011 by Panasonic Group Manager, Digital Signage, Karl DeManss.
Panasonic is working to brand itself as a display firm, not just a plasma firm, and highlighting its LCD offerings at this year's DSE.
But the company also has looked at where the pain points are for its companies, DeManss said, and in response has come with a combined technology bundle to simplify things for customers. The bundle includes a Panasonic display along with a version of an AOpen media player with CoolSign software and a Peerless mount.
The bundle allows deployers to focus on their business needs, while Panasonic solves their technology problem. It's also another sign Panasonic is committed to the digital signage space, DeManss said.
"We're going to be a leader in the space, and we're going to do it through solutions," he said. "We're looking at, 'How do we solve a customer's problems?'"
All of the renewed emphasis on solving problems for brands, agencies and customers is a good sign for the industry as a whole, Goldberg said.
"I think it's a sign that people are examining their business models," he said.
Selling features is a loser's game, and selling on price isn't a winner either, he said. Everyone in the space is trying to solve similar problems, and a company's ability to help a customer solve their problem has value.
"I think people are looking at business models that way and simply adjusting — and solution selling, outcome selling, is not a new concept," he said. "I think it's a sign of maturity that people are finally saying 'there is something to be solved here.' We're not trying to justify our existence; we're actually solving real-life problems."
