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Introducing SOS: the state and trends of signage
March 7, 2023
Six months ago, I started out as a tech journalist covering digital signage. In that time, I've spent day and night studying the industry and interviewing industry figures to try to understand the trends in this rapidly evolving industry. Due to the pace and scope of change, we're introducing SOS: State of Signage, a space periodically to share some of the broad ranging insights from research at Digital Signage Today.
To that end, here are three of the biggest trends I've witnessed since starting this journey, and in the spirit of International Women's Day, the first involves inclusion.
Trend 1: DEI
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion: thanks to the rise of new generations of consumers and businesspeople, a rising emphasis on DEI is a major force in the market, from increased demand for diversity in creative to increased opportunities for people of all walks in leadership roles. Women especially have sought an increased voice and role in the industry, from women's empowerment groups like WAVIT and the AVIXA women's council to the Australian mentorship group "The Aunties." A growing number of women in leadership roles, including our recent guest Zuzana Yalcin, are seeking to shape an industry that is more accessible to practitioners and customers of all walks and ability types, and accessibility is a growing priority. And a growing number of industry thought leaders, like Michelle Montazieri, tie DEI into the next trend of ESG.
Trend 2: ESG
Environment, Sustainability, Governance: fueled in part by the explosive growth of digital signage on college campuses (particularly during COVID), along with a new cohort of milennial and Gen Z customers, the industry is placing an enormous priority on sustainability. From companies like BroadSign, whose CEO Burr Smith recently announced sustainability as a core company goal, to nation states (and major emerging markets) like India, with a government-supported mandate for sustainable signage, the trend includes consumers themselves, who express increased concern on the topic. Examples like sustainable, plant-based protein company Just Eggs leveraging Volta (which itself is a media network running on EV charging stations) combine sustainable products with sustainable company strategies.
Trend 3: Emerging Markets
Due to its long time dominance in North America and the Eurozone, the digital signage industry often focuses on these regions nearly exclusively, particularly in industry coverage. However, thanks to global economic shifts and massive infrastructure investments in emerging markets, there are rapidly growing hubs of digital signage development. India has seen exponential growth, and I suspect it will become one of the dominant markets within a decade.
The ANZ region of Asia Pacific is dynamic and growing steadily, from car-top DOOH innovations to healthy eating DOOH campaigns by the Australian government. A lot of exciting things are stirring in Africa, spurred largely by South Africa as what sources have called the "springboard" into the continent (more in our upcoming Africa feature), from QSR and CPG multinationals to Isuzu's unveiling of Kenya digital signage. The explosion of infrastructure in previously connection-less regions is fueling the overnight birth of entire industries and massive investment opportunities that it would be foolish for businesses to ignore (consider the almost overnight 4G connectivity of Bangladesh, the resultant over 1 billion FIFA streams via Toffee, and the enormous DOOH, kiosk, and mobile interactivity verticals implied by this success).
We will be discussing further trends in this series, including the "death of the silo," but these trends alone herald a dynamic and profitable future for this industry, which (while its shape is changing dramatically) has nearly unlimited potential as it embraces new markets, new customers and new technologies.
Included In This Story
BrightSign
BrightSign is the global market leader in digital signage media players, offering the most reliable, secure and sophisticated solid-state media players on the market today.
