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'Is there such a thing as a digital signage network?'

The head of the DSA ponders the meaning of "digital signage." Is it a physical network, a state of mind, a discipline or something else?

September 17, 2014 by Paul Flanigan — Founder, The Preset Group

Last week, I had the opportunity to travel to Australia. I spoke during the Integrate Expo in Sydney, and I met with dozens of folks that have taken a keen interest in digital signage. Over the course of two days, I met with integrators, designers and even global counterparts to some of our own Digital Screenmedia Association members.

While digital signage has continued to grow globally, I was fascinated with the approach that many took. During one of the conversations after one of my talks, I was asked this question:

"Is there such a thing as a digital signage network?"

I asked what he meant.

"What I mean is, we have screens, computers, wires, and we have never really thought of it as a digital signage network. It's an A/V network, but with a different content."

And it got me thinking: Is there such a thing as a digital signage network?

There certainly are A/V networks. Companies, trade shows and best practices have long existed that today we would call "digital signage." Back when I worked for the San Diego Padres, running the giant jumbotrons, the Padres were part of an organization called IDEA — the Information Display and Entertainment Association. If you look at these folks, it is very much what we would consider "digital signage," albeit in a unique category of environments. But they don't call it digital signage.

Recently I reviewed a book by Kevin Williams and Michael Mascioni about digital out-of-home entertainment. They are part of a group called Digital Out-of-Home Interactive Network Association. But they don't call it digital signage.

Rather, they don't consider themselves digital signage networks. Should we?

Screens, interactivity, mobile, experiences. These are converging. When it comes to the physical features of a network — the screens, the wires, the installation and even the software to run content — is it really a "digital signage network"?

Recently, Digital Signage Today posted an article about the Dallas Cowboys and enclosures for their screens. Are they enclosing digital signage screens or information displays?

Like most technology, it's not so much what you have; it's what you do with it. A few months ago a software company touted they were the ideal platform for a specific vertical. I wondered how they came to that conclusion, I know the platform. It could be used anywhere. I don't think I have ever seen any screen or mount company sell themselves only as "digital signage."

When I finished for the day with my talks in Sydney, the vast majority of people I met were those interested in executing digital signage. The minority of people I met were vendors of physical hardware or software products. These folks perceived digital signage as a way to use A/V, not as a network unto itself.

I don't want to get into any kind of debate on whether or not digital signage is an industry. (At one time I argued that it wasn't, and colleagues of mine were brilliant in their rebuttal of my argument.) But, there are several dozen A/V trade shows and conferences all over the world that are embracing "digital signage," when they are doing it already. And within our own industry, shows like the Digital Signage Expo and Customer Engagement World have evolved into way more than simply a screen on a wall. All these shows are looking closely at what constitutes a network — and the lines between digital signage and A/V are as blurry as ever.

It's at this point I found myself thinking less about digital signage as a physical network and more as a discipline; more as a way to use audio/video than to try to create a network of unique products, as if those products could exist only for "digital signage."

There are products and services that are very close to digital signage, surely, but most of these are in the content platforms and best practices. And manufacturers have very much embraced the nomenclature as a new market; there's nothing wrong with that. I doubt any company would walk away from a client because they were looking for what they call an A/V network.

I have long held the belief that we must begin with the end in mind — the patron, visitor, user, whatever you want to call him or her — the person who uses the screen to be entertained, informed or educated. And from there we can determine the best physical manifestation of what satisfies the needs of that person.

Following that model digital signage is as much a discipline as anything else. Digital signage is not just an industry of how, but an industry of why. The case studies, best practices and learnings have much less to do with the tools used; and much more to do with the outcomes of the effort.

Reading through my own writing here I don't see any epiphany, but consider this: I will be traveling to Mexico in a few weeks to give a talk about the Connected Consumer ... and nowhere in there do I talk about the physical network. I talk about the discipline of creating engaging experiences with connected consumers. It will be the third time this year I have given this talk.

That's as important to digital signage as anything I can think of.

Cover image courtesy of Draco2008.

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