The superpower of digital signage is that it connects people in all ways. That's why the industry continues to grow strongly around the world, despite all the new challenges.
As the strong spring season continues, the digital signage industry continues to expand across multiple sectors, including retail, corporate communications, and, as always, DOOH advertising. Let's take a look at this week's news in light of some of the big themes we've covered over the past year.
Hybrid workplaces still exist
We've covered Humly's growth as a leader in hybrid workplace solutions over the past year, and this week the European company announced a partnership with BTX Technologies for U.S. sales, expanding its U.S. We continued to expand. A suite of tools, including room and desk reservation hardware and software, has ensured that the sector continues to perform well, despite initial fears that a post-lockdown world would see a full return to traditional work environments. It's worth noting (for context, we started the Humly-Exertis partnership in March).
Just as we saw at Insight's global headquarters, which drew employees back simply by making on-site work optional and creating an experiential workplace, companies that focus on hybrid experiences are seeing significant gains in employee satisfaction. Not only will you benefit, but you will also enjoy some future prospects. In case there is any disruption to standard on-site operations in the future. Despite calls from some parts of Silicon Valley and Wall Street for a full return to on-site work, workplaces and industries are struggling to fully invest in solutions during the pandemic and subsequent era of hybrid work. It is clear that there are still concerns about abandoning the project. Not only has the sector endured, but there is still potential for growth, as some players like Hamley have shown.
Public institutions recognize the value of digital signage
This week's news that the Lake Cumberland Tourism Commission has implemented digital signage in Kentucky further highlights the theme of various government agencies (including national parks and tourism departments) embracing the value of digital signage and wayfinding. I have to. We've seen the growth of Soofa's solar kiosks in a variety of locations, including a project in Trenton, N.J., in February of this year. Interestingly, the proliferation of these technologies raises interesting data and privacy conundrums. We saw it in March when questions arose about Soofa kiosk technology in Boston that can read certain cell phone data of passersby. The tension between the usefulness of municipalities collecting specific information about pedestrian traffic and privacy concerns nicely mirrors similar tensions in the world of DOOH advertising. In DOOH, increasingly smart programmatic DOOH (increasingly leveraging AI) enables sophisticated data collection, leading to interesting legal questions. and ethical questions. Regardless of where regulations evolve, it's clear that cities and governments are embracing the value of digital signage in a big way, making it a ripe area for industry growth.
Movies and entertainment continue to grow strongly
We've seen significant growth in cruise ship applications for digital signage, and this week we saw Carnival and Effie team up on a solution that connects retail and entertainment on the high seas. By using virtual reality to allow customers to virtually try on rings in his Effy shop, he is also contributing to the growth in the augmented reality and self-service space seen in the retail industry over the past year. (recall the collaboration with Zyler Larsmiani in the high fashion world of Milan last May). This is an interesting topic. Digital Signage as an Industry Just as signage is breaking down silos and seeing cross-pollination across subcategories (and even competitors), the unique applications of digital signage are creating cross-pollination and the industry is A new chance to grow.
This is probably not as strong a field as the entertainment field. In entertainment, virtual production has revolutionized both Hollywood and live events, and advances in holograms, 3D, and laser projection continue to revolutionize space. India, one of the fastest growing digital signage markets, continues to lead the way in this field. This week saw a major partnership between IMAX and Miraj movie theaters, proving once again the nonsense about the death of cinema (and its effects) during the pandemic. (in the case of the digital signage industry) was completely unfounded. As movie theater operator and Digital Signage Today guest contributor Rick Roman said in his March, “Movies are back!” This is a success story that reflects the resurgence of taxis (and taxi-based DOOH advertising).
Will you survive or thrive?next 10 years
Just as workplaces adapted after the pandemic, our industry continues to adapt and thrive through continued innovation and adaptation. From the rise of AI to continued questions about global supply chains and uncertainty regarding current events, there is no doubt that we have entered a new era of the unknown. But one thing that hasn't changed is the power of the digital signage industry to connect people and businesses across communities. And people always need connection.
The superpower of digital signage is that it connects people in all ways. That's why the industry continues to grow strongly around the world, despite all the new challenges. Moving forward, our focus remains on providing our users with accessible, innovative technology and original, organic content that surprises and delights them. The environment is constantly changing, and new challenges will continue to emerge. But that's what's driving the innovation and adaptation that makes this decade of digital signage the best yet.
Daniel Brown is an editor at Digital Signage Today, a contributing editor at Automation & Self-Service, and an accomplished writer and multimedia content producer with extensive experience covering technology and business. His work has been published in a variety of business and technology publications, including interviews with prominent business leaders, inventors, and engineers. He has written extensively on AI and the integration of technology and business strategy with empathy and humanity. Brown is the author of two of his novels and is also a podcaster. His previous experience includes his IT work at Ivy League research institutes, his education and business consulting, retail sales and management.