Bruce Goldstein is a digital signage consultant who gives presentations to educate people about digital signage technology and alleviate anxiety around it. In this presentation, he plans to define digital signage, discuss the capabilities it provides like changing messages based on time of day or promotions, and how this can increase business metrics like sales. He will also cover market trends driving digital signage adoption, like continually falling prices for displays and networks due to technology improvements, making digital signage more affordable and widespread. The goal is to help attendees understand digital signage's business benefits.

1. Slide 1
Hello,
and
thanks
for
coming
to
Everything
You
Always
Wanted
To
Know
About
Digital
Signage
But
Were
Afraid
To
Ask,
my
name
is
Bruce
Goldstein
and
I
am
a
digital
signage
consultant.
My
company
Designage
offers
digital
signage
consulting
services
to
resellers
and
end
users
interested
in
using
digital
signage.
For
resellers
like
sign
makers
or
point
of
purchase
display
manufacturers,
Designage
teaches
them
how
to
sell
and
market
digital
signage
and
services
best
suited
to
their
company,
that
helps
grow
their
business.
For
end-­‐users
we’ll
establish
objectives
and
requirements,
and
recommend
solutions
to
install
to
meet
those
needs
as
well
as
help
them
with
the
install
and
operation
of
the
solution.
Now
the
reason
for
the
title
of
my
presentation,
aside
from
growing
up
a
Woody
Allen
fan,
has
to
do
with
the
anxiety
people
feel
about
technology,
in
this
case
digital
signage
technology.
By
the
end
of
the
day
I
hope
to
give
you
a
basic
understanding
about
what
digital
signage
is
and
how
it
can
help
grow
your
business,
as
well
as
to
answer
any
questions
you
may
have
and
to
eliminate
any
anxiety
you
may
feel
about
digital
signage.

2. Slide 2
I’m
going
to
cover
a
variety
of
topics
about
digital
signage
that
I
think
you
will
find
interesting
including:
What
Digital
Signage
is
and
what
it
can
do
-­‐
Market
drivers
and
trends
causing
digital
signage
to
grow
and
become
more
popular.
-­‐
Digital
Signage
compared
to
static
signage,
or
Static
On
Steroids,
since
they
are
cousins
not
competitors.
-­‐
I’ll
show
you
a
couple
of
popular
uses
for
digital
signage,
and
also
-­‐
Show
you
what
you
need
to
know
to
make
a
digital
sign
work
-­‐
I’ll
also
talk
about
content,
or
the
messages
displayed
on
the
screen,
an
area
were
there
is
a
lot
of
opportunity
for
sign
and
print
makers
to
prosper
-­‐
And
in
closing
I’ll
run
through
some
numbers
to
show
costs
and
sales
results
possible
with
digital
signage.

3. Slide 3
Let
me
start
by
defining
digital
signage.
Simply
speaking,
Digital
Signage
is
an
electronic
sign.
Kind
of
like
an
upgrade
to
existing
sign,
but
because
it
is
electronic
it
has
some
of
the
following
capabilities.
It
can…

4. Slide 4
Change
quickly
and
easily

5. Slide 5
Deliver
content
or
messages
based
on
the
time
of
day,
for
example
breakfast
lunch
and
dinner

6. Slide 6
Deliver
content
or
messages
based
on
the
day
of
the
week,
for
example
a
2
for
Tuesday
promotion

7. Slide 7
Deliver
content
or
messages
based
on
a
promotional
schedule,
for
example
a
holiday
sale

8. Slide 8
In
addition
you
can
change
the
sign
based
on
shopper
demographics
that
frequent
a
store
in
the
morning
as
opposed
to
those
that
frequent
it
in
the
evening.

9. Slide 9
Or
change
the
sign
based
on
its
location

10. Slide 10
Or
the
season
were
in,
promoting
more
hot
beverages
than
cold
for
example

11. Slide 11
And
because
a
digital
sign
has
the
ability
to
make
these
kinds
of
changes.
It
can
help…

12. Slide 12
Increase
sales,
average
spends,
gross
revenue,
etc.
of
a
particular
business
using
digital
signage.

13. Slide 13
Optimize
the
variety
of
kinds
of
products
being
sold.
Perhaps
20
brands
of
mustard
isn’t
necessary?

14. Slide 14
And
without
giving
away
free
candy,
but
by
educating
customers
with
informative
content
or
messaging,
it
can
increase
the
frequency
of
their
visits.

15. Slide 15
Overall,
it
can
provide
customers
with
a
more
enjoyable
and
exciting
shopping
experience

16. Slide 16
And
if
a
hometown
team
just
won
a
championship,
you
can
honor
them
the
next
day
without
any
priority
shipping
charges
incurred,

17. Slide 17
In
addition
to
these
capabilities
and
improvements,
the
digital
signage
market
will
continue
to
grow
as
a
result
of
the
following
market
drivers
or
trends…

18. Slide 18
Technology
innovation
continues
to
charge
ahead.
Everything
in
technology
continues
to
get
Bigger
Better
Faster
and
Cheaper
as
this
chart
illustrates.
A
large
up
front
cost
of
a
Digital
Signage
system
is
usually
the
display.
Less
than
10
years
ago
a
30”
display
debuted
at
$8,000
dollars.
Today
you
get
one
with
better
picture
quality,
almost
twice
the
screen
size
for
less
than
1/3
of
the
cost.

19. Slide 19
This
charts
illustrates
how
much
digital
signage
costs
per
location
have
dropped.
They
are
now
more
than
half
what
they
were
in
2004
(based
on
the
installation
of
a
100
screen
location
network).

20. Slide 20
As
cost
becomes
less
a
barrier
to
entry,
more
digital
signs
get
installed,
and
more
results
get
documented.

21. Slide 21
And
leading
market
research
firms
analyze
these
results
and
trends,
and
release
healthy
industry
forecasts
as
a
result.
A
few
notable
ones
are
shown
here…

22. Slide 22
Another
notable
trend
contributing
to
the
growth
of
digital
signage
is
the
availability
of
Good
Enough
Technology.
No
longer
does
the
newest
hottest
product
mean
it’s
the
most
expensive
and
advanced
product
available.
How
many
$99
LCD
photo-­‐frames
used
as
digital
signs
have
you
seen
in
use
that
were
good
enough?

23. Slide 23
Immediate
access
to
information
is
wired,
Seeing
it
this
evening
on
TV
is
tired.
More
and
more
of
us
get
information
from
the
new
media
triad
(internet
websites,
from
our
phones
&
other
digital
out
of
home
products
like
digital
signage),
especially
the
Gen
X
and
Gen
Y
consumer,
they
want
information
available
instantly.

24. Slide 24
And
lastly,
more
then
a
trend,
but
a
regulation
that
will
need
to
be
followed
is
menu
labeling.
Because
digital
signs
or
digital
menu
boards
can
be
updated
instantly,
Digital
Signage
will
help
companies
comply
with
this
regulation
and
any
others
that
follow.
To
start,
Menu
labeling
will
mandate
that
restaurants
with
20
or
more
locations
display
menu
item
calorie
information.
Even
without
regulations,
using
a
digital
sign
to
display
nutritional
information
is
something
that
65%
of
Americans
would
like
to
see*.
*According
to
a
2009
Guiding
Stars
Survey

25. Slide 25
This
next
set
of
slides
highlights
the
advantages
and
capabilities
digital
signage
has
compared
to
regular
signs...Keep
in
mind,
static
signs
and
digital
signs
are
complimentary
business
partners,
they
are
cousins
not
competitors.
Having
the
ability
to
offer
digital
signage
strengthens
a
companies
product
and
services
offering,
it
does
not
cannibalize
it.
And
if
you
can
also
offer
value
added
services
like
content
design
for
digital
signage,
it
will
give
you
a
clear
advantage
over
most
other
companies
already
selling
digital
signage
products
into
the
marketplace
today
(I’ll
talk
a
bit
more
about
this
later).

26. Slide 26
As
mentioned
previously,
the
content
or
message
on
the
digital
sign
can
change,
based
on
a
pre-­‐programmed
schedule
for
timely
information.
This
increases
viewership
and
increases
sales
revenue.

27. Slide 27
Also
the
use
of
motion
gives
a
digital
sign
a
great
advantage
compared
to
static
signs.
Used
properly
it
gives
a
sign
more
attention
grabbing
ability
than
signs
that
don’t
have
motion.

28. Slide 28
The
ability
to
distribute
digital
signage
content
using
a
network
reduces
logistical
costs
associated
with
shipping
and
installing
a
new
static
sign,
and
it
uses
less
energy
too.

29. Slide 29
Lastly
because
you
have
the
ability
to
transfer
content
using
a
network,
it
makes
updates
quick
efficient
and
dependable.

30. Slide 30
The
next
several
slides
will
highlight
several
popular
applications
or
ways
digital
signage
is
being
used
today.

31. Slide 31
Corporate
Communications

32. Slide 32
Foodservice,
from
restaurants
to
food
concessions
in
arenas
to
corporate
cafeterias.
Note
the
integrated
custom
enclosure
design.
Another
value
added
service
opportunity
for
sign
companies
offering
digital
signage
too.

33. Slide 33
Hospitality
examples
here
make
use
of
two
things
in
particular
to
note.
Display
sizes
vary
from
small
to
large
and
orientation,
either
landscape
or
portrait.

34. Slide 34
In
large
public
spaces
digital
signage
is
primarily
used
for
advertising
networks
or
wayfinding.

35. Slide 35
In
retail
most
digital
signage
is
used
to
increase
the
average
spend
of
their
customers
and
to
improve
effectiveness
of
limited
time
offers.
Note
again
display
sizes
in
use
vary
as
well
as
orientation.

36. Slide 36
Now
I’ll
dig
in
a
little
deeper
and
review
the
5
main
areas
of
what
makes
a
digital
signage
solution
work.
Keep
in
mind
that
this
is
an
area
where
a
digital
signage
consultant
can
get
involved
to
help
educate
you
about
all
the
different
possibilities.
If
this
is
something
you
don’t
have
the
resources
for,
or
you
would
rather
not
do
yourself
a
digital
signage
consultant
can
assist
you.

37. Slide 37
The
display
is
one
of
the
most
expensive
up
front
costs
and
there
are
many
products
to
choose
from.
As
a
result,
manufacturers
use
specifications
primarily
to
have
better
numbers
then
their
competitors.
Unfortunately,
no
standardized
testing
exists
for
things
like
contrast,
response
time
and
brightness.
So
rather
than
getting
caught
up
in
these
numbers
think
more
about
things
like
reliability,
screen
size
and
resolution.

38. Slide 38
There
also
exists
a
large
variety
of
inexpensive
consumer
grade
LCDs
too.
Their
prices
are
appealing,
but
keep
in
mind
they
are
different
then
commercial
grade
LCD.
Consumer
grade
can
work
though.
If
the
amount
of
hours
of
use
per
day
is
low,
and
the
product
is
being
used
in
a
well
ventilated
space,
and
priced
right,
they
can
be
almost
disposable.
Meaning,
if
replacing
it
for
your
client
12-­‐24
months
later
is
not
too
costly,
then
go
with
consumer.
However
commercial
grade
LCDs
are
used
for
most
digital
signage
solutions
and
here
is
why…

39. Slide 39
Commercial
grade
LCDs
come
with
a
5
year
on-­‐site
warranty
and
are
built
to
withstand
extended
use
(24/7/365)
in
harsh
environments
and
in
landscape
or
portrait
mode.
They
also
recognize
more
TV
and
PC
output
resolutions,
have
outputs
and
can
disable
or
lock-­‐
out
the
use
of
any
external
buttons.

40. Slide 40
If
the
display
puts
the
“sign”
in
digital
signage,
then
the
media
player
helps
put
the
“digital”
in
it.
The
heart
and
brain
of
digital
signage
technology
resides
in
the
media
player
and
whether
it
is
a
PC
media
player
or
a
Dedicated
media
player,
it
is
responsible
for
receiving
and
outputting
the
content
onto
the
display.

41. Slide 41
Depending
on
your
digital
signage
software,
you’ll
find
media
players
available
in
compact
form
factors
for
several
hundred
dollars
as
pictured
here,
to
large
rack
mountable
boxes
costing
a
couple
thousand
dollars.

42. Slide 42
PCs
and
Dedicated
media
players
contain
the
digital
signage
software
that
plays
different
media
files.
PCs
are
usually
more
compatible
with
a
variety
of
digital
signage
software
and
offer
a
variety
of
configurations
while
Dedicated
media
players
are
optimized
for
a
specific
type
of
software.
One
is
not
necessarily
better
than
the
other,
and
it
is
best
to
let
the
software
you
decide
to
use
determine
which
type
of
media
player
to
use.

43. Slide 43
While
there
are
hundreds
of
digital
signage
software
solutions
to
choose
from,
most
all
offer
the
core
capabilities,
to
create
a
playlist,
a
playback
schedule
and
the
ability
to
distribute
this
information
along
with
the
content
over
a
network
or
with
a
removable
storage
device
to
the
media
player.
So
how
to
compare?
Now
keep
in
mind
as
I
mentioned
earlier,
If
this
is
something
you
do
not
have
the
time
or
resources
to
do,
bringing
in
a
digital
signage
consultant
to
assist
you
here
could
be
a
good
idea.
Concentrate
more
on
researching
the
reputation
and
growth
of
the
company
that
makes
the
software
instead,
by
doing
some
of
the
following…

44. Slide 44
Kick
the
tires
and
test
the
software.
Make
sure
the
features
you
or
your
client
need
are
available.
Evaluate
things
like
ease-­‐of-­‐use
and
the
software
companies
customer
service
and
support.

45. Slide 45
Check
their
track
record
as
well…It’s
not
just
about
their
latest
big
win
or
pr
campaign,
but
also
about
how
long
they
have
been
around,
what
is
the
size
of
their
installed
based
and
what
kind
of
reputation
do
they
have?

46. Slide 46
Work
directly
with
them...are
they
easy
to
work
with,
responsive,
dependable,
well
organized?

47. Slide 47
Get
References
and
contact
them…Find
out
more
about
the
company
from
actual
end-­‐
users.
Sometimes
things
are
not
always
as
they
seem.
Being
well
informed
about
the
company
and
how
they
support
the
product
you
want
to
use
will
ensure
you
are
making
a
wise
investment
or
not.

48. Slide 48
The
next
area
to
discuss
is
distribution.
Getting
content
or
messaging
along
with
its
playlist
and
play
back
schedule
from
point
A
to
point
B.

49. Slide 49
The
simplest
least
expensive
way
to
get
digital
signage
programming
from
point
A
to
point
B
is
with
a
memory
stick
or
removable
memory
card
of
some
kind.
If
the
information
needed
to
show
on
the
display
does
not
need
to
change
on
a
moments
notice,
and
the
playback
schedule
can
be
fixed
for
a
week
or
more
at
a
time,
this
could
be
a
good
way
to
go.
It’s
inexpensive
and
reliable.
If
not,
there
are
several
connected
network
distribution
configurations
you
may
want
to
consider
instead…

50. Slide 50
With
a
master
slave
configuration,
digital
signage
programming
software
resides
on
a
PC
and
connects
to
the
media
players
over
a
network
to
distribute
programming
information.
You
typically
pay
a
one
time
perpetual
license
fee
for
this
type
of
software.
You
may
pay
support
fees,
and
you
usually
manage
the
network
from
you
or
your
clients
own
PC.

51. Slide 51
A
Connected
On-­‐Premise
set-­‐up
uses
a
server
PC
between
administrator
PCs
and
the
media
players.
Administrators
connect
to
the
server
PC
through
a
web
browser
to
upload
content,
create
playlists,
schedules
and
distribute
programming
to
the
media
players
from
the
server
PC.
You
typically
pay
a
one
time
perpetual
license
fee
for
this
type
of
software
that
can
be
set-­‐up
like
this.
You
may
pay
support
fees,
and
you
usually
manage
the
network
from
you
or
your
clients
own
server
PC.

52. Slide 52
A
Connected
SaaS
(or
Software
as
a
Service)
set-­‐up
is
similar
to
an
On-­‐Premise
solution
set-­‐up,
but
the
server
PC
is
located
remotely,
managed
by
the
digital
signage
software
company
(instead
of
you
or
your
client).
You
typically
pay
a
monthly
fee
for
this
set-­‐up
which
can
be
more
costly,
but
support
and
management
services
are
usually
handled
by
the
software
company
and
it
is
included
with
the
monthly
fee.

53. Slide 53
The
fifth
area
of
a
digital
signage
solution
and
perhaps
most
important
is
the
content
or
messaging
designed
to
appear
on
the
display
screen.
Often
times
having
a
content
plan
and
creating
professionally
designed
content
is
the
difference
between
success
and
failure.
If
your
company
has
the
ability
to
do
creative
design,
this
is
an
area
you
should
consider
offering
as
a
value
added
service
to
ensure
the
success
of
the
solutions
you
sell,
and
to
increase
the
amount
of
revenue
you
can
generate
with
digital
signage.

54. Slide 54
Developing
content
that
meets
these
objectives
and
incorporates
the
values
and
techniques
that
follow
will
increase
the
effectiveness
of
the
digital
signage
content
you
create.
To
start,
digital
signage
content
needs
to
captivate
the
viewer
and
control
their
eyepath,
provoke
thought,
arouse
emotion
and
encourage
viewers
to
act
in
some
way,
like
for
example,
to
purchase
a
product
or
service.

55. Slide 55
Remember
to
incorporate
the
following
values
when
creating
digital
signage
content.
“C-­‐cubed”
or
clear,
concise,
compelling
refers
to
the
use
of
graphic
elements
in
the
content
layout.
Like
using
fonts
that
first
and
foremost
are
easy
to
read,
perhaps
have
some
motion
characteristics,
and
are
styled
appropriately
to
create
the
overall
image
you
want
to
portray.

56. Slide 56
With
the
exception
of
long
dwell
times
associated
with
digital
signage
used
in
places
like
waiting
rooms
or
at
banks,
most
viewers
only
glance
at
digital
signs
for
only
a
few
seconds
at
a
time,
so
the
shorter
and
simpler
the
content
run
time
and
message
the
better,
so
Keep
It
Simple.

57. Slide 57
And
with
short
viewing
time
and
attention
spans
for
that
matter
the
larger
fonts
and
images
you
can
use
to
visualize
the
message
the
better
and
more
effective.
Bigger
Is
Better.

58. Slide 58
Now
a
little
about
techniques
you
can
use
to
help
meet
the
objectives
of
successful
digital
signage
content.

59. Slide 59
Attract
and
engage
viewers
with
interesting
graphic
elements
that
capture
their
attention
and
make
them
think
twice…

60. Slide 60
Use
contrast
to
focus
your
viewers
eye
and
attention,
not
like
this,
but
like
this…

61. Slide 61

62. Slide 62
Bleeding
images
off
of
the
edges
of
your
sign
makes
images
feel
bigger
and
more
dynamic,
and
food
more
scrumptious…

63. Slide 63

64. Slide 64
Placing
text
in
open
areas
of
a
layout
and
or
with
little
background
noise
ensures
it
will
be
easier
to
read…

65. Slide 65

66. Slide 66
Fix
your
focus.
Draw
your
viewers
eyes
to
the
area
of
a
layout
you
want
them
to
by
playing
with
focus,
like
this…

67. Slide 67

68. Slide 68
Placing
the
focal
point
of
your
image
or
layout
along
the
intersection
of
an
equally
spaced
3x3
grid
can
help
create
more
energy
and
interest
in
the
total
layout.
So,
instead
of
going
with
something
like
this.
Try
this
instead…

69. Slide 69

70. Slide 70
Working
within
these
pixel
dimensions
will
ensure
your
content
layout
will
scale
perfectly
with
the
display.
The
higher
the
pixel
dimensions
or
resolution
you
can
work
in,
the
crisper
and
clearer
your
content
will
look.

71. Slide 71
If
this
is
the
aspect
ratio
of
the
image
you
have
to
work
with
and
you
need
to
fill
the
space,
do
it
creatively,
but
don’t
do
it
like
this…

72. Slide 72
Skewing
and
distorting
graphic
elements
and
images,
cheapen
content
quality,
and
decreases
effectiveness.

73. Slide 73
The
final
topic
today
is
related
to
numbers.
Costs,
revenue
opportunities
and
return
on
investment.
The
revenue
opportunity
here
being
digital
signage
content
creation
services.

74. Slide 74
Why
are
Content
Creation
Services
a
revenue
opportunity?
There
is
a
lack
of
companies
selling
digital
signage
that
have
visual
communication
skills.
Most
companies
selling
digital
signage
are
IT
firms.
Furthermore,
most
end-­‐user
businesses
require
simple
digital
signage
solutions
that
require
little
IT
support.

75. Slide 75
There
is
a
need
for
designers
who
have
the
ability
to
translate
objectives
and
needs
into
compelling
visual
messages,
or
content
for
digital
signage.
These
services
offer
high
value
and
are
in
demand.
Some
of
those
services
are
mentioned
here.
Consider
partnering
with
firms
selling
digital
signage
or
offering
your
own
digital
signage
solutions
along
with
these
content
creation
services.

76. Slide 76
Now
for
a
look
at
some
estimated
costs…A
simple
digital
sign
does
not
have
to
be
expensive.
For
example,
a
countertop
digital
sign,
placed
in
front
of
the
customer
at
the
point
of
sale
can
cost
$2,000.
$500
of
which
is
generated
for
1
years
worth
of
content
creation
services
(or
$42/month).

77. Slide 77
A
little
more
expensive
solution
with
a
larger
LCD
wall
mounted
in
a
retail
store
can
cost
around
$4,000,
with
a
$700
content
creation
service
fee
for
1
years
worth
of
content
creation
services
(or
$58/month).

78. Slide 78
Now
justifying
the
cost
with
a
simple
ROI.
This
one
has
been
created
based
on
achieving
a
very
reasonable
5%
or
$12,500
gross
sales
lift/year,
through
the
use
of
the
inexpensive
$2,000
countertop
digital
sign.
At
that
rate
the
sign
could
pay
for
itself
within
8
months
($250,000
divided
by
360
days
=
$700/day)
(based
on
a
$5
average
sale,
140
orders/day,
operating
360
days/year).
(Gross
sales
lift
equals
$12,500/year,
$35/day,
$.25/order).
So
you
see
how
a
quick
return
on
your
customers
investment
in
a
digital
sign
can
be
achieved,
while
also
achieving
a
recurring
revenue
for
your
business
through
digital
signage
content
creation
services.

79. Slide 79
So
to
summarize
in
brief
in
closing.
keep
in
mind
some
of
these
key
take-­‐aways:
-­‐
Digital
signage
is
complimentary
to
existing
sign
products
and
businesses,
it
is
not
a
competitor
-­‐
Like
existing
signs
you
create
today,
digital
signage
content
must
be
clear,
concise
and
compelling
too.
And
should
always
change
and
be
kept
up
to
date.
-­‐
If
you’re
thinking
about
offering
digital
signage,
consider
offering
digital
signage
content
creation
services
as
well.

80. Slide 80
Thank
you
for
your
time
and
please
feel
free
to
contact
me
to
discuss
how
I
can
assist
you
with
any
of
your
digital
signage
needs.
Designage
offers
creative
as
well
as
technical
expertise
to
help
develop
your
digital
signage
business.
My
email
address
is
bruceg@designageco.com
or
you
can
call
me
at
201.400.8373.

81. Slide 81
Please
feel
free
to
give
me
one
of
your
business
cards
if
you
would
like
to
receive
a
copy
of
this
presentation
along
with
all
of
my
notes.
Thank
you.

82. Slide 82