InfoComm: Three Reasons Digital Signage is Growing
By Jennifer Davis
VP of Marketing, Planar Systems
It is easy to see that digital signage has gone mainstream. The market is growing by over 35 percent and industry experts expect more than 22 million digital signs to be deployed by 2015. That’s one digital display installed every 3.5 seconds.
The growth of digital signage is no surprise considering the many benefits it delivers. To read more about the digital signage market, check out this digiital signage infographic. Can you guess how much digital advertising was sold in 2011?
So, what are the drivers behind the growth in digital signage? Here are three contributing factors:
1. It has never been more affordable.
Prices of LCD displays — even larger flat screens and videowalls — have come down dramatically. It has never been more affordable to deploy digital signage.
2. Displays have never been easier to install.
Displays are getting lighter, thanks to advances in edge-lit LED technology. Mounting options have been simplified through VESA standards or purpose-design mounts from some display manufacturers. Plus, embedded media players, which available in a growing number of displays, make installation less complex.
3. Digital signage advertising has never been easier to create.
Media players can play back PowerPoint files or jpg images taken from cell phone cameras. Your clients’ marketing teams can put together professional graphics, or you can sources common messages (think “Sale”, “Grand Opening” or “Breakfast Specials”) from a growing number of stock photography sites (some of our favorites are iStockPhoto, Getty Images, Pond5 and Artbeats). Many of these sites also have high-quality video and animations that you can use as-is, or further customize to your needs.
In short, deploying digital signage is easier than ever. Easier on the wallet. Easier on the back. And easier on the nerves. We will continue to see aggressive market growth as more and more businesses see the benefits of digital signage.
How much digital signage business is your company doing?
This column was reprinted with permission from InfoComm and originally appeared here.