Nice article but surely 'digital signage' is the technology not the media, so am hard pressed to see how it can be the 'third leg' of a media stool

Indeed there are already a number of industry standard classifications - the US centric 'Marketing at Retail' for one example

See also http://www.dailydooh.com/archives/356

Hi Adrian,

I know you're a stickler for this one, but I have to (continue to) disagree. We're using the POPAI standard definition for digital signage, which clearly indicates that it is a "network of digital displays that are centrally managed and addressable for targeted information, entertainment, merchandising and advertising." Clearly the network part of things qualifies digital signage as the medium itself, not just the tech behind it. Otherwise, what you're saying would be equivalent to saying that televisions are not the medium, just the technology. And by "medium" I'm thinking of something along the lines of dictionary.com's definition, which is, "one of the means or channels of general communication, information, or entertainment in society."

When I think "medium" I think the means, not the message.

Very nice article! I am impressed to hear this tone of dialog from an advertising company like SeeSaw. As recent times indicate the proliferation of digital signage into the retail market is hampered by metrics and the lack of enthusiasm by the ad agencies that work for major retailers. I think when ad agencies realize the benefit of digital signage and incorporate it into the strategic mix of technology and message for their customers than and only then can the digital signage industry realize its potential with retail. Maybe the retail industry can learn from their counterparts in Europe where digital signage has been embraced as the media for the 21st century.

BTW, I am sorry to hear that our friends at the dailydooh have such a narrow view of the potential of digital signage. Digital signage is more than a technology, it is anew media.

Yes! The digital signage world gets us industry folks very excited, but I think that's just because we are so deeply committed to the industry. I’m just not convinced the consumers see it our way. Jeff describes DS as the third leg of the media stool, along with TV and the internet. However, the article later alludes to the fact that DS is competing with a fourth leg: mobile media. Since TV, the internet, and mobile media have already proliferated into daily life of the masses, it is hardly a competition at all. DS is way behind the other three types of media.

It is quite optimistic to say that DS is even on the verge of becoming a mass media. The general public has hardly accepted it as a media at all. Consumers are passionate about watching TV, surfing the internet, and making sure they have the latest mobile phone. I have yet to see any of my friends talk about a digital sign they way they blog on the internet, gossip about last night's reality TV show, or rave about the new ring tone they downloaded.

I take the dooh side on this one. Right now DS is merely a technology. DS can only be considered mass media once the general public embraces and uses it as a medium in their daily lives. DS is a ways off from influencing pop culture, consumer behavior, and social interaction the way other media types do. It just seems to be missing some things that the other media types possess. It doesn’t have the ability to stimulate the same kind of human interaction.

It always surprises, and even disappoints me to hear DS companies trying to divide themselves from the kiosk crowd. The www has set the new standard, and has successfully defined new emerging media as being interactive. Even television has made successful strides to become interactive and on-demand. DS needs to accept interactivity as a necessary component to engagement.

Advertising is an essential part of mass media. I respect SeeSaw as a network aggregator, and for the extensive work they have put into their studies of "life pattern marketing". I just think we need to be more sensitive of consumer engagement. It feels like a large portion of the industry is out there to please advertisers and media buyers through standards, metrics, and measurement. Take Google as an successful example of a company that uses and ad-based model. Google develops powerful tools for the end user, thereby gaining usage and loyalty, and as a result they make a boatload on advertising. I hope the big box DS companies begin to understand why this model is so darn effective.

The companies who can make the most impact are not preaching hardware and software (BTW...these guys aren’t media, they’re just technology). It is the companies like Nanonation, Loca Moda, Accuweather and Fourwinds Interactive, among others, who can take digital signage beyond loud advertising, and deliver value to both consumers and brands. We need to get away from the mentality that we must become leaders and separate our industry from these other media types. It is dangerous and arrogant to think that DS can jump in front, and lead a pack that includes MySpace, the iPhone, and Tivo (plus the newly released MS Surface). Personally, I’d rather follow sucessful examples.

It’s sometimes hard to separate passion from the truth, and that unfortunately leads to somewhat of a blurred reality. The digital signage industry I believe continues to make progress however I agree with Bryan that we are still behind where we should be. It is true that we are not quite television and not quite Internet, but that shouldn’t be our tag line. In order for this industry to progress forward and make significant contributions we need to embrace other technological advancements.

Consumers, brand managers etc… see this medium for it’s visual aspect (not impact) only. The industry has been running with blinders on for the past few years. More concerned over how to integrate RSS feeds and develop fluent GUI’s rather than gaining an understanding of the consumer and how to develop a technology that retailer’s want and consumers react to. I believe this is a great challenge for this industry and we have the knowledge and capability to transform this medium into a viable option, maybe not as the “third leg” but certainly as a niche medium. To get there we need to acknowledge that digital signage can be combined with other technologies as several companies have already done. We need to further those efforts and look at ways to incorporate RFID, Bluetooth, txt messaging, POS…in other words “human interaction.”
I share in Jeff’s excitement of the industry, though I believe we need to be more aggressive and continue to think outside of the box to make a name for ourselves.

I find it interesting that alot of people don't think DS is a great medium. Not to replace TV or Internet but to continue layering the message!

Use TV and Internet as the main game, but all that money spent can be pointless if the consumer gets to the Point of Purchase and they are influenced by another brand right? So using DS at Point of Sale is a powerful way of "finishing off" your marketing message when the consumer has their wallet in their hands.

Also DS is considered a niche medium but it does reach a mass audience. I think it's on it's way definitely!

I thought I would clarify a few things.

I believe that we are moving to a point where marketers have to consider the "utility" of the various media available to them. For the past four decades television has been sun that all other media revolve around. It was easy to buy, easy to justify and sexy to be creating content and advertising for. Regardless of the advertising strategy, television was the solution at most levels. But, with the advent of rapidly improving communications technology, messaging is now untethered from the home and from the television set. Marketers now have to take a new look at what each media is and isn't good at doing and, simultaneously, blend this view with what the particular goal is for their advertising.

Television is really good at reaching a lot of people quickly with a brand message but really lousy at defining, analyzing, socializing or exploring a product. That's what the Internet is great at doing. I believe digital signage, mobile media, radio and outdoor are "the last mile" of media and digital signage in particular is the "end aisle display" of media. This can change a bit by demographic profiles, but it is a good general view.

Marketers should seriously consider a new set of "buckets" for their media strategies based on what they are trying to accomplish and not creative attributes. The days of bucketing print assets, video assets, etc. are over with. The need to define their media strategies in terms of what medium has greatest level of utility against their goals is the new world.

As for mobile, I believe it works in tandem with digital signage and not in competition with it. I further believe that the look and feel of content and advertising creative will be similar if not the same across these two symbiotic platforms.

Jeff, thanks for expanding upon your point. I agree, media has undergone drastic change since the days when television dominated. Furthermore, when we are talking about PoP, digital signage gives marketers one more chance to influence buying behavior. I do think DS will continue to develop as an influential medium and information source for consumers.

At the time being, however; I still think that DS is lagging behind other types of new media. This is partially due to the lack of innovation. Many (not all) DS networks look too much like TV, but without the quality programming. This allows many small, medium, and even some large companies to think they can fake it by buying up a bunch of Vizios at Costco. I think there is a disconnect between business owners who see LCD's available as a consumer product, and have a hard time investing in commercial screens and equipment. DS can make strides when it stops looking like TV.

Does anyone have any good ideas or examples?