OUR STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE TO THE MAGIC OF DIGITAL SIGNAGE IN PERTH

26 Feb OUR STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE TO THE MAGIC OF DIGITAL SIGNAGE IN PERTH

Sir Arthur C Clarke was spot on… technological advancements can seem like magic. Only a few years ago who would have thought that traditional brush signage would be taken over by vinyl, that vinyl would become a poor cousin to digital prints and that the next evolution would be dynamic, electronic signs displayed on LED/LCD screens?

Today we are seeing digital signage literally popping up out of a hat everywhere – in Perth’s CBD just last week I witnessed some great new displays going into the Yagan Square development, and my local shopping centre had a few new awesome ceiling hung digital advertising screens.

If I’ve managed to confound you already, then do not fear. Our step-by-step guide that follows is designed to help you understand digital signage.

A Brief Recent History of Digital Signage

Some people think digital signage is just a TV – but is it? No, that’s not quite right. A good analogy maybe if it seen as a hybrid between a Smart TV and a modern-day billboard.

Certainly in the early days digital signage was little more than screens that display digital content like images or videos – a bit like a sophisticated TV. In the last few years it’s become increasingly more robust, interactive and engaging. Think about where you see digital signage today? Shopping centres, airports, fast food outlets, main roads, hotels and conference centres, stadiums, etc. The costs are getting lower and technology advances further, so digital signage is becoming more accessible and scalable for all kinds of businesses.

What is Digital Signage?

Digital signage is a name given to any number of methods used to display multimedia content in public venues. Alternatively known as

• Dynamic signage;
• Electronic signage;
• Narrowcasting.

At its most basic level, an electronic sign is a display or network of displays that are controlled remotely and play content like images, videos, text, RSS feeds, social media and more.

Where can Digital Signage be used?

• You can put digital signs inside or out.
• It can be used to display information only, or used for people to touch and interact with.
• It can be put on a wall, mounted on a pole, fixed to a building, displayed on a kiosk or table or made into any size or shape you imagination allows.
• Networks of electronic signs have been deployed across numerous retail chains, banks, travel hubs and corporate headquarters to deliver informative and entertaining content to captive audiences and passers-by.

What Kind Of Digital Signage In Perth Is Best For Me?

Choosing the right signage technology depends on the intended application.

For example, a digital application for internal corporate communications would probably benefit from large, eye catching plasma screens placed in common areas such as cafeterias and break rooms. Depending on the size of the deployment, the network owner might opt for either local or remote management.

On the other end of the spectrum, a manufacturer looking to improve their point-of-purchase advertising might choose to employ small, lightweight LCD panels in conjunction with traditional product displays in an aisle or end cap fixture, managing the content centrally via a web-based interface. Of course, budget constraints must also be taken into consideration.

Touchscreens are available for virtually any sized display, and can add an interactive component to an otherwise non-interactive display medium.

So What’s the Tech Stuff?

Digital signage is an alternative to any traditional, static sign and can be displayed on nearly any TV screen or using a projector. It functions best with a digital media player that’s controlled via any desktop or mobile device over an internet connection. The diagram below shows the 8 key components of most digital signage projects – all of which have technical requirements (but that’s why we’re here to help!).
Why Do I Need Software?

The Software is powerful in that it can be compared to the magic spell. Without it, there’s a good chance the magic just wont happen! Your chosen software solution will keep  the marketing content neat, clean, and organized – and this is the simplest way to share various messages and sales promotions with your customers.

Lots of companies offer a cloud based content management software (CMS). We will recommend a CMS that will work with your project – some of our considerations will be:

• Security – ensures any content is secure from illicit access;
• Cache content – ensures the signs continue to play content even if the network connection drops;
• Templates or blank ‘content specific’ software – great for flexibility;
• Ability to scale up or down from 1 to 100,000 and beyond;
• Easy method of scheduling content to play at a future time/date;
• Support for content creation tools.

What kind of hardware do I need? 

This is a bit of a loaded question, and depends alot on what you’re trying to achieve. 4 key items of kit are:

• Digital Display Screen – the thing that people either touch or watch – this can be as big or small as you like (can afford!), can be indoors or outdoors, and can be solo or part of a multiple, integrated set of screens.
• Media Player –  the ultimate “magic box” that talk to the software. If you have a smart TV and you watch Netflix or YouTube on it, you’re using a media player to stream the video. Before purchasing a media player, talk to us about what works best for you.
• Network – can be simple or complex and will depend on what you are doing, where and how. One of the Yap!digital team can talk you through this.
• Computer – standard kit – just something that works and it reliable that you have in your office or business.

Conclusion

If you need help determining what your signage and content should look like, have done your homework already, or just starting out with some fresh ideas, read case studies or reach out to Yap!digital on +8 9274 5151 or tim@yapdigital.com.au.