As November draws to a close, it’s time to review the results of this month’s Temperature Check focused on the ever-changing landscape of digital signage. For November’s survey, we were interested in learning about what the digital signage industry looks like from our reader’s perspectives and how this segment of the AV industry is framing our thinking for the future. We spoke to digital signage expert Bryan Meszaros of OpenEye Global and Andrea Varrone of Creative Realities to break down the November Temperature Check results.

For our first question, the majority of respondents indicated that demand for digital signage solutions in their business or projects increased moderately in the past year. When asked about the results of this question, Meszaros and Varrone said these results make sense considering there has been a greater adoption of digital signage and interactive solutions in verticals besides retail in recent years.

“I believe these verticals are catching up to where retail is and seeing quick and encouraging ROI from implementing dynamic menu boards and interactive solutions,” Varrone said.

For our second question, Meszaros agrees with respondents that opportunities for digital signage implementation are emerging from the education sector, particularly in K-12.

“Transportation is another area that makes sense, given the rising demand for travel and multiple hubs reinvesting in infrastructure to meet traveler expectations,” Meszaros said.

Though a considerable number of respondents agree that retail has promising growth potential for digital signage in the coming year, Varrone says she believes opportunities in retail have “stalled a bit” due to economic conditions

Finally, we asked our readers what kinds of content they found most effective and engaging for digital signage audiences. The results indicated that the majority thought interactive content and dynamic data were the most effective in terms of engagement.

When asked about the results of the question, Meszaros said he was unsurprised by the results.

“The use of data to help drive or visualize is very impactful. Showing relevance to the audience always catches the eye and creates strong engagement. The same can be said for interactive content, especially with the rise of “self-service” kiosks and themed environments that encourage interaction. We (OpenEye) continue to see an increase in interactive projects across various verticals,” he said.

Additionally, those who answered “other” to the previous question said they think the most effective content for engaging audiences are:

• Purposeful dynamic data
• Specific information about a product, room, program, etc.
• Anything best served on large screen passively
• Signage to enhance company culture

Varrone gave her insight on why respondents think these types of content are so effective for engaging audiences:

• Purpose full dynamic data is “always a win-win to provide real-time information.”
• Specific information about a product, room, program, etc. helps to make the ordering process seamless, doing wonders for the customer experience.
• Anything best served on large screen passively is aesthetically pleasing to the eye.
• Signage to enhance company culture is “great for corporate spaces or branding in retail stores.”