Perhaps you've read a few interesting articles about digital signage and have the notion that getting your message out with this exciting technology is a great idea. Or, maybe you work for an organization where a key manager has done the same thing, except that manager is delegating the responsibility to you.
If so, may I offer a bit of advice? Know the precise purpose of your digital sign or network of signs. It's tough to state this anymore bluntly: You will waste thousands of precious dollars, hundreds of hours of unproductive work time and aggravate managers, co-workers and even yourself, unless you have an exact, clear understanding of what you wish to accomplish with this new communications tool.
Cable Porter
It's not good enough to "sort of" have a goal. You must know up front -before you ever spend a dime, take the time of your co-workers asking for help, or even pick up the phone to call a digital signage vendor- what it is that you wish to accomplish. My reason for feeling so strongly about this advice is simple. Success with digital signage will only come to those who can recognize it.
Without understanding precisely what you wish to accomplish, you will never be able to judge how well your sign is performing. Increasing sales, raising awareness, communicating effectively, improving your organization's image are all fine goals as far as they go. But they aren't specific enough.
Why? Because without quantifying these goals, without measuring the status quo pre-digital sign -whether it's sales volume, profitability, consumer perception, level of knowledge- and without measuring the results post digital signage installation, you'll never know whether your individual digital sign or network of digital signs network has achieved its purpose.
Once you've identified your goals, write them down. Schedule a meeting with your management team and discuss these written goals. Ask for management's input in further honing these goals down to a sharp edge. By involving management in this early phase before a single monitor is purchased or a single cable run, you are getting them to invest themselves in the success of this project. Be sure to have your management sign off on the specific goals you jointly identify.
Doing should insulate you from misunderstandings about the nature, purpose and value of the digital signage installation down the road. However, let's be clear. Management isn't signing off on achieving these goals. That's your job. It's simply confirming in writing that these are the goals for the project so you have a quantifiable, measurable goal to achieve.
Digital signage is a powerful communications medium. It can inform, brand, sell, educate and entertain. It can attract attention, build interest, brand a product, explain a concept and even give people a reason to stop what they're dong and pay attention. In fact, digital signage literally can do hundreds and hundreds of different things. But the one thing it cannot do is succeed without a clear understanding up front about what defines success.
If you are seriously considering adding a digital sign to your organization, the first step is defining your goals. Doing so will make it possible for you and your new digital signage system to succeed.