Six Digital Signage Trends to Watch in 2019

By Eric Bixler, National Director of AV Solutions - 28 Mar, 2019
Collaboration & UC
6 Minutes Read
In 2017, the U.S. digital signage market was worth $4.18 billion, and it’s continuing to grow in 2019. Retail outlets, educational and healthcare facilities, corporate spaces, and entertainment venues are all seeing the benefits and reaping the rewards of delivering engaging digital messages to their customers, employees, and more.

CES 2019, the Consumer Electronics Show held every January in Las Vegas, brought us some eye-opening displays that we may expect to see in commercial venues in 2019 and beyond.

But what are the digital signage trends to watch in 2019? How will these new technologies help businesses share their messages with an increasingly discerning consumer base that expects targeted, relevant information wherever they might be?

MicroLEDs and Rollable Screens Put the “Wow” in Corporate Signage

Last year at CES, Samsung wow’ed crowds with “The Wall,” a whopping 146-inch diagonal, modular MicroLED that gives businesses greater flexibility, the same true colors and intense blacks that OLEDs provide, and an even brighter picture than OLED technology – all for a $100,000+ price tag, of course.

MicroLEDs are more difficult to manufacture than conventional LEDs, and therefore, more expensive, but can offer a greater impact in corporate applications, retail outlets, and other venues where excellent image fidelity and color dynamics are required. This year’s CES brought a new, more practical 75-inch MicroLED from Samsung.

For those who want the image fidelity and brightness of an OLED but want the flexibility of two-piece projection, LG presented a rollable OLED at CES that disappears into its case when not in use, much like a projector screen. With an assumed five-figure price tag, rollable OLEDs aren’t likely to replace two-piece projection systems in corporate settings any time soon, but it is good to know the technology is out there.

Digital Signage as a Managed Service Makes It Easier for Businesses to Achieve the Engagement and ROI They Expect

Digital signage is about more than just hanging a few displays in high-traffic areas. One challenge many businesses face is determining who will manage the content.

Cloud-based managed services make it easier for marketing departments to outsource digital signage management, knowing their messaging and brand is in the right hands. From content creation to delivery and even back-ups, New Era Technology can manage your digital signage in the cloud with the utmost security protocols and 99.9% uptime as part of your service level agreement (SLA).

Cloud-based digital signage makes it easy to scale your systems as needed and deliver content anywhere across your facility or campus. When you work with experienced service providers, your digital signage systems will be designed to engage visitors with customized messaging designed to support your brand and improve your ROI.

Direct-View LEDs Accommodate the Need for Brighter Displays on a Budget

Certainly, as digital signage grows in popularity, more customers need effective solutions on a budget. Direct-view LEDs can fill that niche in 2019. Direct-view LEDs are taking the place of large LCD video walls in many indoor applications, providing bright images and accurate color reproduction with high refresh rates. Direct-view LEDs are traditionally reliable and energy-efficient, while today’s models are easy to install. Smaller pixel pitches are now allowing for direct-view LEDs to be specified at larger sizes in smaller, indoor applications. As prices drop, more retail venues, corporate facilities, and even healthcare and educational institutions will look to this technology to meet their digital signage needs.

Digital Signage Kiosks Put Control in the Customers’ Hands

While many of today’s digital signage trends speak to bigger, brighter, eye-catching displays, another theme we will see in 2019 is greater interactivity with digital signage, especially with an increasing use of kiosks in retail venues and quick-service restaurants.

In spite of the issue of bacteria found on McDonald’s kiosks in the U.K., restaurants aren’t likely to shy away from this technology that puts ordering in the hands of customers. However, greater emphasis will be placed on cleaning procedures, including self-cleaning screens or bacteria-resistant glass.

Not all interactivity has to be touchscreen-based, however. QR codes that users can scan with their smartphones or social media streams encouraging people to touch base on Instagram, Twitter, or Facebook and then see their content displayed on the screen can also increase engagement.
 

Artificial Intelligence Helps Deliver the Targeted Messaging Today’s Consumers Want

Today’s consumers are used to highly customized messaging. We get in our vehicle and our GPS app suggests a location based on our driving habits and the time of day. Social media platforms and search engines deliver highly targeted advertising and re-marketing based on our Web browsing habits and the content we share.

To meet expectations for customized content away from home, cutting-edge digital signage kiosks could use artificial intelligence (AI) to deliver content based on viewers’ behavior. Using a combination of cameras and AI programming, digital signage programs will be able to choose relevant content to display based on a users’ age, gender, and even facial expressions and eye-movement. If sensors detect a user is about to move away from the display, the programming can change to keep the viewer engaged longer.

AI programs can also fill the role of virtual shopping assistants, asking users a series of questions and then selecting the best products to fill their needs or personal tastes.

Better Analytics Will Help Businesses Measure the ROI of Digital Signage

In addition to delivering more targeted messaging to users, AI and facial recognition software can also give businesses greater insight into the effectiveness of their digital signage campaigns. As a result, more retailers, restaurants, and institutions will seek to adopt the technology.

In a survey by Digital Signage Today, 54 percent of restaurants said they planned to deploy digital signage to more locations, while 49 percent of retailers have plans to deploy digital signage systems in the future. Those who don’t are in danger of being left behind and giving their customers a sub-par experience.

At New Era Technology, we seek to give our customers – and their customers – “a-ha” moments sparked by technology. The newest trends in digital signage for 2019 make it easier than ever for our clients to deliver their messages in memorable ways.

Author: Eric Bixler, National Director of AV Solutions