11 Industries That Can Benefit From Digital Signage

Digital signage is an essential tool for new entrants to promote products and services and communicate important information. Traditionally, commercial centers used static posters to inform patrons. However, paper flyers are easy to miss, and businesses have to reprint the posters each time to update the messaging.

The emergence of digital signage as an advertising tool in the 1990s was a huge relief to businesses that wanted dynamic solutions to engage customers. Today, digital signage can benefit numerous industries in both private and public markets, such as parks, stadiums, airports, restaurants, and retail shops. With 400% more views than static signs, digital signage is a proven tool for all industries. Should your business utilize digital signage? Keep reading to learn more about its benefits specific to each industry.

Digital Signage Market Size

Forecasts from Precedence Market Research expect the global digital signage market to grow at a CAGR of 7.7% between 2021 and 2030 to reach USD 38.63 billion in 2030. This incredible market growth is attributed to various factors, including the evolution of display technologies like LCD, LED, and OLED, rapid digitization in developing economies like India, Mexico, and South Korea, and the increased demand for digitized promotion of products and services.

Additionally, innovation from key players in the digital signage industry like CISCO system, Samsung Electronics, Panasonic Corporation, LG Electronics, and Sony Corporation has resulted in top-quality viewing experiences that attract customers.

According to a research report, North America remains the largest market in the digital signage industry, with a share of over 34.5%. In Europe, the major digital signage providers are expanding their presence, and the UK, Germany, Italy, and France lead in digital signage adoption. The Asia Pacific is the fastest-growing digital signage market.

Retail stores, hotels, and corporate offices in countries like China and Japan seek to appeal to shoppers with increasing disposable incomes. Other emerging digital signage markets are the Middle East, Canada, and Latin America.

Digital Signage Markets

Digital signage is a powerful technology to streamline employee communication, reduce printing costs, and engage customers in any industry. Explore how some end-users use digital signage in their industries to improve engagement below:

1. Healthcare

Healthcare is among the best-positioned industries to leverage the benefits of digital signage. The need for efficient communication mediums became especially urgent at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic. Specifically, healthcare centers needed to display critical real-time updates, enforce social distance guidelines, and quickly mobilize staff.

Through a centrally controlled digital signage system, hospitals can deliver important messages to all screens in a facility. Invest in robust content management systems and media players that let you stream different content to various digital signs.

For example, staff-facing displays in break rooms and offices can remind employees about upcoming training, highlight staff schedules, and deliver emergency content. Meanwhile, waiting room digital screens can show wellness tips, entertainment, and wayfinding information.

2. Retail

Retail is a highly-competitive landscape, and business owners need a few tricks to survive. Today, brick-and-mortar retailers face numerous challenges, such as the rise of online shopping, maintaining customer loyalty amidst an abundance of choices, and supply chain disruptions. Also, retail verticals face changing customer expectations. In truth, the modern consumer expects an enriching and personalized experience every time they step through your door.

Luckily, the adoption of digital signage can revolutionize internal and external communication in your retail store. First, eye-catching animations and dynamic content on high-quality screens attract people to your establishment. Consider that 76% of American consumers enter shops they have not visited before because of signage.

Once inside the store, engage customers with fun visuals to enhance their shopping experience. For instance, display pricing information, product benefits, social media feeds, and discounts. Interactive displays can let customers explore your catalog and entice impulse purchases.

3. Education

Today’s students are glued to smartphone and computer screens, and schools need equally-stimulating communication mediums to grab attention. Static flyers on cluttered notice boards do little to catch students’ attention. In contrast, display solutions are captivating and exciting, and they reduce printing costs.

The best thing about education digital signage is that administrators can schedule playlists for different times of the day. For example, digital menu boards in the cafeteria can display the day’s menu at 11 am every day while hallway signs remind athletes about practice before classes wrap up.

In case of emergencies, staff can deploy real-time alerts and instructions to every screen in the facility. Content ideas for digital signs in schools include athletic accomplishments, school policy updates, after-school activities, wayfinding information, and student-generated content.

4. Hospitality

Guest experience is critical in the hospitality industry. In the current tech-driven world, stakeholders in hospitality are embracing technological advancements like digital signage to deliver unforgettable guest experiences. From self-service kiosks, digital concierge stations, digital directories, and digital menu boards, digital signage can transform your establishment into a luxurious and tech-forward facility.

Digital screens can highlight nearby attractions and promote other services in your business like guided tours, car rental services, doctor on call, flower arrangement, and luggage storage. Further, restaurants can leverage digital menu boards to upsell and cross-sell menu items, advertise specials, and display nutritional information.

5. Financial Services

Digital signage systems are invaluable tools to streamline internal communication and engage customers in the finance sector. First, digital signage solutions support branding for institutions with different branches. Images and videos are great storytelling devices that can show customers what your company is about, regardless of where they are. Vibrant animations on clear displays give your clients confidence and establish your business as modern and sophisticated.

Additionally, digital signs keep your customers and staff updated on the latest financial market trends. For example, a video wall in a banking hall can highlight currency rates, loan and mortgage rates, and stock prices while advertising the bank’s products. Digital signage is also an excellent platform to reduce perceived wait times via entertaining videos, slideshows, infographics, and photos.

6. Government

The public often associates public buildings with long queues and outdated technology. But, digital signage has transformed the way local, federal, and national governments communicate with the public and staff.

Government digital signage has many applications, from court docket displays that show court details like case numbers and presiding judges, digital directories to manage traffic, and lobby signage to entertain and inform waiting visitors.

7. Worship Centers

Digital signage can solve many challenges that worship venues face, such as attracting worshippers, effective branding, seamless communication, and improving wayfinding. For instance, wayfinding digital signs at entrances, hallways, and lobbies ensure visitors make it to sermons, bible classes, and events on time.

Multizone displays can deliver different information to your congregation at the same time. You can stream live sermons in one area as you share inspirational messages and upcoming events like weddings in other sections. Colorful calendars on ultra-HD screens keep church members informed about upcoming programs.

8. Manufacturing

Digital signage has multiple applications in the manufacturing industry. First, digital signs motivate and engage employees and create an inclusive environment. With an employee turnover and absenteeism rate of 37%, stakeholders in the manufacturing sector need creative methods to keep employees.

By recognizing employees and teams for meeting targets on digital displays, employees stay focused on company goals. Also, show current metrics and industry news to empower your team in their daily tasks.

LCD and LED displays or projectors can also improve safety on the factory floor. Display safety and training videos and push emergency alerts in real-time in case of fires, chemical spills, or accidents.

9. Transportation

Digital signage displays are enjoying increased demand in the transportation industry as they easily guide travelers and enhance safety. In busy hubs like airports, railways, bus terminals, wayfinding, and check-in kiosks are invaluable in improving navigation and reducing queues. Similarly, digital billboards display real-time arrivals and departures to enrich the passenger experience.

Currently, travelers are spending more time in transportation hubs due to increased health and security measures. Digital displays are excellent entertainment mediums that reduce perceived wait times as people wait for airplanes, buses, or trains.

10. Entertainment

Today’s consumers expect immersive experiences from entertainment venues since they can opt to watch the big game or movie on their couch. Fortunately, sports arenas, casinos, movie theaters, and bars can harness digital signage to excite and engage visitors.

For instance, exhibition centers like Birmingham’s National Exhibition Center (NEC) can display upcoming events, run ticket promotions, promote specials in food stands, and provide wayfinding information via stunning visuals on video walls and digital boards.

On the other hand, theaters can entertain waiting moviegoers with previews of upcoming movies, promote ticket sales, and advertise special events like film festivals. Live games and action replays keep audiences engaged in sports arenas, while digital menu boards make it easy to order at snack stations.

11. Fitness Centers

Fitness clubs and studios use digital signage to sell merchandise, motivate gym goers, and inform customers. For example, you can highlight class schedules and show real-time cancellations. Invest in a cloud-based digital signage solution that integrates with your calendar to make real-time changes to class schedules.

Dynamic visuals on digital signs also promote new and struggling fitness classes. For instance, you can promote membership upgrades, friend’s discounts, personal training sessions, and other extra services. Then, use colorful templates and branded details to tell your company story and boost loyalty.

In Conclusion

As seen above, multiple industries use digital signage to improve communication, attract new clients, and increase sales via digital signage. The advertising industry was an early adopter of the technology, but healthcare, education, transport, hospitality, retail, and many more industries have embraced digital signage with enthusiasm. This increased demand has catapulted the digital signage industry into a billion-dollar sector that promises to revolutionize the way businesses communicate with patrons.