Western Michigan University
Western Michigan University, a public research university in Kalamazoo, Michigan, has implemented a digital signage network of 30 networked screens across 13 university facilities in Michigan and 2 satellite campus locations in Florida. The digital signs provide consistent messaging at all locations and allow administrators to push out information and updates to students, faculty, and visitors.
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Introduction
Western Michigan University was founded in 1903 and enrolls 23,000 students a year in its undergraduate and graduate programs. Additionally, the school offers an aviation program that is ranked in the top 5 programs offered in the country, as well as the Thomas M. Cooley Law School, the Homer Stryker M.D. School of Medicine, and the Haworth College of Business.
Western Michigan University has grown to become a major national research university with 147 undergraduate degree programs, 73 master’s degree programs, 30 doctoral programs, and one specialist degree program across its seven degree-granting colleges.
The Challenge
Western Michigan University wanted a streamlined, integrated network that could simultaneously connect all of its regional sites to the same communications channel, while also providing flexibility for the local sites to provide their own relevant messaging. Prior to its digital signage installation, each regional site had to provide its own messaging solution, whether that was paper bulletins on corkboard signs, cardboard posters, or PowerPoint presentations on USB drives.
This hodgepodge approach to communication wildly varied in success and the university marketing team found it difficult to create any sense of consistent branding and messaging with their target audiences due to the lack of an organized, straightforward communications system.
Deployment & Usage
Mvix implemented a network of more than 30 digital signage displays at 15 different campus facilities in Michigan and Florida. The displays were installed in the entrance lobbies of each facility, including dorms, student centers, and administration buildings.
- 30 Mvix signage players
- Content management software – Mvix CMS v3
- Content integrations – calendar and event listings, weather, scrolling news feeds, YouTube videos
- Professional services – education & training, Signature Care Support
Why It Worked
The digital signage network helped facilitate the university’s visual identity program and promoted standardized branding across locations. As the signage content is all funneled through the marketing department, all displays now feature standardized branding across locations and look attractive and professional to passersby. The enthusiasm for digital signs by students and faculty was a pleasant surprise to the marketing team. Faculty see the potential to post announcements and other messages through a public channel, while students prefer reading about the university news and upcoming events on the screens rather than their email.
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