1. Digital Signage:
Avoid the Pitfalls.
Top Ten Tips to Success
Bring your environment to life. www.saturnvisual.com

2. Digital Signage:
Avoid the Pitfalls. Top Ten Tips to Success
Digital signage is changing the way we real-time, eye-catching and interactive So is it for you? If you are reading this
bring our environments to life. It’s more content. That’s why digital signage is eGuide, then perhaps your business or
than a poster, more than a sign, more than already a commonplace sight in shops, organisation is considering exploring this
an intranet. It doesn’t work like TV banks, airports and bus stations, cinemas new frontier for the first time. Or you may
broadcasting, or like a PC network. and doctors’ waiting rooms, schools already be a digital signage convert and
and hospitals, corporate offices and call looking for ways to further enhance your
Digital signage offers a fresh, engaging centres. Even in times of recession, digital communications or brand.
and dynamic means of communicating. It signage has continued to grow when other
requires us to think differently about how traditional media channels have struggled. Embarking on a digital signage project
we talk to our customers, employees or can be daunting. There are a multitude
publics. New skills and techniques are As the cost of technology has come down, of systems, software and technologies
being developed all the time as the so digital signage has become accessible available and many potential stumbling
technology improves. to a much wider user-base. Flat screen blocks along the road to success. This
technology and improved network integra- eGuide is designed to help you avoid the
These days we’re used to seeing screens tion have enabled digital signage to be pitfalls and consider the ingredients for a
everywhere we go. But far from Big both simple in application, and sophisti- successful deployment.
Brother watching us, modern screen-savvy cated in use.
audiences are watching out for ever more
No1. measure success. A clear, well-thought
out proposal will also be an essential tool
demographic. In a cinema for example,
there is a different footfall during the
So You Think in getting buy-in and funds from senior
management. All too often, digital signage
daytime, than in the evenings or in school
holiday periods. The content can be
You Need Digital installations can fall at the first hurdle. By
having ill-defined or “me-too” objectives,
tailored accordingly.
Understand what the technology can do,
Signage? hapless project teams end up back in the
boardroom having steered blindly towards and then know from the outset what
a system that does not meet their real success will look like.
Isn’t it often the case when a new
requirements.
technology explodes onto the scene, that
the unwary can trip up; perhaps caught
up in the excitement of the hi-tech bubble,
Digital signage offers unique potential
for dynamic and customised information.
No 2:
focusing more on the shiny new
technology than the delivery?
For you, it could offer the opportunity for
better customer service and to provide
Should the
Someone in your organisation may have
greater product information to your cus-
tomers. It could be a means to inform and
Buck Stop with
decided that digital signage is the new
“sliced bread”, the next best thing ever to
motivate employees or simply to create a
certain atmosphere which supports your
Marketing …
be introduced into your communications
mix. But is it right for you? The starting
brand identity. Whether you want to sell
popcorn or evacuate a building, there are
Or IT?
point has to be exactly what does your
some key features to bear in mind in the A digital signage installation has been called
organisation want to accomplish with
planning stages. a ‘technology ecosystem’ of different media
digital signage?
and disciplines. To achieve success requires
Uniquely, digital signage communication
It’s an old saying, but failing to plan is coordination and knowledge sharing with
can adapt instantly to time, place and au-
planning to fail. Start by clearly defining many parts of the organisation. There’s
dience. Content can be tailored to a spe-
the purpose of your digital signage the hardware and software; the project
cific location e.g. near a featured in-store
network and make sure all your internal management; the networking and
promotion. It can be updated in real-time
stakeholders share the same views. Taking connectivity. Then there’s the design and
- delivering airport timetables for instance
time to agree on expectations for the authoring and finally ongoing content
and feeding in current events such as
project is essential. Digital Signage may management and system maintenance.
weather or traffic conditions. Finally, it
not be the solution.
is highly specific to the audience. It allows Even the most skilled IT manager might
You will then need to set clear objectives relevant ‘narrowcasting’ i.e. delivering struggle to appreciate the full
and define how you are going to targeted messages to a specific known communications capabilities of digital
Avoid the Pitfalls. Top Ten Tips to Success 1
Bring your environment to life. www.saturnvisual.com

3. signage. On the other hand, a marketing
manager may fall short of understanding No 4: No 5:
the technology requirements. Of course,
there’s no right or wrong answer to which Know your Content is still
department should take control.
Place – or Places! King: Long Live
In any organisation, undertaking a
digital signage project for the first time, Digital signage is about location, location,
location. Think carefully about the number
the King!
it’s essential to establish a capable
multi-disciplinary team incorporating all the of signs and where they are strategically A day does not pass when the words
relevant stakeholders. Senior management positioned. How many signs would be too “content is king” are spoken or written
need to ensure that adequate resources many for your organisation? How many down somewhere with reference to digital
are allocated to any project to enable too few? signage. The truth is that success really
a successful outcome and that all stake- does lie in the application and the skilful
Every digital sign needs to be placed delivery of your message. A digital signage
holders are kept informed of progress.
where it is most available to the target network has the ability to run video,
For some, the solution lies in appointing audience. It sounds obvious, but the more graphics, text and animation. Multiple
a supplier that can provide end-to-end you know about the footfall of your visual elements are put together to a
project coordination. Digital signage audience, the more you can place the defined playout schedule.
specialists have amassed the broad skills signs carefully. Research has shown that
in everything from hardware to content signs too close to entrances can be less Digital signage can make a big impact; but
design and can offer a ‘one-stop-shop’ effective. As a rule of thumb, the closer it is also subject to the filtering, avoiding
approach that can circumvent potential to eye level a digital sign is, the better, and ignoring that people use to tune out
internal difficulties. although there can be exceptions to this, of media. Failing to consider the screen
in the case of cinema foyers or call cen- content adequately, can result in a loss
An external specialist can also open up tres, for example. of “stickablility”. Stickability is the
new options for you in terms of the compulsion for the viewer to not only
applications for the project you may not Increasingly, the location of digital signage notice the message, but to actually
have considered. is being considered right from the design digest and process the information.
of a building. Digital signage is becoming
part of the architecture of stores, foyers So there’s a real art involved in creating
No 3: and cinemas, where static and dynamic
media are planned together as part of a
the right kind of text, images and video.
Content needs to be kept simple. People
Who’s in Charge? physical infrastructure. may need to get the message in a glance.
Screens should be kept with a minimum
Digital signage experts are starting to of images: - no more than three elements
Who should you ask to take the lead in appreciate the impact that it has on the on screen at the same time.
a new digital signage project? Certainly, total environment of a building. The way
having one point of contact to drive the you want your environment to look and Consider carefully when to incorporate
project forward is essential. You should feel drives the technology, placing, mes- big moving images, or complex graphics.
insist on this from your supplier, too. saging and graphics on your digital sign. They can catch the attention, but detract
The creative solution could be different from the viewers’ ability to understand
What skills set should your project manager
for two places within the same department the message on screen. Digital signage
have? They must understand the full scope
store, for example. Whether you are a has the option to include sound, but this
of what is required from them and in
major organisation or a modest SME, must be thought about carefully, especially
turn they should be provided with all the
consider carefully how your digital signage in an environment where there is
resources necessary from the rest of the
network will affect the atmosphere and background noise.
organisation.
ambience of the space around it.
So a simple message is important. But
Consider also, who will manage the system
aim for too low impact and you’ll end up
once it is up and running. This may not be
with nothing more than moving wallpaper
the same individual.
– and very expensive wallpaper at that.
Well executed, digital signage delivers
compelling and interactive communications
in a two-way experience with the viewer.
The content may need to vary across
the installation. A 65-inch screen in
landscape for example, may need a
different treatment to a 32-inch screen in
Avoid the Pitfalls. Top Ten Tips to Success 2
Bring your environment to life. www.saturnvisual.com

4. portrait. The more screens you have in any staffing. For example in a hotel, the It takes time to be properly trained in
installation, the greater the challenge. system could be integrated with the using a digital signage network. Of course,
management software tor tracking there is the option to learn ‘on the job’.
Finally, you will need to consider who is reservations, meeting room bookings etc, But it would be ill-judged for an
responsible for designing the content. saving the need for re-entering data. organisation to invest heavily in the
For larger organisations, it may be a installation of hardware and initial
case of recruiting a full-time specialist Above all, when specifying and selecting graphic content, then fail to allocate
or appointing an advertising agency. For your system, be sure that your system sufficient funds to the ongoing training
SMEs, the choice is more limited and it supplier incorporates a content creation of personnel. After all, what was the in-
may be a case of working with an software package which is easy to use vestment for, if it is not sufficiently
individual to develop their skills and and manage. supported in the post-installation period?
knowledge in the role.
Failing to learn how to update the
No 7: content of your new system could prove
No 6: embarrassing, and make it difficult to
Watch out for justify the initial outlay in the system to
Who Updates the senior management. Worse still, it could
Hidden Costs negate your objectives and do a poor job
Content? It’s vital to consider all the hidden costs
of communicating with your audience.
Make sure you allocate a training budget
Digital signage has an insatiable appetite associated with a digital signage
from the outset of project planning.
for content. To attract attention it needs installation. All too often, organisations fail
Identify and recruit carefully those who
to be constantly changing and updating. to identify from the outset the associated
are going to be trained in the system,
Yes, you can use RSS feeds and news wire costs and to incorporate them in the
and what level of skill they require. If
services to refresh information, but you budget. The result can be a shiny new
appropriate, work with your system
will still need to update your own system, without the resources to maintain
supplier to tailor a training programme
organisation’s content on a regular basis. it adequately, or an embarrassing
to meet your needs.
justification to be made to the finance
From the outset, from the moment you manager. It’s vital to identify the total cost
start planning and budgeting for your of ownership of a chosen solution, and
digital signage network, you need to
consider who will update the content once
avoid the temptation to underestimate – or No 9:
even ignore – ongoing costs. Pre-launch
the system is fully up and running. That
means identifying the necessary
“buy-in” is a must. What’s your Return
staffing costs, too. It’s no small task,
and it requires someone with the
Just as importantly, is the need for a
fully-scoped and well-communicated
on Investment?
necessary skills and access to information installation project involving all stakehold- As the digital signage market has
in your organisation. ers, with an integral monitoring and review developed, so users have become more
process. A project that is not carefully discerning and more conscious of the
You may be fortunate enough to be able planned out, could run into difficulties Return on Investment (ROI) offered by
to assign a full-time qualified, competent and incur extra unforeseen expenses. their digital signage network. But to
person to manage the task of creating measure ROI can be a challenge.
content. It’s tempting to rely on a number Ensure your solution provider identifies all
of people to ‘chip in’ with their own the costs associated with content creation, As digital signage is moving from a
contributions, but without someone in component replacement and hardware nice-to-have, towards a need-to-have
charge, the text, graphics and video on refresh right from the start. business tool, so has the requirement
display will soon grow stale and lose focus. for a strong financial case to be put for
funding the system. It won’t be enough
Choosing the right design of system and a
suitable content management solution are No 8: to tell the board about the benefits of this
exciting technology. You are also going
also important. Using design templates,
for example, can be one way of minimising Train the Team to have to set measurable targets – and
deliver against them. That means showing
the amount of work involved when content how the system is paying back, be that in
Any budget for a successful digital signage
is to be updated allowing someone to increased sales, or by saving on costs that
network should include an ongoing
populate the system with new information would have been incurred elsewhere, for
allocation for training. Creating content
on a regular basis. example eliminating print costs for
for a digital signage network, scheduling
it and making changes to playback along internal posters.
Choosing software that allows data
from other systems to be imported the way will require a large degree of skill,
There’s plenty of documented research
automatically can also save time and interest and commitment from your team.
Avoid the Pitfalls. Top Ten Tips to Success 3
Bring your environment to life. www.saturnvisual.com

5. to show how digital signage has boosted
sales, increased customer enquiries, No 10: you’re confident of the answer, you will
be able to set objectives and identify
increased awareness or reduced perceived
waiting time. But how will you measure it Ensuring a measurable success criteria from the
outset. You will also be able to
in your organisation?
Successful demonstrate a return on your
organisation’s investment and have
The good news is that there are tools and
techniques available for reporting success. Installation a process in place which will help you
to evaluate and improve your system
Some measurements simply record the for the future.
output – the ‘impressions’ made on screen, Because it relies on such a mix of
some identify the success of a system in disciplines: hardware, software, True success will depend upon the
reaching its audience, and more networking, design, authoring and so on, location and the quality of the content of
sophisticated calculations can express the installing digital signage can prove to be your digital signage system. Think long
number of people ‘reached’ compared to a messy process. That’s why it’s important and hard about how you are going to
the total audience. Perhaps your to select a systems integrator with the ensure you keep it well populated with
organisation may not need this level of skill and experience to serve as a quality information moving forward.
sophistication. At the very least, it will general contractor.
need to have a system which logs what Make sure you cost your project carefully
It’s not just IT vendors, software to include any ongoing expenditure for
has been played and when.
developers and graphic designers who content creation and maintenance of the
The trick is to establish from the outset all have an input into the project outcome. system hardware and software. Select
what the Key Performance Indicators It’s likely you’ll have carpenters, a multi-disciplinary team to input into
are against your measureable ROI. electricians, plumbers and even heating the project from the start with a capable
Understanding your success criteria will and ventilating contractors who might project manager at the helm. Then, make
provide you with an accountable need to make changes to the building sure those people tasked with updating
framework. Ensure that your chosen infrastructure during the installation. the system moving forward are properly
supplier is well versed in harnessing trained.
It’s important that your systems integrator
proven strategies and methodologies for
can co-ordinate all those resources and Finally, select your system supplier
measuring the success of your system.
manage them successfully. Entrusting the carefully, to ensure they can provide a
overall management of the contract to comprehensive support from system
Finally, make sure you have an effective
your supplier, could well save significant planning, right through to content creation
review process. If you are measuring
time, expense and worry. and ongoing support. If you follow these
ROI and you have information about
how your system, or parts of your guidelines, then you can make the best of
In Conclusion… this new, exciting technology and perhaps
system are performing, make sure you
have the processes in place to make avoid the pitfalls.
Every successful digital signage project
improvements easily. should start with the question, why? If Good luck!
Head Office Address About Saturn
Saturn Communications Group Ltd Saturn is a global provider of integrated digital messaging solutions for corporate,
Wigan Investment Centre healthcare, hospitality, retail and cinema environments. Its technology has been installed
Waterside Drive
in over 20 countries and is currently powering 30,000 display screens worldwide.
Wigan WN3 5BA
Saturn’s award-winning digital signage software solutions, including its flagship
T 01942 824 224 Connectvision and Cinema Solutions brands are used by numerous blue-chips companies
F 01942 820 932 as well as major public sector organisations.
E info@saturnvisual.com
Saturn’s reputation is built on a commitment to delivering end-to-end digital signage
solutions using the highest quality products and services. Saturn combines impartial
sourcing of hardware and networking with specialist software and expert content
development to deliver integrated digital messaging solutions.
Saturn can provide a range of complementary services:
Project Management, Software Development, Data Integration, Hardware Specification,
Media Co-ordination, Content Creation, System Installation, Support & Maintenance
and Helpdesk.
Saturn’s reputation for innovation, quality and project delivery
has truly earned the company the title The Digital Signage Experts.
For more information contact 01942 824 22
Company Number 03600388 Registered in England
Avoid the Pitfalls. Top Ten Tips to Success 4
Bring your environment to life. www.saturnvisual.com