Following on our last post about choosing the right digital singnage system, here are some considerations that marketers should take into account as they evaluate the content management systems offered by different solutions providers:

• Content creation – Uploading already-produced messaging to your digital signage network is certainly one way to keep content fresh. But it can also be expensive. The real efficiencies lie in using spot templates — design frameworks that allow non-programmers to create multiple versions of the same spot by modifying text, fonts, images and video, animations, etc. More robust templates will even allow the inclusion of variable data (for product info, rates, pricing, disclosures, etc.), so that the same spot will self-generate an endless number of localized versions of itself. Marketers who use templates will not only cut costs (by reducing the need for internal or agency resources) but can easily cut the time necessary to create a spot from days to minutes.
• Content editing – Rather than editing spots offline and reintroducing them to the digital signage platform, marketers can save a lot of time by modifying content within the system. Being able to change colors, text, images and video within the platform allows marketers to easily leverage existing spots and create versions of spots for different audiences, regions and branches.
• Brand management – Marketers are responsible for ensuring consistency of branding across all their digital signage content. They may also want to control variables, such as product information, rates and disclosure statements. This is more easily done with content management software that employs templates and allow for customization of business rules.
• Approval workflow – In any regulated industry, content must be approved by business owners and the legal department before it can be shown. Managing approvals and change requests outside the content management platform is labor-intensive and increases the risk of non-compliance. The ideal content management platform should make it easy for marketers to stay compliant by automating the process of soliciting approvals, managing changes and documenting proof of play.
• Assembly of playlists – Creating a single playlist to play in all locations is easy. The challenge lies in creating and managing multiple playlists that are distributed across different regions, sites, zones and screens. Marketers should insist on content management software that simplifies and even automates this task, ideally allowing for dynamic assembly of playlists based on business rules and attributes.
• Targeting and scheduling – Marketers instinctively understand the importance of targeting content to the appropriate audiences. A marketing-friendly content management system makes it possible to target unique audiences and then schedule content (single spots or playlists) to play in the appropriate locations and times.
• Exception management – Flexibility is critical in managing a digital signage network. As situations occur (emergencies, market changes, promotional opportunities, local events, etc.) marketers need to be able to respond quickly by creating and scheduling unique spots, playloops and schedules.

Photo credit: Tim Dorr

Digital Signage Today released a list of its top 10 downloaded publications (see below).

It’s interesting to note that Choosing the Right Digital Signage System is at the top of the list. This fits with what we uncovered in our soon-to-be-published survey of more than 60 European and South African banks.

In the survey, we asked bank marketers about their digital signage plans and experiences. What we discovered is that marketers’ biggest headache in managing content was in the area of localization. Nearly half (48%) of respondents identified this as their greatest content challenge. Other obstacles included “technical challenges” (16%) and “keeping content fresh” (16%).

It’s no wonder these banks are having such a hard time. Two-thirds of the same respondents reported that they use external agencies to produce their digital content.

In theory, there’s nothing wrong with using agencies. However, having agencies produce the bulk of your content and trying to be locally relevant in your messaging is a surefire recipe for trouble. Unless your bank is limited to a small number of branches in a limited geographic area, it’s simply not practical to use a manual process to create, produce and schedule localized content.

Just do the math. If your bank is typical, your setup may look something like this:

• 500 branches
• 5 screens in each
• 20 states
• 4 regions
• 3 time zones
• 3 languages
• 15 product lines
• Quarterly and monthly campaigns
• Centralized and locally based marketing and sales initiatives

Now, how many spots would you need your agency to create (and at what cost?) in order to have adequate localized content for a bank network like this? And what would it take to schedule all these different spots? Finally, how could you possibly hope to keep it all straight?

This is why it is not an overstatement to say that your choice of digital signage software may be the single most important decision you make in setting up your digital signage network. Far more important than flat-panel monitors or network wiring. Simply put, if your software doesn’t directly support and automate your localization efforts, you may not be able to invest enough agency dollars or internal FTEs to make your digital signage effort a success.

Please contact us for a copy of our European Digital Signage Survey when it becomes available later this month.

Digital Signage Today’s top 10 downloaded publications

1. Choosing the right digital signage system
2. Advertising with Digital Signage
3. Software for Digital Signage
4. Digital Signage: Frequently Asked Questions
5. Digital Display Technology
6. Digital Signage and ROI
7. Digital Signage: The State of the Art and the Promise for the Next Five Years
8. Measurement and Analysis for Digital Signage
9. Large-Scale Digital Signage Deployments
10. The Rise of Digital Signage and the Psychology Behind It

Photo credit: jphilipg

One of the principal challenges of running a digital signage network is creating and modifying content. Here, Rishi Vajpeyi, John Ryan’s Technology Lead, provides a quick demonstration of our RedCreator software, an easy-to-use software for creating quality digital content. For a live demonstration and a chance to win an iPod Nano, please visit us at Booth 557.