| The other day I walked into a large national retail store, | | | | story to help you identify and avoid a major trap |
| which I am choosing not to identify, and there in all of | | | | before it happens. |
| its glory was the retailer's implementation of a digital | | | | The lessons of this anecdote boil down to two |
| signage system. | | | | easy-to-remember principles. First, just because there |
| Unfortunately, the digital sign wasn't doing much other | | | | are monitors, networking and computers involved in |
| than occupying precious wall space. I shook my head | | | | digital signage doesn't mean digital signage is an IT |
| knowingly, did my business at the store and left thinking | | | | function. There are literally thousands of man hours of |
| back about the history of that retailer's network of | | | | coding that go into the digital signage software needed |
| digital signs. You see, I know a few things about it | | | | to schedule, manage and play back video, audio, |
| because my company nearly won the contract to | | | | graphics, animation, text, to name a few media |
| install hundreds of digital signs and digital signage | | | | elements, in a way that is reliable, effective and serves |
| network servers at this company's retail locations | | | | the organization's larger communications goal. Why |
| around the country. | | | | should an IT department feel as if it must re-invent the |
| In a nutshell, what happened is this retailer's IT | | | | wheel, and why should marketers with important |
| department learned that their co-workers in the | | | | messages to communicate have to wait? |
| marketing department were about to sign an | | | | Second, which is closely related to the first, know your |
| agreement for a large digital signage installation. That | | | | core competency. If you are an expert at retail, spend |
| was all it took to derail the deal, and sadly the potential | | | | your time and effort selling your product. If you are an |
| for digital signage to help the marketers at this retailer | | | | expert at management, devote your time and effort to |
| achieve their communications goals. | | | | the making your organization more efficient and |
| What would have taken a few months and a few | | | | profitable. If you are an expert at IT, manage your |
| dollars turned into agonizing delays, systems that didn't | | | | organization's information technology -the hardware |
| perform as IT promised and most importantly years of | | | | and software that makes its back office run. But for |
| lost opportunities to communicate with customers, | | | | goodness sake, if you're not an expert at digital |
| which continue to this very day. Why? It's all because | | | | signage, don't think you can simply roll your own. |
| of the IT department's knee-jerk reaction to get | | | | To do otherwise is to wander from your core mission, |
| territorial and take on the project rather than turning to | | | | and even more importantly, to squander opportunities |
| proven expertise. | | | | your organization otherwise would have to benefit |
| Please understand, I am not relaying this story as an | | | | from digital signage. Organizations can't afford to the |
| exercise in sour grapes. Nor am I recounting it to tout | | | | missed opportunities presented daily as they wait for |
| my company's digital signage products. I am telling this | | | | their IT departments to reinvent the wheel. |