Sign of the times

The world’s largest digital signage expo hints at what car dealerships of the future might well look like.

Growing interest in the technology and tools that power digital signage networks led to a 20 per cent increase in attendance at the 2017 Digital Signage Expo (DSE) held recently in Las Vegas, Nev.

Car dealers and OEMs were among the almost 5,000 attendees walking the trade show floor and attending workshops related to digital signage, interactive technologies and other attention-grabbing tools aimed at boosting brands and customer engagement.

A team from Canadian auto dealer attended to see first hand the latest displays, software, kiosks and mobile applications aimed at digitizing the retail experience.

Our crew was among the almost 1,000 visitors from 62 countries who attended the annual industry gathering.

The show’s organizers say that attendees came from well-known companies like Amazon.com, Facebook, McDonald’s, Nike, the Walt Disney Company and automakers like Honda and Porsche.

Digitizing dealerships

Car dealerships are under increasing pressure to beef up their digital presence in their showrooms to better match the video, and other flashy multimedia content that their customers see online from their OEM and dealer websites.

Dealership customers are also increasingly accustomed to getting bombarded with digital images and messaging in other retail environments, and are increasingly exposed to more interactive digital experiences.

For the most part, however, many dealerships remain fairly static places, with print posters and pop up car toppers and other promotions and programs that can get dated quickly and can lack a cohesive message.

There is some progress with tools in some dealerships like digital menu boards in service, TV screens that advise customers of the status of their vehicle repair, and some attempts at promoting some OEM and dealership content on TV screens; but as a whole, the industry has not yet fully embraced the opportunities of a fully digital showroom.

To be fair, pockets of excellence do exist. There are some great integrations of OEM and dealership content, chief among them video walls. But many car dealers would agree that their facilities aren’t the most digitally-exciting places to hang out.

But that’s all likely to change.

General Motors is reportedly mandating its U.S. dealerships implement digital signage starting in 2018, according to an Automotive News report.

Other OEMs are exploring a mix of mandatory and voluntary programs — as more digital content becomes available, there will be an increased appetite to showcase it in showrooms.

More than screens

While a casual observer to the show might think that DSE is all about display screens— based on the size of the massive booths loaded with dozens of screens from the big players like LG Electronics, Sharp, Samsung and others, there’s actually a lot more going on.

There are dozens of other categories and sub-categories of providers offering everything from kiosks, digital signage software that powers the networks, OLED screens, RFID technology, 3D display and holograms, media player devices, facial recognition software and other analytics tools, projector technology, plus a host of interactive technology.

The show also featured a New Product Showcase, where vendors promoting new products had a chance to pitch their benefits and showcase the latest innovation in the industry.

“DSE is the one place where you’ll connect with an incredible range of digital signage experts who understand the unique opportunities and challenges that we have with this growing industry,” said Angie Nalepka, Manager of Brand Creative and Digital Signage for Rogers Communications in a news release issued by show organizers.

“DSE was full of surprises and is definitely the place for any creative agency, store designer, network operator, or IT professional to experience the best in digital signage.”

For dealers who want to check it out, next year’s event takes place March 27-30 in Las Vegas. Visit www.dse2018.com.

About Todd Phillips

Todd Phillips is the editorial director of Universus Media Group Inc. and the editor of Canadian auto dealer magazine. Todd can be reached at tphillips@universusmedia.com.

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