<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<rss version="2.0" xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/" xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom">
	<channel>
		<title>Is Digital Signage an Industry? Yes. Is Everyone an Expert? No.</title>
		<description>Discuss Is Digital Signage an Industry? Yes. Is Everyone an Expert? No.</description>
		<link>https://www.wirespring.com/30-legacy-blog-digital-signage-insider/770-is-digital-signage-an-industry-yes-is-everyone-an-expert-no</link>
		<lastBuildDate>Fri, 03 Apr 2026 23:15:38 +0000</lastBuildDate>
		<generator>JComments</generator>
		<atom:link href="https://www.wirespring.com/component/jcomments/feed/com_content/770" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml" />
		<item>
			<title>Steve Gladden says:</title>
			<link>https://www.wirespring.com/30-legacy-blog-digital-signage-insider/770-is-digital-signage-an-industry-yes-is-everyone-an-expert-no#comment-1296</link>
			<description><![CDATA[Hate to be a me-too-er, but i can't agree more with the "subtraction by AD-ition" sentiment. If you review any of my posts on Paul or Ken's blogs you'll sense my disdain for it all.
I do have one question for Bill and Wirespring: Being as there is no one vendor who truly offers (or fully understands) every facet of every DS component, are cooperative partnerships the only way to service the customer? How long do you think this will be the case?
Love the dialogue everyone.]]></description>
			<dc:creator>Steve Gladden</dc:creator>
			<pubDate>Wed, 04 Aug 2010 21:21:01 +0000</pubDate>
			<guid>https://www.wirespring.com/30-legacy-blog-digital-signage-insider/770-is-digital-signage-an-industry-yes-is-everyone-an-expert-no#comment-1296</guid>
		</item>
		<item>
			<title>Tim Warrington says:</title>
			<link>https://www.wirespring.com/30-legacy-blog-digital-signage-insider/770-is-digital-signage-an-industry-yes-is-everyone-an-expert-no#comment-1295</link>
			<description><![CDATA[I do have to agree with Bill, My opinion is the advertising side of digital signage is dying or slowing down considerably, the In store self promotion is what we are finding customers want.]]></description>
			<dc:creator>Tim Warrington</dc:creator>
			<pubDate>Mon, 02 Aug 2010 16:06:30 +0000</pubDate>
			<guid>https://www.wirespring.com/30-legacy-blog-digital-signage-insider/770-is-digital-signage-an-industry-yes-is-everyone-an-expert-no#comment-1295</guid>
		</item>
		<item>
			<title>Kris R Vollrath says:</title>
			<link>https://www.wirespring.com/30-legacy-blog-digital-signage-insider/770-is-digital-signage-an-industry-yes-is-everyone-an-expert-no#comment-1294</link>
			<description><![CDATA[Bill:
Another awesome blog entry. As a technologist in this 'industry' I, too, see a huge amount of poor quality information coming from many areas. I spend a great deal of time working with clients on projects and undoing the "damage" this has caused. I believe that, at least in the non-DOOH space, our clients are still quite lacking in specific knowledge and tend to latch onto potentially very poor guidance. And they still don't know what they don't know, which has caused an enormous increase in project timelines.
Appreciate the great insights, as usual.]]></description>
			<dc:creator>Kris R Vollrath</dc:creator>
			<pubDate>Fri, 30 Jul 2010 14:18:07 +0000</pubDate>
			<guid>https://www.wirespring.com/30-legacy-blog-digital-signage-insider/770-is-digital-signage-an-industry-yes-is-everyone-an-expert-no#comment-1294</guid>
		</item>
		<item>
			<title>Kris R Vollrath says:</title>
			<link>https://www.wirespring.com/30-legacy-blog-digital-signage-insider/770-is-digital-signage-an-industry-yes-is-everyone-an-expert-no#comment-1293</link>
			<description><![CDATA[Bill:
Another awesome blog entry. As a technologist in this 'industry' I, too, see a huge amount of poor quality information coming from many areas. I spend a great deal of time working with clients on projects and undoing the "damage" this has caused. I believe that, at least in the non-DOOH space, our clients are still quite lacking in specific knowledge and tend to latch onto potentially very poor guidance. And they still don't know what they don't know, which has caused an enormous increase in project timelines.
Appreciate the great insights, as usual.]]></description>
			<dc:creator>Kris R Vollrath</dc:creator>
			<pubDate>Fri, 30 Jul 2010 14:16:11 +0000</pubDate>
			<guid>https://www.wirespring.com/30-legacy-blog-digital-signage-insider/770-is-digital-signage-an-industry-yes-is-everyone-an-expert-no#comment-1293</guid>
		</item>
		<item>
			<title>Bill Gerba says:</title>
			<link>https://www.wirespring.com/30-legacy-blog-digital-signage-insider/770-is-digital-signage-an-industry-yes-is-everyone-an-expert-no#comment-1292</link>
			<description><![CDATA[Paul:
Thanks for the comment. With regard to inefficiency, if I had a nickel for everybody who came to WireSpring after getting mixed up by some industry consultant or less-than-honest vendor, well... let's just say I'd have a lot of nickles. Inefficiency and waste is definitely our #1 enemy. For the past two years, we've been trying to streamline our own internal operations to specifically target that waste as an opportunity. So far, it seems to be working.
Tom: I still have to disagree, if only because advertising isn't nearly as important to the digital signage market as everyone thinks. Non-advertising networks outnumber advertising networks by a ratio of something like 1.5:1 and growing, according to PQ media. Without big brands dumping tons of money into DOOH (and they're not right now) the ad-funded-or-die argument rings hollow for me.]]></description>
			<dc:creator>Bill Gerba</dc:creator>
			<pubDate>Fri, 30 Jul 2010 03:16:49 +0000</pubDate>
			<guid>https://www.wirespring.com/30-legacy-blog-digital-signage-insider/770-is-digital-signage-an-industry-yes-is-everyone-an-expert-no#comment-1292</guid>
		</item>
		<item>
			<title>Tom McGowan says:</title>
			<link>https://www.wirespring.com/30-legacy-blog-digital-signage-insider/770-is-digital-signage-an-industry-yes-is-everyone-an-expert-no#comment-1291</link>
			<description><![CDATA[All communications mediums are crossing over each other at every opportunity. I would say it is a misnomer to say that digital signage is an industry. Still too infantile, there remains far too many moving parts and gadgets required to tweak life into "systems". An industry has to have a common platform concept as its Product, and a choice of brands of the product.
I would argue that Digital Signage is only one choice of medium for the wider communications industry. Its part of the morass of customer facing displays that includes mobile, kiosk, digital and static display. The point gets lost with so much tech-talk that eyes roll back.
I was telling someone today about an acquaintance that is thought to be building the first digital signage factory. We need more entrepreneurs like this to weed out the chaff and churn out product. The model will resemble the Ford model T production concept. Common parts, assembly line, low price, easy availability, easy service. Content would be the fuel.
The most common denominator and least understood for all who read this is the Content. As a member of the digital signage community we do too little to consolidate with existing "industry" standards such as initiating IAB sizes and file format standards. So as to not sound like a whiner, I suggest we go to ground with the basics like universal agreement to support something as simple as H.264 as "the" baseline content standard going forward. One must be like an industry and support an industry's standards to be part of the revolution and evolution. Who do we want to be like when we grow up? Is there a kiosk industry too? We share a common pedigree.
As a community we need less Walter Mitty Syndrome tech fantasy and more aggressive communications agency style thinking to grow an industry. What is so special in how we challenge a viewer to make a choice on the spot or recall our message?
So if we recognize ourselves as a medium for communications and advertising, then who offers the fewest pain points with the most effective message delivered with the highest margin? I would rather reach across the aisle to the agencies and advertisers and say what can I do to make your life easier, tell me your problems? So much for chatter about digital signage being an industry. After 25 years in this space, I don't see it becoming a freestanding industry. My conclusion is that we are one part of the multichannel sensory experience that thrills and makes me want to have more. AKA Advertising
Suggested reading:
http://www.slideshare.net/OgilvyWW/read-the-riverogilvyredpaper-4843692
External Partnerships
Tom McGowan]]></description>
			<dc:creator>Tom McGowan</dc:creator>
			<pubDate>Fri, 30 Jul 2010 01:54:03 +0000</pubDate>
			<guid>https://www.wirespring.com/30-legacy-blog-digital-signage-insider/770-is-digital-signage-an-industry-yes-is-everyone-an-expert-no#comment-1291</guid>
		</item>
		<item>
			<title>Paul Flanigan says:</title>
			<link>https://www.wirespring.com/30-legacy-blog-digital-signage-insider/770-is-digital-signage-an-industry-yes-is-everyone-an-expert-no#comment-1290</link>
			<description><![CDATA[Great, GREAT commentary, Bill. You're very right. What's interesting is that your reasons for supporting the idea of an industry are in line with your role in it; similarly, my role in this I think supports my belief.
But you touch on something greater that I missed, and perhaps can help figure this out - that is the need to overcome our own inefficiency. It's not that trade shows and publications have a certain degree of spam PR associated with them (every industry does), it's the infighting and territorial attitude that we allow to happen, and sometimes happen publicly. I'm sure you have been asked by newcomers which shows and blogs and products would help them acclimate themselves. If you have to stop and think at all about it, you're thinking about the lesser of all evils instead of the best approach. That's never a good strategy. Ironically, I got a note this week from a gentleman in Europe who is interested in entering the industry. He wrote, and I'm quoting verbatim from the email, "we had a hard time finding someone to help us on this somewhat of Digital Signage (many freelance charge us for advice and now only want to have some references)." That's not good. (I steered him toward several locations, including DSE, DigitalSignageToday.com, my blog, your blog, Dave Haynes's, Ken Goldberg's, the DSF, and a few others.)
To your point about expertise, you are absolutely spot on. While I think there are lots of smart people around us, the entire culture of communication is evolving so quickly that none of us can keep up with it. We do our best to educate ourselves and have perspective, but it's hard to affix the title of "expert," especially in a ubiquitous fashion, to anyone.]]></description>
			<dc:creator>Paul Flanigan</dc:creator>
			<pubDate>Thu, 29 Jul 2010 16:33:24 +0000</pubDate>
			<guid>https://www.wirespring.com/30-legacy-blog-digital-signage-insider/770-is-digital-signage-an-industry-yes-is-everyone-an-expert-no#comment-1290</guid>
		</item>
	</channel>
</rss>
