The Future of Digital Signage: Insights from Industry Leader Mike Tippets

Digital signage has come a long way from its early “science project” days in the 1990s. In a recent episode of the Digital Signage Today podcast, editor Judy Mottl sat down with Mike Tippets, VP Corporate Marketing, PR, & Communication, who has been at the forefront of digital signage since the early 2000s, to discuss the turning points, innovations, and future of this rapidly evolving industry.
 

As the digital signage industry has evolved, three main milestones stand out:

Back-of-House Communications

Digital signage has moved from being customer-facing only to engaging employees, boosting morale, and reducing costly turnover. Reducing employee turnover even slightly through better communication can quickly offset investment costs.

“Large-scale employers have turnover in excess of 50%. If I can do something that reduces turnover by 1%, I’ve probably paid for what a digital signage screen and its annual operation costs are,” said Tippets.

Additionally, digital signage adapts with a company’s needs. As training and corporate messages change, updates can be made through a cloud-based content management system instantly. Gone are the days of misaligned and outdated messaging across locations.

The Rise of Video Culture

Content is one of the most critical, yet often overlooked, elements of a successful digital signage strategy. When done well, dynamic and purposeful content transforms digital signage from a static display into a powerful communication tool that informs, motivates, and connects audiences.

“To quote an old adage, ‘A picture’s worth a thousand words, but a video is worth 10,000’,” said Tippets. “People today expect to get knowledge and information through video content.”

From training employees to influencing consumer behavior, digital signage is no longer just a flashy front-of-house tool—it’s a core business strategy.

Falling Hardware Costs

As screen prices drop and quality improves, digital signage has become more accessible for businesses of all sizes and budgets. From a small business with one location to franchises spread across the country, digital signage can be tailored to fit any organization’s needs.

The technology will also continue to evolve and become even simpler for users.

“I see on the near-term horizon further simplification of the player technology, with hardware players becoming plug-and-play capable and smaller with minimal power consumption,” noted Tippets.

Elevate Employee Engagement and Customer Satisfaction

Hughes MediaSignage offers a suite of tools designed to not only enhance the customer journey, but also strengthen the employee experience.

Key features include:

• Breakroom TV: Transform break areas into hubs of information and connection, displaying corporate updates, training videos, and employee recognition content.
• Video On Demand: Provide employees with self-paced access to training materials and company updates, allowing for flexible learning and timely information delivery.
• Live Streaming and Town Halls: Enable real-time broadcasting of company-wide meetings and events.
• Cloud-Based Content Management: Manage content across multiple locations, ensuring consistent messaging and efficient updates.

Explore how Hughes MediaSignage can meet your digital signage customer and employee communication needs.