Pat Hellberg: Do-it-yourself Digital Signage

It’s a classic line, the final line from a classic film.

Harry Callahan, the maverick cop played by the great Clint Eastwood, lets out a slight smile and caps “Magnum Force” with,

“A man’s got to know his limitations.”

What do Harry Callahan and Bill Gerba have in common (besides everything)?

Harry and Bill both come to mind as we touch upon a touchy digital signage subject: the do-it-yourselfer.

In his Wirespring digital signage blog, Bill recently released results from a survey, asking if digital signage network operators (or those contemplating DS networks) handle essential services in-house or outsource the execution of those services. For the record, the list of services (generally accepted as necessary, if not flat-out required, for successful DS network operation) included logistics management, strategy consulting, project planning, content strategy consulting, content management, network/operations management, initial project management, ongoing project management and installation services.

And the winner, in a landslide, is:

“We do it ourselves”

In only one of the ten categories (installation services) did the majority of operators say they outsource the work. Every other service, the respondents said, is handled in house.

Maintaining his objectivity, Bill did not pound the table on this subject. That doesn’t mean other digital signage pros can’t.

“In other parts of our lives, we make rational decisions” says Tom Percich, vice president in charge of business development for Diversified Media Group, a leading integration firm that has planned, installed and maintained dozens of networks. “But when it comes to digital signage, people go a little crazy and think they can do it on their own.”

Why? You know why. And you know who you are. You’re trying to cut corners and save money. How’s that working out, if you don’t mind us asking?

Tom notes the example of a client who bought cheaper off-the-shelf monitors at a department store (“Let’s see. I’ll take some toothpaste, kitty litter, and 50 plasma screens.”) rather than going with the more expensive pro-recommended industrial models. Sure enough, 7 months later, the consumer screens started dying. No warranty. The client had to replace the consumer clunkers with industrial models. Thus, the client was forced to buy twice as many screens, spending twice the dough. And oh by the way, installation fees were doubled also.

“You don’t know what you don’t know” Tom says. “Sure, there’s information everywhere. You can learn how to do open-heart surgery on-line. But if I needed open heart surgery, I would tend to go to a doctor.”

Another point: any reputable pro stands behind his or her work. “We have to eat our own dog food,” Percich says. “If we manage the network, we have to live with our recommendations. But that’s fine. Those recommendations are based on years of experience. Our expertise combined with that experience usually results in cost savings. We’ll live with that.”

Another result of the survey, which is borderline stunning, is the percentage of respondents who say that “they don’t bother” with the essential services. Really? No kidding? You don’t bother with network management? Project management? Content production?

“Content is the last thing discussed, which drives me mad” says Stephen Ghigliotty, who for the past two years handled content creative and strategy for Artisan.

Strategy. Now there’s a concept.

The dialogue at the meeting goes something like this: “The deliverable is a long-term plan, a strategy. The goal is good content on budget and on time. We’ve got a lot of sharp people on staff. They can knock out this strategy thing before lunch.”

Stephen tells the story about one sharp client, with no DS experience but ample experience paying broadcast-spot production rates, who commissioned a single (read “one”) broadcast-quality piece for their digital signage network. The piece looked great. But the client burned their entire content budget on that one piece. So they played it, over and over and over again, leading to burn out, tune out and flame out.

Brian Ardinger is the marketing director for one of the industry’s leading software providers, Nanonation. The folks at Nanonation focus on software and only software. Nonetheless, they are DS pros. And by keeping the big picture in mind, pros can help novice clients navigate the minefield.

“We have a good understanding of all the parts, the good, the bad and the ugly,” Brian says. “For example, we don’t hang the screens but because we’ve been involved in so many networks, we know who to call to hang the screens.”

Brian and the others share a common insight: there are many links to the digital signage chain. One link breaks, and there goes the chain.

But enough already. By now, you’ve figured us out. We’re just self-serving vendors who want to charge crazy rates for work you can handle yourself.

That’s true. We do like to get paid. But anyone charging crazy rates in this business does not last long.

The genuine DS pro wants your network to thrive. Every blue screen of death, lame content, display hung 12 feet off the floor where no one sees it network drags down the entire industry. We cringe, grind our teeth and lose sleep, whether we had anything to do with the offending network or not.

Our goal is not to gouge. Our goal is to lift digital signage to a new level.

We sum it up with another classic Clint Eastwood line.

This one goes out to all of the do-it-yourselfers who plan to handle DS services in house or, better yet, plan to not even bother.

In the words of Detective Callahan in “Dirty Harry”,

“You have to ask yourself one question. ‘Do I feel lucky?’ “

Well, do you?