It's useful, when defining 'champion' to consider some possible synonyms. These include: advocate, standard-bearer, protector and exponent. If you are seeking a digital signage champion than each of these holds true. And a key aspect of their role is to enthuse, inspire and involve your team in making the most of the opportunities that effective digital signage offers.

Why have a digital signage champion?

Whether you are seeking to introduce digital signage, have recently done so, or are a long-time user, we all know how initial enthusiasm can gradually diminish. The system itself might have been introduced by someone adept in the infrastructure or IT side of your business but less attuned to the creative aspects of such a valuable communications tool.

Unchanging standard signage is often simply accepted by your sub-conscious. But digital signage is so different: it needs to be as attention-seeking as a precocious two-year-old. Our truDigital signage team do often notice unchanging, or out-of-date, digital signage.

How a champion can keep you digital signage vibrant

This individual (and, for a small business, it might be the owner) works to bring together all the aspects of effective digital signage into a cohesive system. A champion constantly promotes the benefits of the medium to all those within a company or organization. He or she knows how clear communication can be achieved and also how each team member should contribute to that end. Asking for alertness and input from everyone helps to make sure messages are relevant, up-to-date, and accurate. This would be equally true for a local retail business as for an educational institute, a nationwide service organization or a manufacturing plant.

The champion seeks to make sure that every message involves a call to action, rather than simply garnering an ‘I see’ or, even worse, a ‘so what’ response. Digital signage, above all else, needs to be an active advertising, promotion or information medium.

Setting strategy, standards and measuring outcomes

Your digital signage champion can keep your strategy fresh, outline standards for the content, and ensure that it accurately and positively reflects either your brand or image – or both. Team members can be trained in making best use of the medium. Using agile cloud-based content delivery, everyone can be involved in suggesting (or even crafting) timely and responsive messages, either for the benefit of other staff members or for customers.

As the champion is constantly assessing your digital signage output, ROI can be tracked, content strategies amended, and vibrant digital signage behaviors actioned. Other employees might also be involved in assessing key effectiveness aspects such as footfall patterns, audience reactions, question and comments, or provide content suggestions from the frontline of customer interactions.

Making the most of your digital signage capabilities

Your champion can also ensure that your digital signage makes use of any equipment or software upgrades or new tools for integration. She or he can also investigate the latest publishing options or assess how changing design trends might best be incorporated into your digital signage activities.

In summing up all of the above thoughts, here's a wise quote from basketball legend Pat Riley: ‘A champion needs a motivation above and beyond winning.’ Our truDigital team agrees and are always ready to discuss the championing of your digital signage.