3 Digital Signage Trends for 2023

When I talk to people outside of the technology industry, many don’t realize just how widespread digital signage has become in recent years. 

After I get them thinking about it, they begin connecting the dots: the video wall at the concert they attended, the digital billboards they pass on the way to work every morning and the wayfinding screens they interacted with the last time they visited someone in the hospital. Once primarily used by retailers, digital signage has made significant inroads across industries. In 2023, look for these three trends to take off.

We’re past the point where digital signage needs to prove itself. Research shows that shoppers find videos played on a screen helpful in making their buying decisions, and most consumers say they frequently buy products based on digital signage visuals. 

Consumers have grown accustomed to ordering their meals from digital kiosks at fast food restaurants, and businesses have seen how they can improve efficiency by working with CDW’s content management partners to push out targeted messages on optimized schedules. The question used to be, “Why digital signage?” Today, the question has become, “Why not?”

I expect to see a significant increase in the deployment of direct view LED (dvLED) signage, which uses a surface array of LEDs rather than panels, and delivers superior contrast, color and brightness. Because dvLED does not use panels, the solution allows for a bezel-free design, making it possible to create seamless video walls. These displays are extremely reliable and energy-efficient, and they are generally regarded as the best choice for large-scale and high-impact visual applications. They’re also easier to service than multipanel displays.

So, what has been holding the technology back? Cost, of course. Historically, dvLED technology has been priced two to three times higher than LCD or traditional LED screens. However, costs are beginning to come down, and I expect to see more buyers seriously consider dvLED as an option in 2023 and beyond.

As many employees continue to return to office settings after an extended period of working from home, they need new tools to effectively collaborate with their colleagues who are on the road, located in other geographies or still working remotely. Interactive displays can help teams cut through the sense of awkwardness and disconnection that sometimes accompanies hybrid meetings. 

An interactive whiteboard lets remote attendees participate in brainstorming in real time, and it gives in-person participants a reason to get out of their seats — and out from behind their laptop screens. The whole experience is more dynamic and livelier than a typical hybrid meeting. Interactive displays are already big in the education market, and I expect that more businesses will see their potential and implement them in the year ahead.

Story by Kimberly Kutnick, a category supervisor for Digital Signage-PPM with CDW. She has been at CDW for seven years and has consistently expanded her knowledge across several categories of business, including marketing, print, collaboration and video.