Digital Signage Trends 2024: Challenges and Opportunities

A new year means new digital signage trends article. What does 2024 have in store for signage technology? What will be hot next year and what won’t? It’s time to deep dive into the top predictions for the digital signage industry in 2024. Let’s go.

The rise of mega digital signage

Three words. Las Vegas Sphere. Opened in 2023, it has instantly become a centerpiece of tech discussion. What many didn’t quite empathize with is the fact that the spherical outline of the structure is, in fact, one gigantic LED screen. 

And although there was a report of a $100 million loss for The Sphere, not everything worked smoothly tech-wise, and it has already faced a plethora of problems, one thing remains clear. There’s an appetite for bigger, bolder, more immersive digital signage solutions. And The Sphere is just the beginning. 

Another mega-screen-powered project has graced the American landscape. Its opening wasn’t as epic as The Sphere’s, but it’s still worth mentioning. We’re talking about TSX Stage, a fresh addition to the densely populated display canvas of Times Square. You can see its fantastic capabilities by yourself here: 

Is there a future for such mega-screen-powered solutions? Absolutely.

MSG, the company behind Sphere, is reportedly in talks to license the venue’s concept to Abu Dhabi and South Korea. London is also in the books (although, there’s a battle with the locals and opposition from the mayor).

Nevertheless, going mega is among the hottest digital signage trends 2024. What it means? People want more bombast and more impressive solutions. The beauty of screen technology lies in the fact that you can make magic work even without going full monster display mode. The smart engagement strategy and spectacular content would be more than enough. 

By the way, don’t forget to check out our article about the 6 Best Ad Campaigns of Las Vegas Sphere.

AI seems like a reality at last

ChatGPT has turned the world upside down. January 2023 saw the solution skyrocket to the fastest-growing consumer software application in history with 100 million acquired users. 

Basically, the whole of 2023 was brands outwitting each other with the help of AI, internet users asking AI to draw nonsensical and sensical things, TikTok having a field day with AI-powered filters, and Sam Altman getting fired and employed again as OpenAI CEO.

In other words, it was a pretty chaotic yet super exciting year for AI technology. 

As Altman stated in the Time interview after receiving the “CEO of the Year” recognition from the magazine: “2023 was “the year that they started taking AI seriously.”

And we can’t agree more.

2024 will be the year AI gains traction. Machine learning is getting better with every conversation ChatGPT has with the user and every piece of information it is fed with. This is just the “beginning,” says the CNN article about the year of ChatGPT AI domination and adds that “Pandora’s box is open, and we’re figuring out what that means.” 

What remains crystal clear is that AI has already changed the way digital signage content is produced. While AI can’t conquer the world and enslave humans (yet), it can help design, illustrate, write, draw, and engage.

That’s why digital signage software providers are already equipping their applications with basic AI tools and more is yet to come. 

2023 was finding ground. 2024 will be securing it. 

As a company at the forefront of digital transformation, Kitcast is going to incorporate new exciting features in the coming versions so follow our news to try it first-hand.

The EXPERIENCE takes the central stage

Having a screen at your store is not enough in 2023. Using it to provide an immersive experience to your customer is the new normal. 2024 will only deepen this new kind of online pattern of working with people. 

The change was first brought about by the effects of COVID-19 when virtually everything went completely online. Shops were closed, businesses shut their doors, and e-commerce became the new normal of the market. 

When the stores opened again the expectations of the customers weren’t the same. Hybrid everything became a new trend and it led to the blurring of the line between the online and offline. 

With the rise of AR and VR, the approach to retail has become more experiential. Customers in 2023 wanted to be entertained, they wanted to be immersed. This trend is sure to go on in 2024 as well. Holograms, 3D billboards, sensory solutions, and AR-enhanced mobile experiences are part of this. 

How to bridge the gap between the online and offline? Here’s where the screens come into play. Displays being a link to immersive experiences is among the hottest digital signage trends in 2024.

TikTokization of everything

No one underestimates TikTok in 2023. In 2024 it is projected to just grow. And grow more. A Gen-Z-populated powerhouse of a social media platform influences the way content is consumed, what music we listen to, and how advertisers market.

It will reign supreme in 2024 too. Of course, if the US won’t forcefully limit its operations. Even if it happens, the impact on society and advertising has already been high. 

When it comes to digital signage trends in 2024, TikTokization of content delivery is hot in 2023 and is predicted to continue be that. 

What do we mean by this Frankenstein word exactly? It’s about a short attention span and filling this short attention span with engaging content. TikTok operates predominantly with videos and display technology does the same. The modus operandi of both are similar. The secret to success for marketers is applying the best practices of TikTok engagement to real life and trying to emulate the attention-capturing effect that this social media is famous for.

Innovative advertising is among the digital signage trends in 2024 

Technology is constantly evolving. Screens are constantly evolving. The consumers just get the best of it. 

In 2024 we’re going to see more innovative advertising campaigns that use screens, more audacious DOOHs, and cooler indoor engaging solutions. 

The 3D billboards will get more creative, the AR and mobile technology will get more confident, and holograms will be omnipresent. 

In any case, we are fully ready to embrace these new ways to express creativity. 

While we’re at it, be sure to check out our roundups of the most innovative advertising campaigns of 2023 such as: 

5 Coolest Examples of Hologram Marketing (+5 more)

7 Celebrity Ads We Loved In 2023

5 Most Creative Fast Food DOOH Campaigns

TOP 7 Fantastic AR Billboards that Amazed Us + Awesome 3D Ads

Here's our previous list of digital signage trends 2023

It’s time to talk about what the digital signage trends for 2023 are. We leave 2022 behind with a bit of uncertainty, post-Covid recovery of economics, and a belief that everything should be better in 2023. Digital signage market trends allow you to project what’s coming and help you adapt your strategy accordingly.

How do we evaluate the digital signage trends for 2023?

Kitcast is a digital signage software company. That means that we’re constantly evolving for our clients and keeping up with all the latest technological developments. It’s important to keep the software updated to the latest standard and deliver the best digital signage experience possible. 

But when it comes to the digital signage trends of 2023, we’re mostly looking into the industry’s direction. Because at the end of the day, it’s all about the market. This year we’ve participated in several top digital signage events such as Infocomm, DSE, and eTail Connect. Why it’s important? Because keeping contact with the industry gets you the fullest picture of what’s coming. 

We’ve talked to fellow digital signage companies, got insights from the leading experts, and seen the next-gen technologies firsthand. Today it’s time to share the knowledge with you. So here are the digital signage trends of 2023. Hint: it’s going to be an exciting year for screen technology. Let’s see how exactly.

Cloud takes the central stage

Although it’s 2023, we’re still very much talking about the hardware digital signage. Whether it’s because the old things die slowly, or as a matter of habit, this part of technology doesn’t go away easily. The great news is that cloud-based software is on the rise and it is projected to stay this way in 2023. 

As interconnectivity and interactivity take the central stage, it’s only a matter of time before cloud-based becomes the only standard of high-quality digital signage. When we talk to clients and industry specialists one thing that gets mentioned a lot is the word “flexibility”. COVID has taught businesses and organizations around the world a valuable (and painful) lesson that the more flexible in content delivery you are, the fewer problems you might have in the longer run. 

Cloud-based digital signage solutions provide flexibility and they guarantee you freedom from complicated hardware conundrums. 

Also, the power of the cloud grows stronger. It is enabled both by the refinement of the technology and the vigor of the market. When Kitcast was launched we chose Apple TV as a perfect device to support our software. However in the beginning it had its limitations and we mostly catered to small and medium businesses. 

Today, it’s a whole different story. The capabilities of Kitcast grew partly thanks to the talented team of programmers and the right positioning on the market, but also partly due to the change in the technology itself. Our bet on Apple TV as a device proved to be a great calculation. 

2023 sees Kitcast presenting the new Enterprise-ready software that can give a powerful digital signage experience for businesses of virtually any size. That’s what cloud primacy looks like. 

Metaverse finally gets real (or not) but screens win in any case

For years we talked about the metaverse. And Mark Zuckerberg led its mainstream launch by pumping billions of dollars into its development for Meta. However, the coronavirus had other plans and while the world went *really* online, it wasn’t because of the metaverse, but rather because of convenience and public health. 

Should we be still talking about the metaverse? Absolutely. It’s still very much on the agenda, Meta (and others) are still tirelessly trying to make it work. Goofy avatars are being created, real estate is being valued in millions, and Zuckerberg simply doesn’t want to stop investing billions in it. 

2023 in many ways can become a year of either a complete failure of the concept or a surprising (and probably meteoric) rise. But we’re talking about the digital signage trends here, why care about the elusive metaverse? There’s a direct link. 

The screens are the bridge, the gates into the metaverse. They already have the possibility to serve as access points to virtual reality, a fact that many businesses are making use of. That’s why the more successful the metaverse project is, the bigger the role of the screens will be. Digital signage serves as a teleport into the virtual and businesses should be prepared to utilize it as such. 

Although the situation with virtual reality hasn’t changed drastically from our predictions for 2022, it’s still a potential major breakthrough for any AV-related solution. So let’s pay close attention.

Security, security

One thing many companies learned the hard way in 2022 is to never forget about cybersecurity. With the large-scale war raging in the heart of Europe, the ever-evolving viruses, and the looming threat of a breach, you simply cannot ignore the importance of security in 2023. 

The digital signage industry will definitely look in this direction and make the technology even more reliable and breach-proof. Kitcast is constantly monitoring the cybersecurity state of affairs and makes sure that the users have the most secure application possible.

The steady growth of the digital signage market

You can’t stop it. The screens are here to stay and 2023 will only see the growth of the signage technology. And in 2024. And even 2025. In fact, the digital signage market size is projected to grow to USD 45.33 billion by 2030 at a 7.7% CAGR. This is quite a positive outlook but it isn’t surprising. 

Anyone in the industry knows the reason. With the rise and rise (and rise) of the internet, social media, e-commerce, and the Internet of Things it’s quite logical that the displays are high on the priority list of businesses around the world. They are easily adaptable, the software that controls them constantly evolves according to the market needs, and the screens themselves get modified each year. 

It’s simply unstoppable and it’s fantastic news for everyone in the industry as well as for the users. 

New ways of social interaction

Social media integration is among the most popular reasons businesses and organizations are using digital signage technology. The rapid rise of TikTok, the switch of content preferences in the old-timers such as Instagram, and Elon Musk’s Twitter takeover all present new opportunities and challenges to businesses that use them. 

The main point of using the screens for social integration won’t change, though. It’s still all about communication and the screens are still the best way to do it. However, businesses should be prepared to change their strategy on the fly in order to respond to the ever-changing content landscape of various social media platforms. 

Our Previous List of Digital Signage Trends 2022

It’s high time to do a traditional digital signage trends 2022 article. The market has never been more unpredictable, and it’s always good to draw conclusions and think ahead. We’ll do just that, highlighting the top trends of the coming year. 

The vaccination rollout turned out to be huge. Millions of people around the world received the two doses, some received additional booster shots. Some chose not to receive any. But the pandemic didn’t retreat. It struck back with new variants, putting businesses and organizations worldwide under scrutiny again. 

If 2020 was about survival, 2021 about the crisis management, 2022 is about adaptation to a new normal

Digital signage market trends forecast

Many companies went out of business, many have declared bankruptcy. Still, the hope loomed large and we’ve seen an exciting year full of compassion, creativity, and, yes, income too. Those who were able to foresee what’s coming next and transform their operations accordingly could go through with more reassurance. 

And digital signage was definitely present. Outdoors and indoors, the screens supported businesses giving them a chance to market their product better, ensuring more effective communication, and keeping everyone safe through the COVID-19 crisis with regular updates, alerts, and vital info.

Even though everyone is tired and the news on pandemic progression remain quite on the negative side of the spectrum, digital signage trends 2022 look good. The screen technology was completely ready to address the challenges of the pandemic, and the businesses were keen to use this power. It will only get better in 2022; digital signage industry trends are positive. Let’s see what’s coming next. 

Interactivity

The more exposure people have to technology the more interactive it becomes. Whether it’s with gestures, voice, movement, or touch, one of the hottest digital signage market trends for 2022 is an increase in interactivity. 

Customers expect to be entertained and the screens can satisfy that craving. Businesses are competing with each other in creative ways to interact and digital signage (with the right software of course) can turn an ordinary screen into a thrilling visual playground. 

Deepening of social media integration 

COVID-19 pandemic has made everyone live only. To zoom became a full-fledged verb and most of us basically lived in social media platforms throughout long periods of quarantines. That importance of the online presence will be very noticeable in 2022. 

One of the most probable digital signage trends is that brands will focus more on their social media presence and design the visiting experience to their premises accordingly. We’ll see a greater emphasis on the promotion of social media profiles, hashtags, challenges and user-generated content. As the online shopping becomes bigger, this medium is everything, and the main battle for the customer wallets will be fought there. 

Smarter AI

While it’s improbable that the robot apocalypse will start in 2022, AI is still one of the most anticipated digital signage trends of 2022. With each year AI capabilities of the screens become better and next year will definitely see some fascinating applications of this technology on a different scale. Both in the ways people interact with the screens and in the modus operandi of displays themselves. With more powerful machine learning algorithms, digital signage technology becomes more and more autonomous and content delivery more effective. 

Virtual reality in real life 

As the word “metaverse” exits the obscurity of the nerdy comic culture and becomes a new technology norm heralded by the giants like former Facebook now Meta, virtual reality is no longer a joke. Brands should take notice of the marketing opportunities there early on to be able to rip fruitful results in the future. 

It’s hard to say if the ambitious plans of Mark Zuckerberg will come to “virtual” reality anytime soon. It’s even harder to predict whether such a turn will be popular among users or will end up in the graveyard of many former Facebook initiatives. One thing is clear, where there is visual technology, there’s digital signage. And it will walk hand in hand with any virtual reality systems that enter the market. 2022 may be a start so pay close attention. 

Uncertainty 

It’s quite weird to have it in a list of digital signage trends 2022 but here we are. Uncertainty is definitely something that will define the year that follows. While doing business means dealing with uncertainty daily, the coronavirus one is a totally different animal. It’s out of control and it has no solution on a large scale. That means that businesses and organizations largely depend on how states deal with the matter. 

Today the economy, politics, healthcare, private business and public opinion are intertwined in an unprecedented way. And that’s mostly a very complicated thing to predict and to mitigate. Companies should exercise extra caution in making decisions in 2022 and take great care of spending their budgets. 

New coronavirus variants are the main danger of 2022. Again, the severity of a new variant is uncertain. And that leads to huge difficulties in making predictions. We see that in two different variants that came out in 2021. Delta and Omicron have shown that it wasn’t a time to declare a victory in a war against coronavirus. They were also very dissimilar, putting the scientific world in search of a cure again and slowing down the vaccination.   

Rethinking of space

As people choose online more often than offline to buy things and use services, in order to survive businesses will be forced to rethink the whole experience to address the ongoing challenges. Every new lockdown puts a nail to the coffin of real-life interaction. 

Also, due to coronavirus, the spaces undergo a drastic change. We see a large-scale “dehumanization” of retail with interactive boxes instead of cashiers, automated purchasing, stores with no people, QR ordering. This is set to only become bigger in 2022 as businesses are looking for ways to overcome the negative impacts of the pandemic. 

Digital signage is at the forefront of this technological retail revolution and the screens will further be used to give customers the best possible experience in times of uncertainty. 

Our Previous List of Digital Signage Trends 2021

2020 has been a difficult, unpredictable year for economies around the world. Businesses suffered a huge blow due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Screen technology was among the industries negatively hit by the effects of the novel coronavirus. As the new year presents new challenges, it’s time to talk about the digital signage trends of 2021 to try to anticipate what to expect. 

Present and future of digital signage market

Looking at the current state of the digital signage market, there’s good and bad news. As screen technology is tightly interconnected with other industries and can’t function without them, it is highly dependent on lockdowns and their negative outcomes. On the other hand, digital signage is very flexible and can handle crises well due to its technological and future-oriented nature. 

Predictions are also positive, Meticulous Research estimates that the digital signage market will grow at a CAGR of 4.3% from 2020 to 2027 to reach $19.44 Billion by 2027. The recovery scenarios largely depend on the ability of governments to effectively deal with the virus and vaccinate the populace.

The digital signage market is set to grow at a CAGR of 4.3% from 2020 to 2027 to reach $19.44 Billion by 2027

Meticulous Research

As we see, the countries have already started the vaccination program, however, it is still slow and the curfews are in place with many Western economies struggling to contain the virus. This situation inevitably affects the digital signage industry.  

Digital signage technology trends at a glance

While the pandemic paralyzed the world, technology didn’t stop innovating.

Coronavirus has changed the way we approach public spaces, interact with each other and businesses

That in turn has directly influenced digital signage industry that was quick to adapt to the new normal with new effective screen solutions to tackle the ongoing pandemic on one hand and make sure that the businesses get the most of the experience on the other.

So here are TOP-5 digital signage trends that in Kitcast’s opinion will be extremely relevant in 2021. 

1. Going touchless

Due to the highly contagious character of the novel coronavirus such a basic feature of human interaction as touch has become obsolete, even dangerous.

2020 saw a rapid demise of tactile and this trend is going to be even more actual in 2021. While digital signage applies tactile technologies in kiosks and interactive screens, it can do equally good without it. So this year we can anticipate the rise of alternative screen interaction types like voice, gestures and face scanning. 

Even though touch has become less desirable, it is not going anywhere. As humanless screen boxes (like the self-service kiosk at the fast-food chains or wayfinding at the airport) are next-gen technologies that have already been at the forefront of innovation, they are still better than a human-to-human solution in a COVID-19 world. So while we can expect more non-tactile digital signage options in 2021, touch-based solutions remain to be relevant. 

2. Online integration

The pandemic has drastically changed the way we buy things. Already controlling 50% of the American e-commerce market, Amazon’s traffic has increased by as much as 20%. Demand for some services, such as home grocery delivery, soared by as much as 90%.

Brick and mortar stores and traditional ways to browse for goods in retail spaces have become a thing of the past in a short period of time. Digital signage technology heavily deployed in large and small retail spaces was put to a standstill as the lockdowns closed their doors. 

This situation gives birth to a new trend - screen integration with online.

As e-commerce becomes a new norm for shopping in a COVID-19 world, digital signage becomes a technological intermediary between the physical location of the online merchant and a customer.

The screen in such a scheme operates as a better way to organize the process of purchase, PSA tool and a content marketing canvas. Nevertheless, as fast-growing as e-commerce is, traditional retail is not going anywhere just yet so digital screens are set to shine bright again once the restrictions are lifted. 

3. Public health correlation

What’s a better way to distribute information than through a screen? It is extremely fast, highly visual and informative. And being such a communication tool has become one of the primary roles of digital signage across the public spaces in a time when public health communication is crucial to stop the spread of a contagious virus.

As the coronavirus pandemic is still far from ending in 2021, we will see the public health digital signage more. Be it the airport, the railway station, the workplace or a shopping mall, screens will inevitably be used for a more efficient PSA distribution.

It is a positive role that digital signage technology plays in a coronavirus fight and the more companies and organizations adopt it the better. 

4. More personalized and relevant content

Due to the social distancing measures and a new reality of interpersonal relations, people choose to spend as little time in possible inside buildings. While the advertising was already extremely competitive and attention spans super short, the pandemic made the mission of turning people’s eyeballs with content even harder. 

That’s why 2021 will see businesses turning to more personalized and relevant content that can spark the interest of a potential consumer instantly.

People love when businesses get creative and deliver high-quality content that is personalized according to the needs of the customer.

5. More focus on outdoors

Many businesses in the US, EU and UK have felt the devastating impacts of lockdowns. There were periods when the customers simply couldn't go in. That in turn means that digital screens inside stop serving any purpose. As lockdowns become a norm and their occurrence is unpredictable, 2021 will see businesses focusing more on the outdoors in order to reach their target audience. 

For the digital signage market actors that would mean an increase of outdoor solutions and adding new technologies that can cater to a new trend. As the vaccination campaign becomes more and more successful, the indoor will gradually return. However, it's hard to expect the customer experience to be the same as the pre-pandemic one. With new virus variants and waning vaccine effectiveness issues, businesses should be prepared for the worse at all times and think about the ways to smoothly go through the difficulties imposed by the restrictions due to the novel coronavirus.

Outdoor medium seems like a secure marketing investment and it is among the hottest digital signage trends of both 2021 and 2022. There is constant interaction with a customer and no dependence on the inside presence. That, in turn, means independence from the pandemic-related limitation for the businesses and a chance to increase sales.

As one of the digital signage future trends, outdoors should be treated seriously by the businesses and it will bring a great return on investment.