Trade show and conference panels have addressed everything from why a system needs to be in place to what emerging technology is on the horizon. The excitement and change the digital media and out-of-home (OOH) video marketplace has seen recently can leave newcomers in a tailspin. Providers are showcasing more and more forthcoming solutions that allow businesses to cater ads based on age, gender, ethnicity, and proximity.

Although digital signage has been increasingly adopted across all industries and has proven to be very influential and effective, the lack of real time audience measurement has curtailed the industry’s ability to realize full potential. There are two layers of audience measurement working in synchrony. At the provider level, metrics are needed to show that a particular solution is effective and meeting the clients’ goals and objectives. On a broader level, the industry needs to demonstrate that the medium is not only powerful, but clearly surpasses the effectiveness of other less targeted and less customizable mediums.

The industry needs performance metrics on several fronts, most notably proof-of ad delivery, audience measurement, and the marketer’s Holy Grail—sales uplift. But the idea behind this approach goes beyond providing accountability to media buyers. Measurement also assures that viewers are receiving relevant messages at opportune times. If done well, customized ads save customer’s time, bringing added convenience to the shopping experience. The triple bull’s-eye is to provide evidence that content was played for the right audience at the right time, offer consumers only the information that is specific to their needs and interests, and establish an accepted ROI calculation.