May was a big month for events, as we learned a lot from gatherings around the globe. We saw glimpses of the future for new OLED panels at SID Display Week 2025. We also learned more about the importance and impact of in-store retail media, alongside challenges not to ignore! New statistics emerged on the reach of Out-of-Home advertising which are particularly exciting. Lastly, we have helpful content for you to polish your digital signage playlists and drive foot traffic to your business.
LG Display unveils new OLED panels!
If you’re exploring new display technology, you’ll be happy to hear that LG Display recently unveiled its fourth-generation OLED panels at SID Display Week 2025, in San Jose, California. With brightness reaching up to 4,000 nits, these new displays are ideal for high-demand applications. A special film on the panels ensures natural colors remain consistent.
LG Display has also presented its blue phosphorescent OLED technology for the first time. It is designed for devices such as smartphones and tablets. Phosphorescent OLED displays have significantly greater luminous efficiency than all OLED generations to date. LG is really looking to the future, as they became the first company to succeed in reaching the commercialization stage of this technology. It is certainly setting a precedent for the future of OLED panels.
In other news on display tech, Sony appears to be taking a break from 8K display manufacturing. In reality, 4K is doing its job quite well so the demand for 8K is very context-dependent. At the moment, Samsung stands as the only major display manufacturer of these super high resolution displays. Though, this is very likely to change once demand for it emerges.
The importance of measuring impact of in-store media
An important topic emerged at the recently held Retail media Summit in Rosemont, surrounding in-store media channels and measuring their effectiveness. For a start, with nearly $1 billion per year, it’s a rapidly growing segment. However, measuring performance is proving challenging, as we lack standardized metrics available for digital channels. Another challenge is relying and acting solely based on hard data when it comes to spending, at times neglecting the bigger picture. This discussion raised challenges but also provided guidelines. For example, strategic placement and timing will often determine an ad’s effectiveness.
This is a matter we’ve talked about often concerning digital signage. Tracking success, reach, and impact is crucial, but at times the circumstances don’t allow for accurate measurements. Take a look at our blog for more ways to measure the effectiveness of your digital signage.
Programmatic DOOH is growing
More and more news is coming out about the benefits programmatic digital signage offers, and with it about opportunities for using it to push for sale ads to audiences. Lately, we see programmatic displays emerge in high-traffic areas, indicating just how accepted this source of advertising is becoming!
Amsterdam Airport Schiphol welcomed almost 67 million passengers last year. The airport has much signage, including digital displays, of course, and now offers programmatic advertising. This means advertisers can book specific time slots for their campaigns allowing for very precise targeting.
While the topic of programmatic OOH growing is quite exciting, we must be careful and mindful of the steps ahead. Interestingly, programmatic OOH is following in the footsteps of digital advertising, so we can already foresee a pattern which lies ahead!
OOH advertising weekly reaches 97% of Australians aged 14+
For any business uncertain about investing into Out-of-Home advertising, they need only look at the stats on its reach. A particularly exciting example comes from Australia.
The Outdoor Media Association’s MOVE (Measurement of Outdoor Visibility and Exposure) reports that OOH advertising in Australia reaches 97% of those aged 14 and above each week. The study indicates that OOH connects with more than 22 million people weekly. This number does seem high, but it makes sense based on the stats, as displays are everywhere. Given their nature, they scream for attention.
Research also included additional information to consider. For example, the stats revealed 3 million petrol stations visits each day. Australians also make on average 134 million shopping trips weekly. Elizabeth McIntyre, OMA CEO, summarized the point quite clearly: “As traditional media continues to fragment, OOH’s connection with Australians is getting stronger.”
Playlist building 101!
If you create content for digital signage, or often brainstorm for campaigns, listen closely! An important topic emerged on our blog this month, covering major guidelines on building an effective and engaging digital signage playlist. We discussed the best sequence of elements, as well as tweaks to your playlists settings to ensure content mixes and plays in perfect order.
An equally important topic for your business is driving foot traffic to your store. Explore some guidelines on using your own digital signage to achieve this goal. Or consider investing in digital signage in areas beyond your business where your audience is present.
Cover image by Laura Heimann.
