invidis expert Florian Rotberg is currently in Bangkok for Infocomm Asia, preparing for the invidis Digital Signage Track. A perfect opportunity to analyze the digital signage market in Southeast Asia.
In the ASEAN markets like Thailand, Indonesia, and Vietnam, simple digital posters are the main form of digital signage. Generally, these are independent touchpoint concepts that do not need complex CMS or RDM systems.
When screens or peripherals fail, employees handle orders and information. Digital signage is considered nice-to-have but not business critical, as labor is cheap and abundant. The complexity of digital signage also decreases significantly in rural areas compared to cities.
Digital signage and DooH installations in Southeast Asia, especially in the major metropolitan areas, can also be of a high standard, especially in specific industries that have great similarities with western digital signage concepts:
- Convenience store chains such as 7-Eleven are masters in monetizing very small sales areas with in-store media networks and in-store digital media.
- Luxury retail brands in fashion, beauty, or automotive adopt global touchpoint concepts.
- International brands like Zara, H&M, Adidas, and Nike integrate global digital signage concepts into autonomous stores.
Billboards everywhere
DooH is highly popular in Southeast Asia’s major cities, mainly in the form of large LED billboards, media façades, and in shopping malls. However, the screen quality varies and seldom meets cur-rent professional standards.
Programmatic integration is rare, except for standardized networks in transport sectors like subways and airports. Individual and often large iconic spaces dominate, providing high reach and visibility in city centers and along traffic arteries.
Deep-dive of the Asian markets
In our invidis yearbook 2024, our expert Florian Rotberg looks at all the different markets in Asia, including China, India, Southeast Asia, East Asia and Oceania. Download the yearbook for free in our download store.
When it comes to CMS platforms, integrators in the premium segment rely on well-known European and North American solutions. The broader market, in contrast, is reluctant to pay for soft-ware and to maintain complex interfaces. Many integrators opt for free CMS solutions or software with low one-off license fees. The added value of software solutions, database connections and scheduled service concepts is missing.
