Hong Kong Startup Displayforce Launches Digital Signage CMS And AI-Based, Ad-Focused Platform In $299 “Box”

October 5, 2021 by Dave Haynes

A Hong Kong start-up called Displayforce has launched an interesting new product and service that pairs a digital signage play-out device with a camera used to do audience measurement and trigger content.

The Displayforce Box is an L-shaped unit that can be parked on the top or bottom of a flat panel display and powered via the display’s USB port. In a different twist, end-users can buy the unit for $299 or rent it at $50/month, including the CMS and computer vision capabilities.

Says the PR:

Displayforce Box has a built-in camera that impersonally analyzes visitors in real-time using face recognition to show the audience the most relevant ads as it happens online. Offers can respond not only to gender, age or interests of the visitors but also to triggers like today’s weather based on data aggregation. For example, you can set demonstrating umbrellas’ offers only when it’s raining. The Box can be connected to TVs, Video wall, LED screens and powered by the screen.

The company very likely means face pattern detection, and not facial recognition. It even says on its website that the methods used are in compliance with the EU’s GDPR privacy rules, and with those set out in California.

For recognition, you need an image database to match captured faces against, and can expect a shit-storm from privacy advocates. It may seem like hair-splitting in some circles, but the distinction is important. As soon as companies say they are recognizing people with their tech, they’re begging for controversy. Maybe not so much in Orwellian China, but in western countries, for sure.

Displayforce.ai automates relations between retailers and brands, turning digital signage into programmatic ads placements. Brands can advertise with any budget, without the help of a retailer’s content manager, while the retailer monetizes 100% of its ad space. With DF Box, retailers, service providers and media owners can test the new channel of offline performance marketing without the significant costs and time spendings. 

The company, which seems to have a strong Russian connection based on the names of the staff evident on Linkedin, suggests: “On average, implementation of Displayforce.ai gives sales uplift up to 40%, and 2 times increase in revenue from brands-advertisers, now it’s easy to check your own profit in plug and play format.”

“Displayforce Box allows decreasing sales cycle by launching a proof of concept for a few days instead of months. Also, the rental model reduces CAPEX. All of it significantly increases ROI of the projects,” says CEO Serge Galeev.

The bundled CMS offer appears to be the logical offspring of two companies also involving Galeev: Dooh.one, a free programmatic DOOH ad exchange and a retail-focused platform called AddReality.

It’s hard to stay on top of it all, but I don’t recall seeing a product offer that bundles an in-house CMS, in-house computer vision and a purpose-built all-in-one box. Certainly, there are CMS companies that have their own version of computer vision, or integrations with companies that specialize in that. And certainly, there are computer vision companies with their own selected cameras/sensors.