Broadsign, LG Partner On DOOH Ad Solution For Smart Displays

February 15, 2023 by Dave Haynes

LG’s US Business Solutions unit and DOOH-focused CMS software firm Broadsign has announced a partnership that has what’s dubbed Broadsign for SoC ready to use on the display giant’s multiple lines of proprietary OS “smart” displays.

There are numerous software firms that have developed native or web players for LG’s System-On-Chip “smart” displays, but the distinction here is that while most of those platforms could certainly enable the scheduling of advertising into playlists, Broadsign is pretty much expressly in the DOOH ad business with not only management software, but also a whole supply-side programmatic ad solution.

It’s the distinction between a platform that confirms that advertising is among its capabilities, and a platform that is all about advertising, as has long been the case with Broadsign. It has some non-advertising clients, I think, but DOOH is its clear focus.

LG’s thinking, says Chris Feldman, Senior Business Development  Manager in the US, is that this new solution “allows owners of LG webOS-enabled commercial displays to maximize the value of their technology budgets. It simplifies installation and enables fully automated ad playlist generation, proof-of-play reporting and dynamic campaign delivery across displays in multiple locations without an external media player. LG webOS display owners can also pair Broadsign for SoC with Broadsign’s OOH supply-side-platform (SSP) to access Broadsign’s global network of programmatic media buyers.”

“LG and Broadsign are dedicated to providing cutting-edge tools to businesses operating Digital Out of Home (DOOH) advertising displays, and the Broadsign SoC solution for webOS delivers on that promise with technology that enhances profitability and simplifies network operations for medium to large digital signage networks,” Feldman says. “Now any LG commercial display running webOS 4.1 or later can be transformed into a revenue-generating machine using Broadsign’s intelligent SoC solution, which ensures seamless ad delivery to displays.”

Broadsign Director of Product Marketing Sabrina Allard noted that the SoC solution for webOS is making it easier for businesses to uncover new revenue streams, even on existing LG digital displays. “Our core mission is to help business owners monetize and centrally manage their digital screens, and the launch of Broadsign for SoC unlocks a new world of possibilities for businesses and technology integrators when designing or updating digital display networks,” Allard says. “By utilizing wireless connectivity and our new SoC solution, LG commercial display owners can now access Broadsign’s powerful OOH content management toolset in virtually any location that has a 120-volt outlet.”

Broadsign says the distinction between its offer and what other CMS software firms have with LG webOS is the full ad management piece: Unlike native SoC content management systems, Broadsign for SoC supporting webOS includes built-in advertising capabilities and enables streamlined campaign management across mixed-screen networks. Setup is as simple as downloading the Broadsign for SoC player solution onto a smart screen and registering it in the Broadsign OOH marketing platform. The SoC player then polls the Broadsign servers and downloads ad content to play on its connected display. Once registered, the SoC player can report incidents and proof-of-play statistics back to Broadsign servers.

“Broadsign’s automated content management and delivery solution adds significant value to existing LG digital display networks while giving custom integration firms even more reasons to use LG’s leading commercial display solution,” Feldman adds. “From 4K outdoor displays for drive-thrus to huge DVLED video walls and the endless creative opportunities of transparent OLED, advertisers can reach virtually any audience through LG digital displays all over the globe.”

Broadsign makes money in this in a couple of ways: Broadsign empowers digital signage network operators with advanced content management tools for managing campaigns, ad approval and programmatic revenue generation. There is a subscription fee to access the Broadsign OOH marketing platform, and Broadsign collects a technology fee from each media purchase conducted in the Broadsign OOH marketing platform.

It’s interesting. If a network is in the DOOH ad business, there’s a decent chance they know about or quite possibly use Broadsign. If a network wants to recover ops and capital costs by monetizing their screens, I’m not sure how much money programmatic will generate for them. Unless I am reading this wrong, I think this set-up only works for operators specifically using Broadsign for SoC, versus a network that’s running, I dunno, Korbyt, that also wants ads. I think the network would have to dump Korbyt to use this instead.