Last month, users feasted on stories on McDonald’s recent digital signage transformation, interactivity and customer engagement.

One story analyzed McDonald’s recent digital signage and kiosk deployment, and asked, “Will this solve McDonald’s brand image issues?”

Another story examined interactivity as a component of digital signage, and how end users can determine if they should use interactive elements or not.

It’s time to take a look back at the top five stories of September 2018. They are posted in reverse order.

5. Should your digital signage be interactive?

Digital signage and kiosks are increasingly merging together in recent years, as many companies now deploy interactive digital signage solutions. These can run the gamut from interactive wayfinding solutions to augmented reality experiences. Many end users ask, however, if interactive signage is really worth it.

With interactive digital signage, end users have to consider whether they can afford it, whether their software can support it and whether they actually need it. Digital Signage Today spoke with Jill Perardi, creative services manager at Visix, and Joe Murray, systems engineer at Visix, to get their take on how end users can know if interactive signage is right for them.

4. McDonald’s, bathrooms dominate August 2018 headlines

McDonald’s digital signage makeover and a digital signage sink solution dominated headlines for August 2018 on Digital Signage Today. The restaurant giant McDonald’s recently invested billions of dollars into major technological upgrades with kiosks, digital signage, menu boards and more.

One company, VODXS, has crafted a digital signage solution that integrates displays into bathroom sinks. It will play videos as customers wash their hands, then it uses blockchain technology to confirm individual impressions.

Another story analyzed how Taco Bell is using digital signage to boost overall customer experience. Other top stories analyzed future trends in the market such as the increasing prevalence of AI and other smart programs.

3. 2 keys to digital signage engagement

“Attention is a precious commodity,” says digital analyst and author Brian Solis, and this is especially true when considering digital signage and your audience. People are moving through your facility on their way somewhere, for some purpose other than looking at your digital signs. You have to make them look, get them to slow down and pay attention, care about your message and take an action, all in the space of about seven seconds.

No matter how robust your digital signage software is, if you don’t understand engagement, you’re wasting your efforts. You need to make your customers look and make them think if you want to stand out.

2. Will digital signage solve McDonald’s woes?

When you are out on a road trip, is McDonald’s your first choice? I only go to McDonald’s if it’s the only choice available. My main reasons for this mindset are the low quality food, poor service and long wait times.

McDonald’s recently tried to turn all this around with a massive digital signage and kiosk upgrade to the tune of $6 billion.

The real question is whether this upgrade will solve its woes. To understand that, we have to look at what digital signage and interactive kiosks can do and what they can’t do.

1. 5 future digital signage trends of 2018

Screens are going to get even wider than they are now, yet slimmer than ever before. The advance word is that technology for reflective displays — full color e-paper displays that are flexible and less than a micrometer thick that reflect light rather than emitting it, like real paper — has made some serious breakthroughs.

The trend of increased personalization and interactivity we saw in 2017 will continue. While there are still challenges in creating a truly individualized experience at the screen, there will certainly be advances made as data flows improve to influence the point of customer contact.

Smart programs and AI are entering the field, allowing an unprecedented scaling of data analysis and integration.