How Effective is Digital Signage? | Stats & ROI for 2025

Digital signs are revolutionizing. That's the short answer. But if you're trying to convince leadership to invest in screens for your school hallways, hospital waiting areas, or manufacturing floor, you probably need more than that.

So here's what the data actually shows: organizations using digital signage for internal communications see measurable gains in employee engagement, message retention, and operational efficiency. The global digital signage market hit $28.83 billion in 2024 and is projected to reach $45.94 billion by 2030, according to Grand View Research. That kind of growth doesn't happen with technology that doesn't deliver results.

Rise Vision makes deploying digital signage simple for K-12 schools, universities, corporate offices, healthcare facilities, and manufacturing operations. But before we get into the how, let's look at the why.

Digital Signage vs. Traditional Communication Methods

Prior to the digital era, businesses used traditional forms of advertising, such as billboards, posters, brochures, and flyers. They had to spend countless hours and resources generating content and printing them out for mass distribution. 

Think about how most companies still communicate with their teams. Bulletin boards stuffed with outdated flyers. Email blasts that get buried. Printed memos that nobody reads. The old methods made sense when there weren't better options. There are better options now, and generating content for them is easier than you'd think.

Here's how they stack up:

The difference comes down to visibility and speed. A poster on a corkboard might get glanced at once, maybe twice. A digital display in a high-traffic area gets seen repeatedly throughout the day, and you can update the content in seconds without printing anything. For time-sensitive information like schedule changes, safety alerts, or emergency notifications, speed matters.

Why It Works for Internal Communications

The case for digital signage in internal communications is pretty straightforward: people pay attention to screens. We're conditioned for it. Most of the benefits of digital signage stem from that simple fact. And when you're trying to reach employees, students, or staff with information that actually matters, getting their attention is half the battle.

A Trade Press Services study found that 85% of employees report feeling more motivated when management keeps them updated on company developments. The problem is that most internal communication channels are easy to ignore. Emails pile up. Intranets go unvisited. But screens in common areas? Those get noticed.

Research indicates that workplaces with effective internal communication are four times more likely to report high levels of employee engagement. Digital signage contributes to that effectiveness by putting messages where people already are: lobbies, hallways, break rooms, and production floors.

The Numbers on Engagement and Productivity

Here's where it gets interesting. Digital signage doesn't just get attention. It drives results.

Internal communication teams are catching on. According to industry surveys, 56% of internal communication professionals are considering expanding their use of digital signage. And 60% of employees report that digital signage helps them stay better informed about company initiatives and events.

The productivity angle is significant, too. Studies suggest that good internal communication can drive 25% higher employee productivity. When employees know what's happening, when they feel connected to organizational goals, and when they're not constantly searching for information, they work more effectively. Digital signage keeps that information front and center.

Sector-Specific Effectiveness

Various industries see different benefits, but the pattern holds across the board.

Healthcare: Around 70% of US hospitals have adopted digital communication systems. Research by Arbitron found that 75% of hospital patients could recall at least one message from a digital sign, and separate studies show that digital displays reduce perceived wait times by up to 35% in clinical settings. For healthcare facilities, that combination of patient education and improved experience is valuable.

Education: Schools and universities have adopted digital signage quickly. Approximately 87% of educational institutions have deployed digital signage systems, and 73% consider it a key part of future communication strategies. It makes sense when you think about it. Students are digital natives. They respond to screens in ways they don't respond to paper announcements taped to walls.

As one K-12 administrator put it in a recent review: "Rise Vision has transformed how we communicate with students, staff, and visitors. It's user-friendly, and the customization options allow each school to tailor content."

Manufacturing and Warehouses: Safety messaging, shift schedules, production metrics. These environments have real-time information needs that static signage simply can't address. Digital displays on the floor keep workers informed without interrupting operations.

Corporate Offices: Meeting room displays, company announcements, employee recognition. The applications vary, but the goal is consistent: keeping people informed and engaged. As one corporate user put it: "Rise Vision has been a great tool for digital signage across multiple screens in our office."

Message Retention and Visual Processing

There's a reason screens work better than text on paper, and it has to do with how our brains process visual information.

You may have heard the claim that we process visuals 60,000 times faster than text. That specific number doesn't hold up to scrutiny. It traces back to a 1982 advertisement with no scientific backing. But the underlying principle is real. MIT research shows the brain can identify images in as little as 13 milliseconds. Visual information is processed more quickly and retained more effectively than plain text.

Digital signage uses that to its advantage. Dynamic content, color, motion. These elements capture attention in ways that static printed materials can't match. Studies consistently show that digital displays capture around 400% more views than static signs. That's not a small difference.

Real-Time Updates Change Everything

One of the biggest practical advantages of digital signage is the ability to update content instantly from anywhere.

Traditional forms of signage requires printing, distribution, and physical installation. If something changes, you start the whole process over. With cloud-based digital signage platforms, you push an update, and it's live across every display in your network within seconds.

For time-sensitive communications, this changes everything. Emergency alerts. Weather closures. Schedule changes. Inventory updates. The information reaches people when it's actually relevant, not hours or days later.

A university communications manager noted: "Rise Vision allows us to post content on individual monitors and has useful features like local weather and a clock." It sounds simple, but that kind of flexibility matters when you're managing information across a campus.

The Cost Question

Digital signage requires an upfront investment. That's the reality. Screens, media players, software, and installation. It adds up.

But here's the thing: the ongoing costs are often lower than traditional methods. No printing. No distribution labor. No waste from outdated materials. Content updates happen digitally, which means one person can manage displays across multiple locations without leaving their desk.

One school administrator summed it up: "Rise Vision is a game-changer for our communications. It saves us time and eliminates the need for printed posters."

For organizations spending thousands annually on printed materials, the math often favors digital within the first year or two. And that's before factoring in the improved effectiveness of the communication itself.

What Makes Platforms Like Rise Vision Work

Not all digital signage solutions are created equal. The technology only delivers value if people can actually use it.

This is where Rise Vision has built its reputation. The platform is designed for non-technical users. Teachers, administrators, HR teams, communications professionals. People who need to get content on screens without becoming IT specialists.

One user from a school district put it simply: "Rise Vision is the best digital signage platform we've ever used. It's intuitive, has a vast library of professional templates, and is easy to maintain."

The template library is worth mentioning. Creating professional-looking content from scratch takes time and design skills that most schools and businesses don't have readily available. Templates solve that problem. You customize the content, and the design is already handled.

Cloud-based management means updates happen from any device. Scheduling allows content to display at specific times. And because Rise Vision runs on standard hardware, you're not locked into expensive proprietary equipment.

From an IT perspective, the centralized control matters. Gary Lambert, an IT administrator for a K-12 district, noted: "The centralized management saves time, and the support is outstanding." When you're responsible for dozens of screens across multiple buildings, that kind of efficiency adds up. Another district mentioned they manage about 25 displays and plan to add more.

Is Digital Signage Worth It?

The data says yes. The organizations already using it say yes. One business user has been on the platform for over a decade: "I have been using this system for 10 years or more. It is a great way to post information for employees."

Digital signage delivers higher message retention, better engagement, and faster communication than traditional alternatives. For schools trying to reach students, hospitals informing patients and staff, manufacturers communicating safety protocols, or corporate offices keeping teams aligned, screens in the right places make a measurable difference.

The question isn't really whether digital signage is effective. It's whether your organization is ready to start using it.

Ready to see how digital signage can work for your organization? Rise Vision offers free digital signage to help you get started.