The global digital signage industry is expected to grow at a valuation of USD 27.8 billion by 2026, exhibiting a mapped compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 11.2% throughout the forecast period. With players around the world set to take strides into the realm of technology, the numbers look achievable.

Here branches out new possibilities and opportunities, and one such is digital menu boards. This sub-set of digital signage is stirring up the curiosity of many global markets, including the coastal country of Singapore. From interactive ordering kiosks to fully digital cafe menus, the region is experimenting with all. What’s in? A delightful scoop of providers who are taking innovations to the next level.

What are digital menu boards?

Digital menu boards are electronic displays that are used in place of traditional printed menus in restaurants, cafes, drive-thru food points, etc. These use an intelligent interface to showcase food items, descriptions, pricing, and promotional content in a dynamic format, often allowing for remote and real-time updates. For example, a Quick Service Restaurant (QSR) may use electronic menu boards to display their offerings and engage customers with visually appealing content.

Top 5 digital menu board companies in Singapore

Here are the five most sought-after digital signage companies that offer e-menu solutions. Read on:

1. Pickcel

Singapore’s leading signage provider, Pickcel, offers a smooth interface for restaurants, cafes, QSRs, pubs, and bars to manage their menus efficiently. With a dedicated application that allows cloud-based content management and updation, the developers offer easy handling of LED menu screens from anywhere, bringing flexibility for franchise businesses.

The software includes pre-designed digital menu board templates that are fully customizable. With a few simple clicks, effortlessly personalize the prices, dish names and descriptions, icons, fonts, and more to suit your business needs. Customers can scan QR codes on-screen to access the digital menu on their mobile phones, reducing waiting times and enhancing personalization.

The brand leaves an indelible impression with the option to schedule your menu per ingredient availability or particular times of the day, such as ‘Happy Hours’ or showcase seasonal offerings.

That’s not all! The company offers language and currency settings to display your menu per local requirements. Additionally, the option to create a menu playlist helps bring out the best of your screens with captivating background graphics and dynamic videos. Besides, the software offers gamified discounts and real-time updates to boost traffic, especially for digital food truck menus. It enhances customer engagement and loyalty with fun elements in the ordering process.

Pickcel’s digital menu boards support multiple display zones, allowing businesses to showcase weather updates, breaking news, current events in the area, and more as tickers or on a screen section, depending on their chosen layout.

2. Ascenstar

A well-known name among the digital menu board providers in Singapore, Ascenstar’s designs captivate customers with their trendy and modern appearance. They utilize high-resolution images of delicious products offered by food and beverage outlets. These eye-catching visuals instantly attract the attention of customers. One of the key benefits of the design layout is its ease of updating menus across multiple outlets.

Screen-network connectivity makes this possible, allowing menus to be centrally controlled. This means that changes and updates to menus and presentation layouts can be done quickly and efficiently. It is beneficial for businesses with multiple locations.

Ascenstar offers a range of solutions to suit diverse needs. Options include standalone displays and advanced networked solutions. They also provide interactive touchscreens for direct customer ordering.

3. VizanSign

VizanSign, another Singapore-based digital menu board solutions provider, prioritizes ease of use, making it unnecessary for users to have tech expertise. It allows for remote content updates, ensuring a uniform and consistent appearance across all outlets.

Targeted primarily at restaurants and hotels, VizanSign’s digital menu boards offer an interactive interface for promoting various elements, such as menu items, special offers, and advertisements.

The advantages of VizanSign’s offering encompass many functionalities, including displaying menus, daily specials, nutritional information, and queue numbers. Additionally, it is an effective tool for highlighting new menu items while reducing the clutter caused by paper-based menus.

4. Big Image Group Pte

Big Image Group provides various digital menu board solutions across Singapore. The brand’s offerings allow businesses to present a consistent and professional brand image through electronic menu display ideas.

While the company provides a unified solution across all television and commercial screen-grade digital menus, they also offer unique customization options. This means businesses can tailor needs to match their unique requirements, whether specific design elements, branding colors, or interactive features. This flexibility ensures that the digital menu boards align perfectly with the business’s identity.

5. Uniconnect

Uniconnect Systems, based in Singapore and Indonesia, offers innovative digital signage solutions, including video wall display solutions, for various industries such as restaurants, retail stores, hotels, hospitals, and malls. They specialize in electronic menu designs and contact-less QR-based menus for restaurants and cafes, aiming to boost sales and enhance the customer experience.

Their solutions address the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic by optimizing both dine-in QSR experiences. Features like dynamic content delivery, easy menu scheduling, remote updating, customizable messaging, cost-cutting through interactive kiosks, and interactive touchscreens for staff training help improve advertising and engage customers effectively.

The company also has a report on recent statistics indicating that effective menu displays are crucial to restaurant customers, with up to 74% prioritizing them. These are becoming increasingly popular, accounting for up to 20% of the market.

The benefits of their solutions include quick and easy updates, visually appealing displays that stimulate appetite and boost revenue, support for high-quality graphics and video, and the ability to tailor menu options in real time using signage analytics.

Why are digital menu boards trending worldwide?

1. Dynamic content:

These displays empower businesses to present graphic content, including rotating images and videos. This flexibility not only captivates customer attention but also elevates the visual appeal of products, ultimately driving sales.

2. Economical advantage:

Despite the initial investment in digital menu boards, they tend to yield long-term cost savings. Businesses can curtail expenses related to printing and labor for menu updates while reducing waste generated by discarded printed menus.

3.Tailored customization:

Digital menu boards allow businesses to customize their displays according to various parameters, such as the time of day, season, or specific promotions. This level of personalization enhances the alignment of offerings with customer preferences and maximizes revenue opportunities.

4. Interactive features:

Some digital menu boards incorporate interactivity, like touchscreens, QR codes, or integration with mobile devices. These features enhance the overall customer experience, allowing patrons to explore menu items easily, place orders, or access additional information.

5.Real-Time analytics:

Digital menu boards capture and analyze customer interactions and sales data in real time. This data proves invaluable for making informed decisions about menu offerings, pricing strategies, and targeted marketing initiatives.

6. Seamless updates:

Traditional printed menus can be expensive and cumbersome to update, particularly when prices or items frequently change. In contrast, digital menu boards enable instant, remote updates, substantially reducing printing costs and minimizing the potential for errors.

7. Adaptability:

Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, digital menu boards gained popularity due to their agility in accommodating evolving health guidelines. They facilitated quick updates to reflect contact-free ordering and social distancing measures.

Parting words

There is no doubt that digital menu boards are the trend of the town (be in Singapore, the US or India). And with a global pandemic that has acquainted us with the perks of paperless, this evolution is set to get stronger. Restaurants are indeed wiping it clean when it comes to engagement, visuals or sales conversions and the rage is for the right reasons.