Poppulo announced the acquisition of Sociabble, an employee engagement platform headquartered in Paris, France. The Sociabble offering expands Poppulo’s employee and workplace experience platform with innovative social intranet, enhanced mobile and front-line support, as well as solutions for employee advocacy and recognition. The new solutions are intended to complement the existing Poppulo product range.

Poppulo – including Reach – serves over 10,000 organizations with more than 50 million employees worldwide. The digital signage network spans over 600,000 screens globally.

Powered by Poppulo AI, the Poppulo Experience Platform is build to deliver organizations more relevant, measurable, and governed employee communication. Sociabble adds an innovative social intranet, enhanced mobile and front-line support, as well as solutions for employee advocacy and recognition.

For Sociabble customers, the integrated Poppulo platform provides immediate extension into digital signage, and the opportunity to combine both companies’ AI expertise to accelerate innovation. As enterprises consolidate their work tech footprints, Sociabble expands Poppulo’s open Experience Platform that integrates with the broader ecosystem – from IT infrastructure to meeting rooms to mobile devices –  giving global enterprises a unified engagement layer.

Sociabble’s capabilities – including intranet, frontline mobile application, employee advocacy, and rewards solutions – will integrate into Poppulo’s platform. By bringing together these capabilities and comprehensive communications, engagement, and behavioral data in a single ecosystem, organizations will gain richer insights that power more personalized, relevant, and measurable employee experiences.

The combined platform strengthens Poppulo’s AI capabilities today by improving targeting, optimizing content performance, and to better understand employee engagement. Communications and business leaders will benefit from deeper intelligence and more actionable insights, while IT gains streamlined integration, reduced complexity, and enterprise-grade security and governance at scale.

• M&A: Poppulo Acquires Sociabble
• OoH: Robot.com Launches Mobile Robot Ad Network 
• Nowsignage: Triple‑digit ARR Growth as US Expansion Accelerates
• DooH: The Times Turns DooH Screens into Windows to History
• Appointments: PlexusAV Expands US Sales Team

The post M&A: Poppulo Acquires Sociabble first appeared on invidis.

Robot.com is moving into out-of-home advertising with R-ads, a platform that turns its autonomous robot fleet into a mobile media network. 

The platform supports three campaign formats: moving robots, vehicle wraps, and digital screens. According to the company, campaigns can be launched through a self-serve system with AI-powered impression tracking, audience demographics and attribution analytics.

Each robot is equipped with integrated screens, QR-enabled engagement layers and data-capture tools. Where venue rules prevent physical wraps, campaigns can run only on the robots’ digital displays.

Robot.com says its fleet now includes more than 500 robots deployed across campuses, warehouses and city streets, with more than 2.5 million tasks completed. The company says R-ads have already been used in more than 100 activations across more than 20 countries.

A recent campaign with the Ad Council’s Heatstroke Prevention campaign used the robots’ digital displays during a Miami motorsport event. Robot.com says the activation generated more than 147,000 impressions in its first four days across more than 50 miles of robot coverage.

• M&A: Poppulo Acquires Sociabble
• OoH: Robot.com Launches Mobile Robot Ad Network 
• Nowsignage: Triple‑digit ARR Growth as US Expansion Accelerates
• DooH: The Times Turns DooH Screens into Windows to History
• Appointments: PlexusAV Expands US Sales Team

The post OoH: Robot.com Launches Mobile Robot Ad Network  first appeared on invidis.

Nowsignage has come a long way from a British digital signage challenger to an established international enterprise platform provider. The bullish outlook follows a period of strong operational performance. In FY2024–25, Nowsignage delivered 71% revenue growth, while its deployed screen base expanded by 115%. More recently, ARR has grown 45% over the past six months, driven primarily by increasing adoption among large, multi-site enterprise customers.

This includes several high-profile deployments across retail and QSR. Among them is the national rollout of Superdrug’s retail media network, as well as supporting Wingstop and Taco Bell’s expansion across Europe. The digital signage software company has also delivered a digital menu board network for Little Caesars across thousands of locations in 16 countries.

Scaling organisation and global footprint

Parallel to its platform growth, Nowsignage has significantly expanded its organisation. Over the past two years, headcount more than doubled from 20 to 41 employees, supported by a series of senior hires. As part of its US push, Nowsignage has appointed a Vice President of Enterprise Solutions, focused on supporting larger, more complex client deployments.

From scale-up to global platform

CEO Nick Johnson sees the current phase as a structural shift for the business. “The business is operating at a very different scale compared to two years ago. We’ve evolved from a fast-growth company into a much more established global organisation, while still keeping the speed and agility that our customers expect from us.”

According to Johnson in an interview with AV Interactive, the past two years have been focused on strengthening the company’s foundations – including platform investment, team expansion, and the ability to support increasingly complex, multi-market rollouts.

US market becomes growth engine

A key pillar of Nowsignage’s growth strategy is the US market,  where demand for enterprise-grade CMS platforms continues to rise. Fellow ISVs like Screencloud or digital signage infrastructure specialist SignageOS follow a similar path with a strong US market focus.

“The US is a major area of growth for the business, particularly as more large, multi-site brands look for digital signage solutions that are scalable, easy to manage and backed by strong partner support,” says Johnson.

The company is seeing particularly strong momentum in retail and QSR, both sectors undergoing rapid digital transformation. In these environments, digital signage has moved beyond content delivery to become critical infrastructure for menu management, pricing, retail media monetisation, and omnichannel integration.

• M&A: Poppulo Acquires Sociabble
• OoH: Robot.com Launches Mobile Robot Ad Network 
• Nowsignage: Triple‑digit ARR Growth as US Expansion Accelerates
• DooH: The Times Turns DooH Screens into Windows to History
• Appointments: PlexusAV Expands US Sales Team

The post Nowsignage: Triple‑digit ARR Growth as US Expansion Accelerates first appeared on invidis.

Created by The Times and London-based creative agency T&P, in collaboration with Mosaic, “For Our Changing Times” uses live camera feeds, AI, and mixed reality to blend present-day street scenes with historically accurate recreations of major 20th-century events. The campaign won Gold in the commercial category of Ocean Outdoor’s Digital Creative Competition.

The campaign was scheduled to run for two weeks from May 18 on D6 screens at Corporation Street in Birmingham and Deansgate in Manchester. Each execution begins with a live feed of the screen’s surroundings before transitioning into a historical recreation of the same location. In Birmingham, the creative shows firefighters during the Birmingham Blitz. In Manchester, it depicts a march tied to the city’s role in the women’s suffrage movement.

Archive excerpts from The Times appear alongside the visuals, linking the scenes to the newspaper’s 240-year history. The campaign closes with the line: “We’ve covered it all over the last 240 years.”

Supporting messages are also running across Ocean’s small-format Loop network in Canary Wharf, Battersea Power Station, and across Birmingham, as well as a large-format screen in New Street.

Matt Moreland and Chris Clarke, executive creative directors at T&P, said the team worked with The Times archive and researchers to make the historical details feel authentic.

Ocean Outdoor UK CEO Nick Shaw said the campaign gives people in Birmingham and Manchester “an astonishingly accurate glimpse into their past in the very places where they walk today.”

The post DooH: The Times Turns DooH Screens into Windows to History first appeared on invidis.

Warner is based outside Cleveland, Ohio, and brings experience across AV, healthcare technology, public service, and the military. He served six years in the US Air Force and five years in law enforcement before moving into the AV industry, where he has worked for the past decade.

PlexusAV, the professional AV division of Sencore, provides AV-over-IP products and has been positioning itself around open standards and interoperability. In his new role, Warner will support partners and customers as they navigate standards-based AV and the shift toward more IT-aligned AV infrastructures.

Steven Cogels, global director of business development at PlexusAV, says strengthening the company’s US sales team is a priority, adding that Warner brings technical experience and a relationship-led approach to the role.

Warner noted that IPMX gives integrators more design freedom, reduces vendor lock-in for end users, and helps enterprise AV teams operate more like IT departments. His background also includes work implementing EHR and EMR systems in hospitals, giving him experience with complex, mission-critical customer environments.

The post Appointments: PlexusAV Expands US Sales Team first appeared on invidis.

Beth Warren has joined London-based Re-Sauce as global consultancy partner for growth and transformation, supporting the London-based consultancy’s international expansion.

Warren has more than 20 years of experience in enterprise marketing, revenue growth, brand transformation, and go-to-market strategy for B2B technology companies. She is most prominently known for her tenure at Creative Realities, which made her a familiar face in the digital signage sector. Her expertise spans connected store experiences, CMS, retail media, and ad-tech platforms.

In the role, Warren will help B2B clients use marketing to drive revenue, strengthen positioning and improve go-to-market strategy.

The appointment is part of Re-Sauce’s international growth strategy, including a stronger focus on North America. Warren will work with CEO and founder Gordon Dutch and Beky Cann, head of global PR and marketing, supporting clients across digital signage, AV, broadcast and connected technology markets.

Dutch said Warren brings “a rare combination of strategic thinking and hands-on delivery” across digital signage, retail and enterprise technology.

The appointment follows Re-Sauce’s recent launch of a multilingual website in English, Spanish, French and German, as well as Cann joining the business earlier this year.

The post Appointments: Beth Warren Joins Re-Sauce as Global Consultancy Partner first appeared on invidis.

The scene that best captured DSS 2026 was completely unplanned: On the morning of the second day, Vertiseit CEO Johan Lind spontaneously stepped onto the stage to explain the company’s Scala deal. During the networking evening the night before, word had slowly spread that the Swedish software powerhouse would acquire the digital signage legacy brand from the struggling Stratacache.

The moment revealed two things: the industry’s old power structures can no longer be taken for granted; new players are stepping onto the stage, and established market leaders are being forced to rethink their business models. And secondly: tomorrow can look entirely different from today.

That was exactly the message Florian Rotberg and Stefan Schieker laid out in their market keynote. It is also what defines the term NextGen Signage – disruption rather than evolution. Amid all this change, leaders from the industry’s most important digital signage companies came together in panels and discussions to identify the best strategies for the future.

Short- and Long-Term Strategies

The conversations also touched on geopolitical and corporate policy decisions. Yet these are primarily short- to medium-term challenges. Above all, companies are trying to move past uncertainty as efficiently as possible – because uncertainty is always toxic for business. That was reflected in the forecasts presented by both European and U.S. companies.

The technology question, meanwhile, is far more long-term in nature: What will future Digital Signage solutions and services actually look like? This topic was explored intensively during the conference’s two spotlight sessions.

The first spotlight focused on orchestration. Delivering good content flawlessly is no longer enough. Digital Signage now needs to be coordinated across platforms and systems. As a result, responsibilities within the ecosystem are shifting: the CMS is moving away from its once-central role and becoming just one cog in a much larger machine.

In theory, that sounds simpler than it is in practice. Silos need to be dismantled, and this new level of freedom must be carefully organized – particularly when it comes to cybersecurity, which continues to grow in importance.

AI Is Everywhere

This naturally led into the second major spotlight topic – one that was on some people’s lips and almost everyone’s mind: artificial intelligence. Much has already been said about AI and its possibilities, and much of it still remains in the strategy phase rather than implementation. Yet the panelists were able to identify several key insights – above all the guiding principle that the true AI revolution is not happening in the frontend, but in the backend.

For too long, the industry has focused on revolutionary AI features, while the third industrial revolution in product development has already been unfolding behind the scenes.

What this means in concrete terms for the industry could not yet be fully answered – but that is simply the nature of the topic. The final adjustments will have to be made within the companies themselves. And this is precisely where the DSS demonstrates its greatest strength: providing strategic orientation for the leadership level of the industry.

The event offered a genuine workshop atmosphere focused on the future of the digital signage industry, combined with excellent networking opportunities.

DSS 2027 Already Confirmed

Participant feedback suggests the DSS achieved exactly that. The audience composition reinforced this impression, with numerous executives from leading Digital Signage companies in attendance – representing the DACH region, the wider European market, many participants from North America, and international guests from regions including Latin America and India.

The next edition has already been scheduled: DSS 2027 will take place on May 12 and 13, once again at the Hilton Munich Airport. Initial planning by the organizers will begin soon.

Which spontaneous moment will become the defining scene next time, however, is something the digital signage industry’s leaders will have to discover for themselves on site.

The post DSS 2026: The Big Recap first appeared on invidis.

For years, the question “How does content get onto a digital signage screen?” had a simple answer: it was rendered locally via media players. It was also widely assumed that a human operator would manage the CMS. The only real debate was whether marketing or IT teams made the better users. Today, however, the industry is entering a new phase – one in which streaming is making a comeback and AI agents are being discussed as future CMS users.

These scenarios form the basis of the “NextGen Signage” concept explored during the Tech Dialogue at DSS 2026. Across five panel discussions, CTOs and developers examined how AI is set to reshape digital signage infrastructure and workflows. The sessions were moderated by Grassfish founder Roland Grassberger and invidis editor Antonia Hamberger.

The discussions covered everything from evolving user interfaces to the possible disappearance of traditional software altogether, with AI becoming the primary control layer. Despite the broad range of perspectives, several points of consensus emerged:

• The CMS interface will not disappear entirely, but it is increasingly becoming a “backup layer.” In the future, the CMS itself may operate largely as an invisible layer within a broader enterprise platform.
• Standardization will continue to grow, even as large enterprises become more protective of their data and increasingly favor customized solutions.
• AI has the potential to reduce complexity in both development and deployment. However, if those efficiencies do not translate into lower costs for customers, existing business models may come under pressure.
• Certifications such as ISO 27001 or SOC 2 alone are not enough to secure a digital signage network. Software vendors and integrators will need to take a more proactive role – starting with something as simple as warning customers about outdated systems.
• AI cannot be introduced into organizations like a conventional software tool. It forces companies to fundamentally rethink their processes.
• Future CMS platforms will no longer be designed exclusively for human users, but increasingly for AI agents as well. As a result, traditional user interface development is becoming less of a priority.

There was far less agreement when it came to future business models. If software fades into the background and data becomes the real source of value, should companies instead focus on monetizing their data assets? And as AI absorbs more software functions, will the CMS ultimately emerge as a winner or a loser?

The open-ended nature of these questions reflects the broader uncertainty surrounding the industry’s next phase. One thing, however, is clear: digital signage software is about to undergo significant change. The good news is that screens themselves cannot be replaced by AI agents – and they will still need content. How that content is managed and delivered in the future is now up to the industry to decide.

The post DSS 2026 Tech Dialogue: Is the CMS Dying? first appeared on invidis.

The concept is an interesting and often discussed step forward in the evolution of QSR digital signage. Similar to order kiosk, menus are increasingly becoming real-time, data-driven interfaces designed to respond to individual customer contexts. Either personalized on loyalty program data and license plate or more general based context like weather, daytime, car model or in- or out of state license plate.

From Dynamic to Truly Adaptive

According to Yum Brands CEO Chris Turner, the initiative is about “driving growth and delivering a better consumer experience faster.” The AI system analyses contextual signals in real time and adjusts the menu presentation accordingly, influencing which products are highlighted, how they are visually arranged and how content is prioritized.

Importantly, Taco Bell has emphasized that pricing will not be affected during testing. The objective is not dynamic pricing but improved personalization, more effective upselling and faster optimization of menu performance.

The technology is built on Yum’s in-house Byte platform, which connects ordering, fulfilment and analytics. By integrating AI into digital menu boards, Yum can continuously test and refine menu configurations, generating real-time insights into customer behavior and preferences.

AI across the Yum Ecosystem

The project is part of a broader AI strategy across Yum Brands. The group is systematically building an internal ecosystem that combines data, algorithms and customer experience into what it describes as an operational “AI flywheel.”

Within this framework, applications extend well beyond customer-facing systems. Internal tools such as a virtual coworker named “Judy” and multiple AI agents already deployed in the UK support processes and decision-making.

Personalization across all Touchpoints

The shift toward AI-driven personalization is not limited to drive-thru environments. Yum also applies data-driven optimization at digital kiosks, where a proprietary consumer intelligence platform is used to tailor upsell recommendations in real time.

In this case, Yum deliberately chose to build the capability in-house to accelerate deployment and maintain control over data and algorithms. In other areas, however, the company is taking a more pragmatic approach. For email and SMS marketing, Yum has partnered with OfferFit, recognizing that external solutions can in some cases deliver faster results than internal development.

Digital Signage Business-Critical

The developments at Taco Bell highlight a broader industry shift. Digital signage has evolved from a supporting communication tool into a business-critical infrastructure component.

This transformation is particularly visible in the QSR sector, where digital menu boards, drive-thru screens and self-service kiosks now define the customer journey. Restaurants without digital signage have effectively become the exception.

At the same time, the role of these systems has fundamentally changed. What were once purely transactional interfaces are now central to the overall brand experience. Store environments are being redesigned to feel more engaging and welcoming, with digital touchpoints acting as the primary interface between brand and consumer.

From Screens to Intelligent Systems

Taco Bell’s AI-powered menu boards illustrate the next stage of this evolution. Digital signage is moving beyond content distribution towards intelligent, adaptive systems that actively influence customer decisions in real time.

The potential impact is significant. More relevant content can drive higher conversion rates, while automated optimization improves operational efficiency. At the same time, personalized experiences strengthen customer engagement and brand perception.

Execution, however, remains complex. Integrating AI into live restaurant operations, ensuring data quality and maintaining consistent performance across large networks are all critical challenges.

invidis comment

With its scale, data capabilities and vertically integrated technology stack, Yum Brands is well positioned to industrialize AI-driven digital signage. If successful, the approach could set a new benchmark for the QSR industry.

The direction is clear: digital menu boards are no longer static displays – they are becoming intelligent, real-time sales engines.

Taco Bell: Modern Designs for Flexible Retail Concepts

Taco Bell partnered with UK-based design agency Dalziel & Pow to bring its brand values to life through a fresh, modular retail concept. Drawing inspiration from the clean lines of Mid-Century Modern architecture, the design balances efficiency with identity.

The concept integrates digital service touch-points like order kioks, drive thru and digital menu boards in a way that is supposed to feel both logical and human, guiding the customer journey with clear and intuitive touchpoints. Designed with scalability at its core, it can adapt seamlessly – from the smallest kiosk to the most ambitious drive-thru.

From high-impact graphics to flexible, adaptable seating, the concept is designed to flex across a wide range of customer experiences, from a quick five-minute stop in New York to a family gathering in Delhi. The concept is now being rolled out – optimized for enhancing the estate, increasing revenue, and reducing construction costs across Taco Bell sites globally.

The post Dynamic and Personalized: Taco Bell Tests AI-Powered Menu Boards first appeared on invidis.

Since Euroshop in February, Stratacache has increasingly appeared to be in severe distress. Subsidiaries in Canada, the United States, and the United Kingdom have entered liquidation processes – being wound down by court-appointed administrators rather than undergoing traditional insolvency proceedings. The reason: a lack of both viable restructuring prospects and sufficient remaining assets.

The situation has now entered a second phase. Alongside the operational wind-down, key assets are being monetized. This includes the sale of Scala to Vertiseit as well as the disposal of real estate at the company’s headquarters in Dayton, Ohio. Most notably, the 35,000-square-meter Trotwood campus was sold last week for USD 18 million to a real estate developer. (Dayton Daily News)

The transaction carries strong symbolic weight. Stratacache founder Chris Riegel had invested approximately USD 30 million in the site, building a manufacturing facility modelled on automotive production lines. Digital signage hardware like QSR drive-thru screens were assembled there in a fully industrialized process – a bold attempt to vertically integrate the value chain. Today, this vision is being dismantled. Two additional office buildings in downtown Dayton are scheduled for public auction in June.

What Remains of Stratacache?

The question is no longer whether assets will be sold, but what will ultimately remain.

At its peak, Stratacache employed around 1,200 people, managed more than 2.5 million devices, operated from 30 global offices, and supported roughly 4 million digital signage touchpoints. Significant parts of this footprint still exist – at least for now.

Key assets include the U.S. retail media business PRN, the unfinished MicroLED factory and associated patents in Oregon, as well as a large base of experienced – if increasingly unsettled – employees. In addition, the group still holds a broad portfolio of subsidiaries, including Walkbase, idklic, as well as various agencies and rollout specialists.

A Domino Effect Underway

What is currently unfolding resembles a classic break-up scenario. The divestment of Scala may prove to be only the beginning. A domino effect appears to be underway, with further asset sales likely as Stratacache attempts to stabilise a shrinking core.

What that future core will look like, however, remains unclear. From the outside, there is little visibility into which businesses are considered strategic – and which may be next on the block.

For the digital signage industry, the gradual dismantling of one of its most prominent players marks a turning point. The coming months will determine whether a viable core business can be preserved.

• M&A: Poppulo Acquires Sociabble
• OoH: Robot.com Launches Mobile Robot Ad Network 
• Nowsignage: Triple‑digit ARR Growth as US Expansion Accelerates
• DooH: The Times Turns DooH Screens into Windows to History
• Appointments: PlexusAV Expands US Sales Team

The post Stratacache: Dismantling a Digital Signage Heavyweight first appeared on invidis.