George Washington University is a private research university that was federally chartered by Congress back in 1821. Throughout its 200+ year history, the university has produced some of the country’s greatest minds and innovators, and continues to inspire students to exceed their goals and expectations. With over 26,000 undergraduate and graduate students, GWU requires an intuitive, modern communication strategy in order to not only reach its vast student body and staff but also serve each department’s unique interests. While before each department would manage its own displays and content, the school now employs a more connected, cohesive solution through REACH Media Network. With around 275 players, with plans to expand, the university has demonstrated how large-scale education signage networks can succeed in serving multiple interests at once while still delivering a unified message when necessary. This has helped drive student engagement, improve information retention, and streamline internal workflows.
Are you looking to implement digital signage into your communication strategy? REACH Media Network will help you through every step. As a service and hardware provider, we are equipped to get you up and running with your new signage solution. Additionally, our free creative services and 24/7 support ensure someone is ready to help well after your installation. If you’re interested in beginning your digital signage journey, click the button below to get started today!
SEE DIGITAL SIGNAGE IN ACTION
Want to experience the power of digital signage firsthand? Request a free demo today and explore how REACH Media Network can enhance communication and engagement within your organization.
THE SOLUTION
Before partnering with REACH Media Network, GWU left digital signage management to each department’s displays. This resulted in some disjointed messaging and solutions involving USB sticks plugged into TVs that required manual updates. This was a process that cost time, making it more difficult to put out fresh content in an efficient manner. In 2017, GWU partnered with REACH Media Network to begin employing a modern digital signage solution. However, while first experimenting with its new digital signage network, the university still decided to let each department manage its individual displays. Between 2020 – 2021, GWU decided to unify its system and move to a more cohesive solution. Now, content falls under departments rather than individual facilities. The content is generally managed under specific departments, with facility directors guiding and publishing the overall content strategy. However, A subset of content managers for each facility is responsible for the content featured in their particular facilities. This keeps content flowing at a consistent pace while still giving each department the ability to tailor content that’s relevant to its specific student body and staff.
THE RESULTS
Since implementing university digital signage solutions, GWU has been able to implement various displays that focus on both internal and external content. As mentioned previously, internal teams are able to use digital signage through individual departments and facilities to tailor content relevant to each department. From an external standpoint, there are multiple use cases. The student center uses digital signage on every single floor to push information out to the student body. This can include meetings occurring within the building throughout the day, campus events, or important student deadlines. Breakrooms within staff facilities can highlight the contributions and achievements of workers around the university. The community has grown fond of many of the integrations the school has implemented, specifically social media channels, calendar events, and YouTube videos. These help advertise activities and resources students and staff can utilize, while drawing more attention to events around the community.
The school has even begun implementing touchscreen digital signage solutions. Mainly used in law school, these innovative screens are mainly used as a digital directory around the facility. If exams are taking place, students can also be notified of alternative testing rooms they can utilize. This has inspired some offices to consider expanding through these displays or other signage options as well. GWU’s network is strengthened through leveraging additional features and technical capabilities through REACH Media Network. Adding additional users to its network is made simple through SSO integrations, and offline notifications let them know when a player has been offline for 3 hours. As a result, they can quickly troubleshoot these issues or call REACH for help. This all contributes to a cohesive digital signage solution for universities that stands out from campuses that rely on more traditional communication methods.
READY TO START YOUR DIGITAL JOURNEY?
Discover how digital signage can transform your organization. Reach out to REACH Media Network today to learn more about our solutions, explore custom integrations, and see how we can help you connect with your audience in meaningful ways.
