Choosing a Digital Signage Partner: Howard vs. Palmer Digital Group
Switching from static to digital signage is one of the highest-impact upgrades any multi-location operation can make. But not every vendor approaches the project the same way. Here's an honest, side-by-side look at how The Howard Company and Palmer Digital Group differ.
Looking for other comparisons? See how Howard stacks up against WAND Digital and Stratacache as well.
The short version
Palmer Digital Group
A display-focused vendor offering turnkey digital menu boards through a reseller network, with a proprietary cloud CMS and partner-managed installation.
The Howard Company
An end-to-end storefront partner: digital menu boards, drive-thru systems, indoor and outdoor displays, content management, branding, and installation all managed by one accountable team.
Last updated: June 23, 2026 Compare for yourself
| The Howard Company | Palmer Digital Group | |
|---|---|---|
| Core model | Storefront systems integrator — single-point responsibility for a working system: hardware, software, branding & install | Enclosure and mounting structure manufacturer — CMS, displays, and installation are separate purchases coordinated by the customer |
| Digital menu software | Software-agnostic — best-fit CMS matched to your operation (Navori, Neon, NanoNation), plus proprietary OCS for the drive-thru, all scoped and delivered by Howard | Third-party CMS licensed separately; platform not disclosed publicly |
| Vendor lock-in | No — Howard selects the best technology for your needs and can adapt as your operation evolves | Enclosures are built around specific Samsung OHF and LG XE4F-M models — switching display brands means replacing the structure |
| Display hardware | Display-agnostic — best-fit commercial displays from LG & Samsung selected and sourced by Howard, matched to each specific application | Structures designed for Samsung OHF (46"/55") and LG XE4F-M (49"/55") — customer is responsible for sourcing displays separately unless PDG is asked to purchase them |
| Drive-thru & outdoor | Complete drive-thru systems manufactured in-house — weatherized enclosures, canopies, clearance bars, speaker posts, and integrated audio & headset communications, all under one contract | Mounting structures and optional accessories (canopy, clearance bar, speaker/mic pedestal) sold separately — integrating audio, communications, and displays requires the customer to manage multiple components |
| Branding & interior | Full interior/exterior branding & merchandising — Howard outfits the entire storefront, not just the screens | Indoor kiosk enclosures and display mounts only — no branding, décor, or merchandising services offered |
| Project management & install | One contract, one project manager — Howard owns the process from site survey to final install, including managing all subcontractors | Installation available, but the customer is responsible for coordinating displays, CMS, and enclosures from separate sources before install can begin |
| Best fit for | Brands that want a single accountable partner for the entire storefront — digital, static, drive-thru, branding, and multi-unit rollouts | Operators comfortable managing multiple vendors — sourcing displays, licensing software, and coordinating install independently |
Looking for a one stop signage shop?
Digital, static, drive thru, branding, and installation. One partner, one contract, and one project manager
When Palmer Digital Group might be the better fit
To be fair: if your project requires single-platform software only, without extras including canopies, clearance bars, speaker posts, branding, or storefront design Palmer Digital Group can be a clean fit.
When The Howard Company is the better fit
- You want one accountable partner that has the expertise and the bandwidth to do it all, software, displays, drive-thru, branding, and installation.
- You're rolling out across many locations and need consistent project management and durable, weatherized hardware.
- You want flexibility and proven enterprise software without being locked into a single vendor's roadmap.
- You run a hybrid environment (some digital, some static) and want it all designed to match your brand.
What The Howard Company Actually Does
Is The Howard Company just a consulting firm?
The Howard Company is a systems integrator, we take a consultative approach to defining the best solution, then take single-point responsibility for delivering a working system, not a hodgepodge of parts from different vendors. Behind that is a 100% employee-owned manufacturer, founded in 1950 in Brookfield, Wisconsin: weatherized enclosures, canopies, clearance bars, speaker posts, and signage engineered and built in-house, paired with best-fit commercial displays from LG and Samsung.
That system thinking extends past the screen. A drive-thru is as much about communication as it is about the display. Customers have to hear and be heard, whether the order is taken by a crew member on a headset or an AI voice agent. Howard integrates the audio and headset communications alongside the visuals; a signage-only vendor addresses the visuals and leaves the rest to you. When a single-software vendor sources the display from one company and hands installation to another, a failure means finding out which of three vendors is at fault. With Howard, one project manager is accountable for the whole working system.
Does The Howard Company have its own software?
Being software-agnostic is the point, and it's a real advantage. Instead of forcing every customer onto one platform, The Howard Company helps match you to the right content-management system from your requirements.
Choosing from proven platforms like Navori, Neon, and NanoNation. The right fit depends on questions a single-platform vendor can't answer for you:
- Do you need direct integration with your POS?
- How much customization do you need?
- How hands-on do you want to be with your CMS day to day?
And where it counts, Howard does build proprietary software, our OCS (Order Confirmation System) for the drive-thru. The result: the best platform for your stores, not the only platform a vendor happens to sell.
POS integration is a strength of this model, not a weakness:
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NanoNation is a founding partner of Square for Drive-Thru (The Howard Company was named in Square's May 2026 launch announcement)
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Neon offers a documented integration with Toast at the register and with Olo for digital ordering
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Navori's open API lets our team wire menu data from your existing systems
Integration work Howard scopes and delivers as part of the project, not homework left to your IT department. And because the CMS layer isn't welded to the hardware, if your brand migrates to a different POS down the road, we can adapt your software without ripping out your screens and enclosures, a safety net a single-platform vendor can't offer.
Compare the CMS options for yourself here!
Does The Howard Company make more than static signage?
The Howard Company runs active digital programs across a range of concepts and formats, including digital drive-thru systems, indoor and outdoor digital displays, and full hybrid projects. They also handle static signage, branding, and merchandising, which means operators work with one vendor instead of three.
How do I avoid consulting fees and markups?
Every digital rollout has the same cost components: software, displays, installation, and project management.
The question isn't whether those costs exist, it's how many vendors and contracts you have to manage to cover them. With Howard, you pay one company: we manufacture the enclosures, structures, and signage in-house, pair them with commercial displays from LG and Samsung, hire and manage the installation contractors, and project-manage the whole scope from concept to install with one point of accountability which is typically faster and lower-risk for multi-unit operators.
Looking for a one-stop signage shop?
Digital, static, drive-thru, branding, and installation — one partner, one contract, one project manager.
Talk with The Howard Company