Digital Signage Advertising – Importance of Message and Position

Anybody new to the world of digital out of home (Dooh) may find the industry a quagmire of jargon, technical speak and a myriad of companies regaling the importance and benefits of their software, network systems, or content creation programs.

Nearly every company you speak to will stress the importance of a different aspect of digital signage, from type of content, type of hardware used to the definition of the screen; however, in reality, as a form of advertising, there are only two things that really matter—the message you are putting out, and the position of the screen.

Position

Firstly, no matter what the message you are putting out on a screen is, the most fundamental aspect of any digital signage is that the screen can be seen. As with any form of advertising, digital signage is only effective if people can view it.

Any display screen in a retail environment like this needs to be in a central position, by the till, or in the most visible location possible t ensure the maximum number of people see the sign. A common sight when visiting a convenience store, gas station or other small retailer is to see a display screen tucked behind the counter or hidden away amongst the stock.

Even in outdoor digital signage, the wrong positioning of the screen will make a huge difference to the number of views the screen will get. And with outdoor, dwell times are a lot briefer than for an indoor sign (especially one at a point of sale queue), which can make the effectiveness of a badly placed sign even worse.

Eye-level is by far the best position for a screen, either indoor or out, but often this is not possible. Angling the screen towards the approaching audience’s eyes will improve things but the screen does need to be in a place where it is noticeable.

The Message

Another aspect of digital signage which is often a cause of a poor campaign is a lack of understanding in what you want to achieve with the screen. The benefits of digital signage is the ability to schedule and upload content at will, it is not a miracle device that will sell products better than a poster or other advertisement.

Having a clear idea of what you want to do, whether it’s pushing or promoting particular products, raising awareness of the brand, or influencing customer behaviour, will make it more likely to be a successful campaign.