Digital Signage Outdoor – Rules of Engagement

Using digital signage outdoors has many potential benefits for all sorts of applications. Advertisers, retailers, service providers and public buildings can all benefit from using digital signage outdoors.

Because of its noticeability, screens placed around entrances have the ability to communicate with customers, service users and visitors, relaying important information at point of entry. While for advertisers, outdoor audiences are far larger than those inside a retail mall or store, helping to spread advertising messages to far more people, while retailers can use digital signage outdoors to tempt people inside with promotional content.

Using digital signage outdoors does have some differences to an indoor network. Not only does an outdoor digital signage screen need adequate protection from the weather, temperature and vandalism, but also outdoor screens require a different approach when it comes to engaging with an audience too.

Size for Digital Signage Outdoor

Screen size can make a big difference to digital signage outdoors. The distance an audience views outdoor screens tends to be a lot greater than for screens viewed indoors. Indoor screens tend to be viewed close up, from a few feet away as people pass by. However, outdoors, often somebody will view a screen from the other side of the street, while walking toward an entrance, or even passing by in public transport. For these reasons, the larger a digital signage outdoor screen is the better.

Position for Digital Signage Outdoor

Many indoor screens tend to be positioned flat against the wall, much as a traditional posters and signs always have been. However, outdoor environments much more going on to compete for people’s attention. This is why many outdoor advertisers have always used totems and standalone kiosks in the middle of streets to make sure an audience notices the adverts, and the same technique works for digital signage outdoors too. Outdoor totems showing advertising messages or in entrances to stores or public buildings are going to get far more attention than a wall-mounted or ceiling screen that is all too easy to miss.

Content for Digital Signage Outdoor

Digital signage outdoors needs a different approach to content too. Because an audience views an outdoor screen from farther away, and because the dwell time for digital signage outdoors is far shorter than for indoor screens, content needs to be simpler, bolder and more to the point. There just isn’t the time for complex TV type commercials outdoors so all the important information and the premise of any message should appear on screen all the time rather than hidden behind slogans and fancy transitions.