Part 5 - It's All About Content and Location


Author: Judy L. Hoffman

It is agreed that digital signage advertising networks or DSANs are a viable advertising medium. But only if the content displayed is doing its job. Besides artistic guidelines, media planners must also understand the differences in digital signage ads.

For instance, many media planners expect digital signage ads to be 30-second spots like television. You may need to spend some time explaining that digital signage ads must be half that length or less to be effective. Viewers in retail environments seldom spend that long watching an ad. The message must be conveyed in the 10 to 15 seconds that the buyer is passing by the screen.

Studies show that connectivity with viewers happens within the first seven seconds after noticing a digital screen. So digital signage ad content must engage the customer and relay its message within the allotted 10 to 15 seconds. Otherwise, the viewer has moved on and will miss the impact of the message.

Consider, too, TV advertising is targeted to a random audience with varying psychological profiles. Whereas, digital signage advertising is very highly targeted and directly reaches individuals that are there to buy and welcome product information.

What about the content? Ads should be relevant to the customer and the purchases they are making at the time. Is the ad short, concise, entertaining, and informative?

Media planners, content providers, and owners of digital signage advertising networks should have a thorough understanding of the needs of on-site customers or the demographic of shoppers at that location. Consideration of the place, time, promotion and audience is essential when developing advertising content.

Besides content, screen placement and deployment is vital. Are the screens delivering targeted messages where and when they will be seen? Are the screens being used to cross-market or up-sell where possible? This should be monitored and evaluated meticulously.

Interactive experiences are much more memorable than non-interactive ones. Digital ads benefit greatly by exploring ways to offer mobile marketing, SMS messaging, proximity sensors, and touchscreens to extend the experience of customers.

For instance, viewers can be offered a code or take a picture of a code that will allow them to download product specs, options, discounts or hear a sales presentation. By sending messages from phone to screen or vice versa, DSAN owners create an extreme social shopping experience, leading to increased sales.

Consider technology that allows specific messages to be triggered as customers move within a given proximity. With facial recognition technology screens detect viewers as being male or female to trigger gender specific ads. This requires extensive planning and coordination to deploy such a system, but the effects can be phenomenal.

Smell technology can appeal to the interactivity of ads by offering smells that correlate with specific ads. For instance, customers could smell roses when a digital ad for floral specials appears. Who can deny an increase in popcorn sales when digital ads provide the fragrance of freshly popped popcorn to coincide with movie ads?

ABI Research predicts that we will see more sophisticated options in targeting demographics with the use of cameras and the integration of RFID sensor networks with signage, thus achieving more interactivity.

Such exciting technology truly brings ads to life. But how do you sell this to the ad agencies, media buyers, and companies in general? This will be addressed in the next article titled "Measurement Matters".

About the Author

Judy L. Hoffman has freelanced marketing and public relations services for over 20 years serving a wide range of industries worldwide and, while working as PR Specialist at Noventri (www.noventri.com), has nurtured a keen interest in the digital world and the effects of digital signage in the field of marketing and public relations. Hoffman is a freelance writer and has been published in numerous trade journals, newspapers, and online publications. Hoffman holds a Bachelors in Marketing Management.

More Resources

The Seven Second Race: How to Draw Attention Your Ad
You've decided to launch your advertising campaign but you have no idea what would inspire others to buy from you. Or maybe you've already run some ads to no avail.
Humor in Advertising
Many of the most memorable ad campaigns around tend to be funny. Advertisers use this strategy to attract customers to their product.
Custom LED Display
Custom LED Display, as the name specifies, facilitate control anything with any message that you can think of, from hours of operation to daily specials. These are used by almost all industries like factory, banks, airports, universities, libraries, and many others.
Pros and Cons of Establishing an In-House Ad Agency
There have been several ads promoting books and reports on thissubject, or included as part of the contents in several mailorder books stating: "SAVE UP TO 17% ON ALL YOUR ADVERTISING" It's legitimate, practical and effective, but like so many otherpromises, there are pros and cons involved. The pros are fairlyobvious.
How You Can Create Advertising That Sells
A well-planned and properly executed marketing program should include a sufficient commitment of capital resources to an on-going, well executed advertising program. Yes, this includes your business.
Cross Cultural Advertising
"Culture is a like dropping an Alka-seltzer into a glass - you don't see it, but somehow it does something,"Hans Magnus Enzensberger.Culture affects everything we do.
Imaging Isnt Everything
Many home improvement contractors attempt to use advertising to expand their client base and increase profits. Whether it be yellow pages, mailers, ads, or valpak; for many it's a total waste of time and money.
For All Those People Who Struggle With Benefits and Features
For Everyone Who Has Ever Struggled Sorting Out Benefits From Features - "SWAT Them!"SWAT is not actually an acronym. It is a compaction of the question "so what?"You see, one of the biggest problems that even experienced copywriters and marketers fall into is being clear on what benefits their product or service actually delivers to their customers.
Developing a Formal Brand Messaging Document
Ensure everyone in your company sings from the same sheet of music when it comes to communicating a consistent brand message.Imagine one of your customers calling six different people in your company.
Choosing a Print Mail Dealer
"Print & Mail is a type of service that is popular among small mail order operators. It is an inexpensive way to get your ad material printed and mailed to people.
Radio Advertising - Is it for Your Business? - More Small Business Power Tools
If you're a typical small business, you've probably been approached by at least several different radio station sales representatives. In most cases, he or she comes armed with all the latest rating information demonstrating, beyond the shadow of a doubt, that his or her station is number one among just the kind of people who would buy your products or services.
Tips On Writing a Successful Ad
When knowledge is based on truth it is powerful!When it is critical knowledge, its presence can drive our success, while its absence may contribute to our failure. I will attempt to convey in this report some useful and practical knowledge about how to write awesome ads for the World Wide Web.
The Importance of Your Business Card
What are you trying to say with you business card?We have talked about collecting other people's business cards and also about how they are often tough to differentiate from one another. These are things you should avoid for your own business card.
Not Another Calendar! - Choose Advertising Specialties That Sell
As I was searching through a kitchen drawer the other day, I found dozens of pens, pencils, letter openers, sticky-note pads, oversized paper clips, rulers, dental floss, calendars, magnets, whatsits and thing-a-ma-bobs, each with the name of a business on the front. In looking through my "collection" I discovered some things I love and use and others that I can't imagine why I picked them up.
The Ultimate, "Must-Have" Home-Based Business for YOU
The Ultimate, "Must-Have" Home-Based Business for YOU aUnderemployed, Unemployed, or Industrial Age IndividualAllow me to educate you on the issue of job security andpaint you a picture of what the aftermath can be if youremain comfortable at your regular job. Job security is anold-fashioned term that claims the longer an employeeworked for a particular company, the more precious thatperson became.
The ONLY Type Of Advertising People LOVE!!
Can it be???Is there advertising that people actually love?You bet there is! And you are already very aware of it. The type of advertising I'm referring to is promotional items, also known as advertising specialties.
The Future of Voiceovers: Hold Your Tongue...Possibly Forever
"Do we need to cast a voice-over talent for this project?"That's a valid question any producer might ask when creating an advertisement, corporate audio-video presentation, video game, etc. Of course, the answer depends on what elements the producer and client feel will best communicate with the audience.
5 Newspaper Advertising Myths Revealed
What I'm about to reveal are myths that most people thinkare 'true.'They seem set in stone yet they are deadly to theadvertiser.
Vinyl Banners for the Right Occasion
The sinage marketplace is competitive! Consequently, some companies are going to focus on price and neglect quality. To complicate the situation, companies that produce stock vinyl banner material offer a bevy of different materials based on weights/thickness, color, reflective properties, ink absorption properties, etc.
What's the Score?
You may be aware that in a basketball game the assistant coaches keep an almost unending list of personal statistics for each player. Rebounds, assists, points, minutes played, etc.

More Advertising Information:

Related Articles

How Much Money Do I Need to Spend on Advertising?
Q: I've never really done much advertising for my business; I've always relied on networking and word-of-mouth. Now I'd like to launch a small campaign, but I'm frightened it will cost a lot of money.
Promote yourself on radio for free
Unless you have become extremely popular in your personal or business name, you likely need all of the marketing and promotion you can get. Now, you may say, of course, I'm aware of this, but who has the money? This a good and fair question.
How To Write Really Good Ads
All sales begin with some form of advertising. To build sales,this advertising must be seen or heard by potential buyers, andcause them to react to the advertising in some way.
Dont Put All Your Eggs in The Same Basket
Solution: You can protect yourself by partnering with other lead sources because it is unlikely that they will all have a problem or technical issue at the same time.Other alternative: It doesn't hurt either to use a few marketing tools to generate leads for your business.
Raising Funds For Your Nonprofit Using An Annual Direct Mail Program
A good annual direct mail solicitation program can produce unrestrictive operating funds for your nonprofit organization year after year. And such an annual direct mail program, if done right, should produce more funding for your organization each year.
7 Questions to Ask Before You Advertise
Most business owners and managers keep a fairly close eye on their marketing budgets.And nothing throws a budget out of whack faster than advertising.
The First UK Man To Become a Human Billboard an Interview
Advertising on humans using tattoos is rapidly kind of freak niche that is definitely growing. It all started about two years ago (to the best of my knowledge) when a guy ran an ad on eBay offer his forehead as a billboard.
Do Your Adverts Get You More Sales?
Philadelphia retailer and US Postmaster General, John Wanamaker, once said, "Half the money I spend on advertising is wasted; the trouble is I don't know which half."If you're spending $10,000 a month on advertising $5,000 is going straight down the tubes.
Magnetic Business Cards: Make Your Marketing Message Stick
What is it about magnets that draw people to leave them on fridges and file cabinets for years at a time?Many people like to have the contact information handy for common service providers without flipping through a bulky phone book. Magnets are the perfect solution for being seen in this situation.
3 Simple But Powerful Off-Line Advertising Strategies
There are several ways to advertise and get the word out about your business online and the best of them include f-ree search engines, pay per click search engines, writing articles, utilizing press releases, doing joint ventures/ad co-ops, and posting to message boards and forums related to your target market.But one advertising method that's neglected by most online marketers is off-line advertising.
Custom LED Display
Custom LED Display, as the name specifies, facilitate control anything with any message that you can think of, from hours of operation to daily specials. These are used by almost all industries like factory, banks, airports, universities, libraries, and many others.
Advertising Costs Getting Too High?
Everyone knows that advertising is essential to growing a business. One problem that small business owners have always faced is the high cost of marketing.
Avoid Being Vague
We are bombarded with thousands of marketing messages daily?on television and the radio, on the internet, in magazines and newspapers, on billboards and other signs, and even at the bottoms and on the backs of receipts. The world is, indeed, a very noisy place.
Moving Message Display
Moving message display are designed to be installed into environments where vast amounts of information need to be conveyed to large audiences both quickly and efficiently, also in the world of indoor and outdoor displays. This gives you enormous flexibility for creating interesting text message on Moving message display.
6 Must-Have Elements of a Powerful Brochure
Most brochures that businesses put out today end up doing little to impact the sales of that business. By applying the 6 must-have elements listed below you will transform you brochure from trash can lining into a powerful sales tool.
How To Write Super-Effective Ads and Sales Letters!
"The more things change, the more they stay the same". That saying couldn't be more true, especially when it comes to writing ads and sales letters.
How to Breathe New Life into Your Advertising Campaign
If you haven't made many sales or perhaps none at all, don't be discouraged. Use this 10-point checklist to breathe new life into your advertising campaigns and improve your response rate.
What the Newspaper Ad Person Won't Tell You
Newspapers are considered the PRIMARY advertisingmedium by 99.4% of all retailers.
How To Tell If An Advertisement Costs Too Much
People say it all the time: "This advertising costs too much!" They practically go into cardiac arrest when they see how much the advertising for certain media in certain markets is going to cost them. It is pretty easy to get sticker shock when you see that a sixty-second radio commercial on a popular Los Angeles station could cost you a thousand bucks.
Make Your Business Cards Work
What's the cheapest, most under-used marketing tool you have?The answer's no secret ..