Digital Signage 101 - Content: Show, don't tell... the importance of graphic content with DS

-Deacon Wardlow

Somewhere along the line, someone didn't take into consideration the unique aspect of a digital medium and (more importantly) how it's supposed to be used. A digital menu board isn't just the menu on an LCD or other HD screen with some animations. A digital menu board is a visual diorama of what's available, the cost, and options. The best example I've seen of this is in Japan with the plastic food.

A visit to Japan will net you amazing and eye-opening experiences and one of them is the plastic food. Items displayed at the restaurant entrance which are eerily exactly WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get), down to the sheen on the soup. Amazing, simple, to-the-point, and just what I want as food is such a visual thing to begin with. Why is this not catching on with our DS systems?

LED Sign systems tend to be more in-line and "get it" than interior (or some exterior) HD displays (meaning LCD, OLED, other...). Partially this is because the average viewing time is somewhere between 3-6 seconds as a driver goes by an LED Sign. Short viewing times mean the message has to be brief, impactful, and memorable. Regardless of the location or image quality, all DS should be like this. Brief - impactful - memorable.

If someone wants to know more about a given food item, they'll ask. Entice them with images and price and let the DS display be as impactful as possible. Whether it's a chicken filet sandwhich or information about new dental services - a DS systems needs to be designed in such a way as to grab the viewers' attention and be successful at whatever the DS objective is.

Want to reduce perceived wait times? - Quick fun and quirky trivia (with pics if possible).
Digital Menu Board? - Show food and prices with special items animated (especially if the "special item" is something that needs to be sold out ASAP)
C-Store/gas station? - Highlight lunch specials, the new milkshake machine, free 72 hour refills on soda w/receipt and special cup, etc.
Airport - Show a map highlighting where a person is and which flights are going out at which gates - maybe even a path to the gate with special mention of food/drink/stores along the way...

As Scott pointed out in last week's article, we say too much and end up losing the message. With DS the important emphasis should be on SHOWING, not tellling the important details of the message you're looking to convey. By simplifying the message and cleaning up the clutter, you'll achieve your DS goals faster and better than before.

Vantage LED has white paper resources and more educational material on the website (http://www.vantageled.com), please check it out when you have a moment. Note all posts/thoughts/writings are strictly the viewpoint of me and me alone and do not reflect nor speak for Vantage LED’s beliefs, attitudes, thoughts, etc. unless specifically noted.

Digital Signage Need To Know: Use Content and Scheduling to Target Your Message On Outdoor and Indoor Digital Displays

-Scott Hofheins

Targeted advertising works, and advertisers know it. Why waste time trying to bring your message to an audience that may or may not want your product? Every successful advertising campaign targets specific groups of people. Age, gender, politics and social class are just a few examples. The internet has taken targeting to a level that would render the advertisers of the 50’s and 60’s speechless with the possibilities.

In the same realm, digital signage (outdoor and indoor) has revolutionized the way we talk to audiences that aren't necessarily captive to a radio, TV, or newspaper. We are advertising to people on the road, people who happen to be in our store, drive-thru window, or waiting for a plane to arrive. Without targeting the message,we are just noise in the background of their busy world.  They need a focused message that speaks to their needs and wants

While there are many critics of the advertising industry, a case can be made for the benefits of relevant advertising to the consumer. Many people would rather see a larger percentage of messages directed at their actual interests, then a barrage of general ads for products they will likely never use.

We now have so many ways to target to these people. It’s not just one ad on billboard for three months, it’s a cycle of ads targeting different groups throughout the day. It’s messages on a church sign that offer comforting words to people experiencing a variety of life's challenges. It’s a local restaurant advertising lunchtime specials to drivers, and night time dinner options for families. Responsible, tasteful, and targeted advertising can truly improve the communication to our audience, helping to combat the stigma of ‘flashy’ and/or ‘annoying ads’ often tied to digital signage, particularly outdoor LED signs.

Update

Frequently updated, fresh content,  is very important to effectively target your message. Current events are constantly changing. Styles and attitudes are always evolving and effecting your audiences understanding of the world and how to react to it. Keeping your content in line with this evolution is key to making an impact.

There are a significant number of groups to target, but not just age, gender or other life attributes. There are groups of people who are going to lunch, groups going to a specific region of a city, and traveling to or away from work. You have to take a multi-pronged approach when designing AND scheduling your content.

Target

Decide who you want to talk too in your content. Is it a stay at home mother, driving to a grocery store next door with young children? Talk to her, let her know you have a place for the kids to play while she can relax and enjoy lunch. Are you talking to drivers on their way home from work, stuck in traffic? Let them know you’re open late, and they can get that oil change they've been putting off, done now, while they enjoy a free bottled water and sports magazines in your lobby. Use your indoor digital signage to remind them to ask a sales associate about your monthly maintenance program. Take the time to think about who is looking at your display, and try to find some commonality you can use to focus your messages.

Quality

In addition to targeting your audience, you must also entertain them. The content has to be simple, direct, and beautiful. Did you put in all that work to target your audience, just to fall short in the quality of the content itself? We talk about this a lot, but it is so very important to have quality content on your display. Invest in it. Sign up for a content service, or a hire a designer to take the load and make you look great. Unless you’re using an old single color text only display, you will stand to benefit from quality content, regardless of the size of your display, outdoor or indoor.

Take advantage of the technology at your finger tips. Cloud based software makes it easier than ever to manage your displays. New approaches to message scheduling allow you to target your content throughout the day, week, and years with much less effort. Higher resolution displays and outdoor LED signage is getting more affordable, providing significant power to smaller business who would normally be out priced. Use this to target your message, talk to your audience directly and let them know: I’m here, I have something you could actually use, for a fair price, served with a smile!

-SH

I hope this post has been informative and helpful. As usual, I welcome ALL constructive comments. Please feel free to comment and add anything I’ve missed, or additional tips you may have regarding this topic. Please visit www.vantageled.com for many other resources, white papers, and of course: Great looking LED Signs!

**All posts/thoughts/writings are strictly the viewpoint of me and me alone and do not reflect nor speak for Vantage LED’s beliefs, attitudes, thoughts, etc. unless specifically stated.