With digital signage growing faster than the speed of light, it’s great to see all of the different ways industries across the globe are using them, including using an interactive digital sign (or, if they’re feeling very crazy, multiple interactive digital signs).
From powerful videos to informative messages, digital signs are changing the way we do business; sales are increasing, branding is growing, and marketing strategies are blowing the competition away.
All of this is done because somebody, somewhere made the choice to move their marketing concepts to digital signage. Sometimes those somebodies come up with a really great idea when they create their digital campaign, too, and that idea is to have their clients or customers engage directly with the colorful screen before them by way of interactive digital signage.
Those really good ideas are taking digital interactive marketing and customer engagement to a new realm. Here’s what I mean:
In 2015, a study published by the Markets and Markets research firm, determined that the interactive display market would grow by 12% over the next five years. That increase is estimated to bring the interactive market to upwards of $14.9 billion by 2020.
That’s an incredible increase that speaks volumes.
The concept of interactive signage is attractive because it allows the viewer to engage while they wait. Shoppers can browse for specific items without flagging down an employee, and soon-to-be customers can become educated on products moments before they buy.
And let’s not forget social media. By implementing an interactive social strategy, businesses can experience an increase in likes and shares like never before, stretching their brand across continents.
Interactive digital signage can be a powerful tool when used correctly. But sometimes we take missteps that keep our incredible, interactive campaign hidden. We don’t want that for you. That’s why we’ve put together some placement strategy tips to help you do interactive digital signage right.
1. Where They Gather
One of the biggest mistakes we make when installing digital signage is setting our display up in the wrong location. You want interaction, right? To get that interaction, your sign has to be placed where customers cluster:
– Check out lines
– Fitting rooms
– Subway stations
– Doctor’s office waiting rooms
– Elevators
– Ticket booths
– Employee break rooms
– Business lounges, waiting rooms
– Airport boarding areas
You get the picture. You want them to get the picture, too. More than that, you want to draw them to interact and create an experience with your brand.
Not that long ago, my family and I drove by an ice cream shop on one of the first warm days of spring. As we passed, only one woman and her boy were at the window ordering. We turned our car around to treat ourselves, pleased there was barely a line.
Once we parked and made our way to the window, three other parties had already beat us there. We stood patiently in line. So did a handful of other families that showed up right after us.
As we sat down to enjoy our chilled treats, I watched as every picnic table was quickly taken. Within a matter of 15 minutes, one woman and her boy had attracted to the shop dozens of others.
It made me realize that my point of interest (the ice cream shop) became a point of interest for many others because people were gathering there. It was on the main road and easy to see. If that shop were out of the way of traffic, it would see very few customers and no one would join the gathering to interact.
You’ve got to think this way when considering your point of origin for your digital sign. Where do your customers gather? Where do they have a natural waiting time?
Any space where prospects have to wait for a period of time is the ideal location for your sign.
2. Where They Can See
If you know, right now, where the natural gathering point of your customers is, high five to you. However, if you install your interactive digital sign and it’s high up in a tree and out of the consumer’s sightline, I’m taking my high-five back.
Your display screen is best placed at eye level and within 3 to 10 feet of the viewer. You want their hands to touch the screen. You want short friends and tall friends to be able to participate. You won’t have that if you set the screen 15 feet above floor level.
Consider the angle of the sign, too. Word on the street is that the proper angle of your sign plays a huge role in the success of your sign, and has a direct effect on how long you get and keep a customer’s attention.
If you have no choice and you have to place a sign below eye level, it should be angled slightly upward. If you have to place it above eye level, it should be angled downward. Odd, uncomfortable angles will turn viewers off and they won’t have any interest interacting.
A great example of a well-placed, well-angled interactive sign campaign that defied gravity with unusual (yet successful) angles can be credited to the Los Angeles International Airport.
In 2013, The Tom Bradley International Terminal used 19,000 square feet of digital screens to “bring back the romance of travel.”
The dynamic multimedia environment included seven massive features, each of which hung some 20 feet above the floor of the terminal. Primarily situated where passengers waited in line, the signs were static until someone one moved or walked by.
When people moved, the signs high above them moved with them. Some boasted beaches and sand, others underwater experiences. All allowed viewers to interact.
This interactive campaign is a prime example of a digital sign experience that won’t soon be forgotten.
3. Where the Sales Are
When we think digital signage in retail, we might first think of a screen in a clothing store or a big box store. But digital retail is much more than that. It can include kiosks that allow the purchase of bus or train tickets, ear buds or batteries, even mid-sized cars or trucks.
As the retail market begins to understand the value of interactive touch screen kiosks, the demand for the interactive trend is growing, giving customers more control over the services or products they prefer.
In some cases, interactive kiosks are being used as storefront alternatives where foot traffic is heavy.
In other cases, interactive kiosks are being used to allow customers to check themselves out at grocery stores. (A personal choice for myself.)
In all cases, the screens and kiosks are placed strategically where they can be seen upon entering and exiting the store.
4. Where the Food Is
I don’t know about you, but when I want to order something at a fast casual restaurant, I am specific about what I want on my burger, and what I want thrown out the window.
White Castle and McDonald’s understand that there are a million more people out there just like me.
That’s why when they started installing touch-screen ordering kiosks in some of their establishments in 2014, they made sure the large screens allowed customers to order their burgers exactly as they like them in the privacy of the kiosk area.
Why privacy? White Castle vice president Jamie Richardson said, “I don’t necessarily want to have 12 people around me when I am ordering. There is an intimacy and privacy about how we enjoy food,” Richardson says. “The kiosk system allows customers to tailor to their tastes—they can ask for more pickle or less onion, for example—in their own space.”
The kiosks are placed in good lighting so that customers can see them when they come in.
Having them front and center and well lit gives customers the immediate option to order by kiosk, or take a left to order from the nice employee behind the counter.
5. Where Social Media Is
Social media is everywhere. Frankly you almost can’t avoid it. Because this generation is so deeply immersed in the Digital Age, it goes without saying that making social media part of your digital signage campaign can take you miles.
Social interaction can boost web traffic, increase product visibility, and grow sales. By encouraging social interaction in your campaign, the draw is almost immediate.
People love seeing themselves on screen. They love becoming a part of something. And they love making things happen.
Coca-Cola put interactive digital signage to the test in Times Square in 2015 with their ‘What’s in a Name’ campaign. To remind everyone that Coca-Cola is still the refreshment of choice, the larger than life sign encouraged New Yorkers to tweet their first name using the #CokeMyName hashtag. After they did, a personalized story about their name appeared on the screen for all of Times Square to see.
Twitter exploded with users sharing the hashtag and their personalized stories.
By Coca-Cola choosing to take their interactive campaign to social media, they were able to remind the entire world that they are still the refreshment of choice. It’s incredible to think they did all of this from one single locale; Times Square.
Conclusion
The interactive digital signage industry is slated to grow by 12% over the next five years, increasing the market by $14.96 billion dollars. This statistic alone tells us that businesses and organizations that utilize this kind of media are on to something big.
When you decide to upgrade or move into using interactive media, avoid these common mistakes:
– Placing your digital signage at a poor angle.
– Placing your digital signage in a poorly lit or overly lit area.
– Placing your digital signage too high or too low.
– Placing your digital signage in low traffic areas.
Find the most populated area in your retail space or business and park your campaign there. Having your sign in an area where foot traffic is heavy is key to creating an experience that customers will remember for a long time to come.
How does your interactive digital campaign work for you? What could you do differently to improve it?