• Retail, hospitality and grocery companies will demand better interplay with customers through their signage networks
• Special consumer offers triggered by external events – such as weather changes – will help drive sales.

via Research identifies Customer Interaction as key trend for Digital Signage in 2010.

Ontario, Canada – 01 December, 2009 – Research from Capital Networks Limited (CNL), a leading global provider of broadcasting and dynamic digital signage software, identifies ‘Customer Interaction’ as the key driver for the digital signage industry in 2010. Companies across a range of industries, including retail, hospitality and grocery, will look at ways to engage dynamically with their customers, to boost sales and customer loyalty. With the average person exposed to thousands of marketing messages a day, only the most engaging content will break through the clutter. To be effective, digital signage must be able to deliver hyper-targeted, dynamic messaging to a specific audience. In the coming year, businesses will explore smarter ways to use their signage networks.

Software currently enables companies to schedule or pre-program their digital signage content to interact with any set of data, target audience or environment. Content can be programmed using simple codes, then triggered to play by real-time automated data feeds, such as local weather conditions, essentially delivering the message most relevant to the current environment of the screen. Through this type of ‘Dynamic Screen Scheduling’, retailers, restaurants and supermarkets can interact with customers in real-time to increase sales, boost footfall and encourage customer loyalty.
 
“Reports suggest that the US economy is beginning to turn a corner, yet it remains unclear whether consumers will resume spending or remain cautious with their money,” commented Jim Vair, Vice President of Business Development at Capital Networks Limited. “Companies that we work with are looking ahead to 2010 and identifying ways to ensure customers – old and new – feel they are getting the best value for money. And to do this, they want to interact with their customers, in real-time. Interactive digital signage is the only advertising mechanism that enables companies to immediately promote cost-saving offers when they most appeal to consumers.”

Smart digital signage in action – just some of the ways it can work:

Retailers – Coupons, Vouchers and ‘One-Day Sales’ are very effective ways of increasing profit, however they have to be organized and advertised days or weeks in advance, which can be time-consuming and costly. By utilizing ‘Dynamic Screen Scheduling’ shops can program content to interact with current data. For example, if the current conditions are rainy, consumers coming in from the rain or about to go back outside will see content promoting umbrellas, rain hats, etc but if the weather is bright sunshine, content will automatically switch to promote sunglasses, sunscreen, etc.

Sports Bars/Pubs – Establishments showing live sports events can have their signage pre-programmed to offer promotions when the score of a game changes. For example, every time the home team scores, adverts automatically pop up promoting half price nachos for the next ten minutes. Customers will already have their full attention directed at the screens and such offers can encourage long-term customer loyalty, which is just as important as attracting new customers.

Supermarket Wine Boutiques – Interactive applications are very popular with consumers. Touch screen applications are now available that allow shoppers to press a button indicating what they are planning to have for dinner that evening and the signage would display suggested wine pairings based on the store’s current inventory.

When shoppers are in a store, evaluating which brand to buy, digital signage has the chance to snatch a bit of mindshare at the precise moment a buying decision is being made. Radio, TV, newspapers, magazines and even the Internet cannot make that claim.

via Digital Signage: Economic Growth May Be Closer Than You Think | Submit Articles | Fully-Explained.

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A major mistake sign buyers make is allowing their “graphic designers” to play sign designers. Most graphic designers have little experience designing signs, and usually end up simply enlarging their print-ad designs.

The problem with this practice, is that print ads are intended to be read at a close distance, while standing still.

When all the gibberish on a typical, overly descriptive print ad gets enlarged, and printed onto a sign board, the IVD changes… but most graphic designers (desktop publishers) aren’t even aware of the IVD concept.

This explains why we often see illegible billboard signs displaying whole paragraphs of text and multiple bulleted items along roads with posted speed limits over 35 mph.

It is critical to decide where and how your sign will be used. More importantly, you need to focus. You need to pick the top three most urgent messages your sign needs to convey, and prioritize them.

Some common messages that should make the top of your list include your brand (logo, colors, slogan), your geography (city, street, web domain) and a call to action (“sale ends next week”, “mention this ad and save %10″, etc.).

Nobody has time to read all that other crap while driving by at highway speeds. They won’t even try. Worse, you’ve wasted all that space on tiny lettering at the expense of your core message (brand, location, call to action).

Would you like to know more … ?