Digital screens and signage are the ideal platform for any commerce brand, allowing it to showcase products, offers and services with minimal effort. There’s no doubt that the technology can benefit a business; in this blog we’re going to dive into more detail on four ways it provides a step-up from traditional print marketing.
Messages can be changed in real-time
With print, message changeover takes time. Even if a number of different messages have been pre-planned and produced, the actual switchover requires physical assistance from staff. It’s why most signs are switched out of hours – because it’s not easy to do with customers around.
With digital signage you have the capability to quickly insert sales, update offers, and display new products in real-time. If the brand is multi-site, brand consistency is protected as updates can be managed from a single location but implemented across all – or selected – locations at once.
Perhaps even more important, messages can also be removed instantly when needed. Should a marketing message ‘go wrong’ or an offer need to revoked, the display can be switched off or changed instantly and without disruption on the shop floor.
Customers forget they’re waiting
As much as we’re told that the British like to queue, it’s not true. Whether the customer is British, American or French, they don’t like to queue, no one does. In fact, it’s been shown that a long, slow moving queue can cause customers to abandon their purchases and leave a store. To combat this, bigger stores invest in larger checkout areas, more staff and points-of-sale – supermarket retailers also offer self-checkout. Unfortunately, during peak hours, it’s very hard to avoid queues, especially in non-FMCG and department stores. That’s where digital signage comes in.
Philosopher, William James, once commented: “Boredom results from being attentive to the passage of time itself.” The key then, is to grab the attention of the customer and keep them entertained, or occupied, so that ‘time goes faster’. Unlike print, digital signage doesn’t have to be static. It can be set to cycle through images, videos and text. The customers’ eye are drawn, and they pay captive attention while they wait in line. Not only does this take their mind off the queue, but it ensures the brand’s messages are paid attention to and absorbed fully.
Saves money and the environment
We’ve already touched on the benefits of a speedy changeover and the fact that freshly printed banners don’t have to physically switched in every time an offer changes or a spotlight product is switched. Long term, this not only saves time – it also saves money and is better for the environment.
While the initial expense of digital signage is higher than a run of print advertising, over time, the ROI is significantly higher. If a brand produces a fresh set of print adverts once every six weeks…that cost adds up fast.
Environmentally, paper – even recycled paper – carries a carbon footprint. The inks, water and paper itself goes to waste. Plus, vinyl banners and print cannot be recycled at all. It’s a major issue, and while the lights used by digital boards do use energy, they’re not creating landfill like print does.
Converts leads to customers
When we discussed queueing, we touched upon the way digital boards capture and hold the attention of customers waiting in line. These customers are already converted to making a purchase (if the length of the wait doesn’t deter them), but what about those consumers that haven’t yet made the decision to buy?
By placing dynamic, digital displays in windows, they can attract the attention of window shoppers and consumers passing by the store – people who hadn’t yet decided to enter the building. Indeed, according to Intel, digital signs gain more than 400% more views than static adverts, while other research has shown that digital signage can drive sales by up to 29.5%. Apparently, as one in five consumers will make an unplanned purchase following a visual triggers. So, if the consumer on the street pays attention at the right moment and is attracted by the offer that they see, then the first step towards converting them into a paying customer has been achieved.
Digital signage is a growing medium, and one that Theravada works with some of the world’s leading brands on. If you’re interested in seeing how it could work with your business, get in touch today.
