When digital signs first debuted, they were heralded as a new advertising delivery tool. As signage technology grew, capacity expanded and new solutions were introduced. Rather than relying upon standalone screens, advertising could be displayed across a network of screens. As customers filtered by the signs, they could be bombarded with ads promoting a variety of products. For years, the focus was on delivering ads and few people grasped how effective signage could be if it was only deployed properly.

Below, I'll explain the growing problem of advertising blindness. Then, I'll describe deploying a signage network that provides passersby with an experience that engages them, builds trust, and boosts revenue in the process.

The Problem Of Advertising Blindness

There was a time long ago when we weren't pummeled by an endless stream of ads. Back then, ads caught our attention. Some sparked our imagination and motivated us to purchase products. Today, things are much different. We're flooded with advertising wherever we look. As a result, we've developed the ability to ignore ads to the point that we don't actually "see" them. We have, in effect, become blind to them.

Digital signage networks which bombard customers with ads run the risk of those customers developing the same kind of advertising blindness. After all, customers will be hard-pressed to understand how the ads benefit them. Over time, they will simply ignore the ads, making the network ineffective.

Providing A Better Experience

During the past several years, network owners have discovered that providing their customers with an engaging experience is more likely to elicit the desired response (i.e. sales, newsletter sign-ups, etc.). And the more personal they can make that experience, the better. For example, grocery stores are now deploying signs in their produce section that show customers how to prepare meals with certain fruits and vegetables. Clothing retailers are using signage networks to guide customers through store inventory to find outfits, shoes, and accessories.

Signage should attract attention and provide a compelling reason for customers to interact with the content. By delivering content that has perceived value to viewers, network owners can engage customers on a level that speaks to their needs. Once blind to ads, customers become willing participants.

Seamless Ad Integration

Delivering valuable content on your signage network doesn't preclude the inclusion of advertising. In fact, the content paves the way for integrating ads in a non-intrusive way that caters to customers' needs. Using our grocery store example, a sign that displays ads promoting apples gives customers will little reason to continue viewing the sign (other than to stare at apples). However, a 5-minute informational sequence that shows someone using apples to create a tasty dessert provides an ideal framework in which to promote the store's apples.

Intelligent, Engaging Design

Don't underestimate the intelligence of your audience. If you merely distribute a never-ending barrage of pedestrian ads, you'll quickly lose their attention. When that happens, your signage network becomes little more than an expensive array of sleek screens. Instead, you must provide your audience with a stream of content that engages them. It should be designed to address their concerns and needs in a way that doesn't seem intrusive.

By creating an intelligent, compelling experience for customers, network owners can build trust and awareness about their products and companies. In doing so, they'll find that such trust and awareness ultimately leads to long-term profitability, making their signage investment worthwhile.