Survey findings, released in May at the Promotion Marketing Association's first annual Shopper Marketing Summit in Minneapolis, show something that --while seemingly obvious-- often goes overlooked: every retailer has a unique customer base. In other words, not all grocery shoppers are alike. Nor are all sporting goods customers, clothing buyers, houseware hunters, and on and on.

For example, BIGresearch found 71.6 percent of Kroger shoppers say coupons sway what they buy, while 59.2 percent of Safeway shoppers say they influence their purchasing decisions. Such insights into one's customers are invaluable to marketers as building blocks for marketing campaigns, according to BIGresearch senior VP Kim Rayburn.

So if understanding what factors influence shoppers to make their buying decisions is so important, why aren't shoppers constantly polled by clipboard-carrying researchers traversing the aisles of stores or springing out from between the discount racks? Part of the answer could be attributed to the cost of doing research, some to not wanting to annoy, and thus drive away shoppers, and perhaps a bit to respect for the privacy of shoppers.

What marketers need is a tool to help with customer researcher to inform the direction of their campaigns but doesn't cost too much or drive inconvenienced shoppers from stores before they make their purchase.

Interestingly, interactive hybrid digital signage can play an important role in determining the desires, habits, likes and dislikes of customers. Interactive digital signage combines the strength of linear content presentation in attracting an audience with the interactivity normally associated with a kiosk. At little less discussed aspect of the interactive component is the ability to collect data about the customers' request.

Consider the power of tracking how interested consumers are in a special offer, the types of coupons they seek out, how much money they are interested in spending, the types of items they're interested in at certain times of the day --the list goes on and on. In the hands of a skilled marketer, such information is invaluable, forming the basis for future marketing campaigns based on the real-world consumer data.

With the right bit of programming, interactive hybrid digital signs can record such data, store it and send it at any desired interval -weekly, daily, hourly or even minute by minute- to marketers who can use it to strategically map out far-reaching campaigns or simply tweak existing digital signage marketing messages to take advantage of opportunities as they arise.

Years ago it was not uncommon to be approached in a shopping mall by a lady or gentleman with a clipboard who asked for a bit of cooperation in participating in marketing surveys. Today, similar data can be collected in a far subtler manner simply by recording the selections consumers make when they interact with a hybrid interactive digital sign. Doing so will equip savvy marketers with the information they need to succeed while their less informed competition continues to struggle in refining their marketing approach.