Managing digital signage content

Editor's note: The following is an excerpt from "Content and Content Management for Digital Signage," a free how-to guide from Digital Signage Today. Click here to download the full guide.

Opinions are sharply divided on whether it is a good idea to divide the screen real estate on a digital signage network. Of course, there are those networks whose entire business model is built on the segmented screen — for instance, captive audience networks like those in elevators or airports that sell ad space around and alongside streaming media content like news and entertainment.

But aside from those very specific models, it is sometimes wise to segment screens into different "regions" or "zones," each with a specific purpose. Doing so wisely requires more than a little restraint, as well as a concerted focus on what is in the best interest of the viewer.

Here are six "best practices" for dividing screen real estate:

1. Go with the flow. The screen as a whole should suggest a logical "flow" — that is, the viewer should intuitively be able to tell where they should look first, what they should look at next, etc. Generally this is accomplished by making the content that is of greatest value to the viewer the largest. If a recipe is sharing screen time with an ad for a specific food product featured in that recipe, the recipe itself should get the majority of the screen space. Otherwise, the consumer will subconsciously register the entire screen as an ad, and is more likely to ignore it.
2. Keep it consistent with your brand. On-screen content should be consistent with all other messaging in the enterprise. This begins with simple things like color schemes and fonts, and extends into more esoteric matters like the size of design elements, relative positioning of type and images and visual styles. It doesn't matter whether your content is created in-house or by an external agency; in-store digital media needs to be added to the list of products managed by your creative team, and that same team should be involved in meetings to decide how to allocate screen space.
3. Make smart use of contrast, color and size. Human eyes will always land on the largest, brightest item in any given field — use this as a way to guide the viewer around the screen. If you are using scrolling text for ancillary messaging, don't make that text larger or brighter than the message that needs to get the primary focus. Minimize the attention given to information that people will seek out when they need it, like weather conditions or news updates. And again, use color schemes that reflect the rest of your branding — if your brochures and static signage have trained people to know that your headline text is in beige type on a light yellow background, use the same pairing on-screen to create a psychological connection with other messages.
4. Understand motion and how it affects viewers. If something is moving or changing, our eyes are naturally drawn to it. You can use this to your advantage, or you can allow it to become a liability. If animation or motion are going to be used, make sure they are most prominent in the area of the screen that deserves primary focus. Too much movement elsewhere on the screen will distract from the message, if not cause the viewer to give up in frustration and look away. And keep in mind that viewers hate unnecessary or gimmicky movement and effects — overly cute transitions, tickers that move too quickly and blinking text should all be avoided.
5. Keep it simple — but only if it needs to be. If you are trying to tell your viewers about the movements of the NASDAQ, updated every ten minutes, you're going to presenting a visually sophisticated message, with lots of sidebars and graphs and scrolling numbers. If you're trying to tell your viewers how to make delicious chicken skewers that the family will love in just a few minutes, the situation calls for a much simpler approach — perhaps just a single large window with a video demonstration. Understand the level of depth of your content, and plan a visual strategy accordingly.
6. Eschew gratuitous information. It's a great time to be in the business of delivering content, because there is so much of it out there. Weather tickers? You bet. Sports scores, updated by-the-minute? Headline news? Latest blog posts on any given topic? Viral videos? User-generated content? It's all there for the taking, but just because you canput something on your screens does not mean you should. Take a step back from the entire endeavor, and remind yourself what it is you are trying to communicate. Phrase it in the simplest terms possible ("I'm trying to tell people about XYZ new product," "I'm trying to get people to go to the bank counter at the front of the store," "I'm trying to increase sales of house brands."). Now, what content do you truly need in order to convey that message?

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Give the people what they want — building a content strategy based on customer expectations

Human beings enter into virtually everything they do with one or more expectations, and when those expectations are met, they feel happiness. When their expectations are not met, they feel any number of negative emotions — disappointment, betrayal, anger, frustration.

Imagine picking up a glass filled with iced tea and taking a drink — only to find out that it actually contains soda. The immediate visceral reaction is a negative one, as if the drink tastes bad.

It does not, in fact, taste bad — it's just not what you were expecting, and your subconscious threw an alert at you, saying "Something is wrong here." In fact, you like soda, and a moment later you take another sip, and this one tastes much better. The liquid did not change; your expectations did.

Customers entering your space will have expectations about the experience they think they are about to have; the same is true of each individual aspect of the experience as a whole. If you serve coffee, it had better be good coffee; if you have shopping carts, the wheels had better not stick; if you hire "customer service representatives," they had better give good customer service.

When customers look at a digital sign in your place of business, they are likely expecting one of two things: information that is directly related to their relationship with you (marketing driven messages, product promotions, etc.) and information that is not (weather, news, community events, etc.). Critical to the success of a digital signage network is delivering the information customers expect, when and where they expect it.

For instance, does a subway commuter looking at a screen want to see information about what is on sale at the nearby grocery store? Probably not, even though they might find that information valuable at a later time. They would more likely appreciate weather information, since they are about to step out into the world where weather will directly affect them.

"Customers walking in a shopping mall will not stop or even slow down to watch an advertorial," said Anke Gill, director of marketing for 1-2-1VIEW Corporation. "These customers want quick and relevant information that can be digested in a short period of time. Customers sitting in a doctor's waiting room or in a bank, however, expect something very different from digital signage — they want to be entertained so that their waiting time is perceived to be shortened. The content emphasis here should be on longer content segments with high entertainment value."

"Shoppers want to be entertained and informed, not just advertised to," said Tony Turiello, group manager for Panasonic System Solutions Company. "Don't broadcast advertising for 40 or 50 minutes at a time — break it up with other non-advertising content. While the audience is captive, don't penalize them for it — creatively engage them."

Some possible goals for marketing-driven messages include:

• Improved customer experience — making the customer happy through entertainment clips, lifestyle messaging, or positive affirmation ("Thank you for your business!")
• Product information — not just where things are, but creative use of video to demonstrate product value (recipes in a grocery store; tax-time tips in a bank; in an auto parts store, video on how to change your own oil)
• Special promotions — weekly sales, overstocks, upcoming events, "micro-sales" ("For the next 15 minutes, get 10% off XYZ!")
• Ambiance— nebulous content that might not create a top-of-mind impression on viewers but instead aims to create a general feeling of well-being; to make the customer glad he is there

Goals for information-driven messages include:

• News content — headlines, weather, financial news, sports
• Community events
• Corporate communications — welcome messages in a lobby, cafeteria menus, upcoming building events
• Wayfinding
• Public relations messages

Most digital signage networks will benefit from a selection that draws from both lists, usually woven together (i.e. don't stack all of the sales information up next to one another; intersperse community information and ambience between promotions to eliminate the subconscious notion that "this screen just shows ads").

"Consumers want to be engaged," said Richard Fassio, founder and president of creative content agency Modern Digital. "Engaging can encompass everything from entertainment to informational content. Every situation will have a different definition of what is engaging. This is why it so important to define what the user experience will be in order to create a compelling media strategy. If you aim at nothing you going to hit nothing smack dab on the head. Defining what experience you want someone to have … this is the first step."