Article

Simple guidelines for creating digital signage content

Lessons on reaching your audience through digital signage can be learned from traditional media.

December 21, 2008 by Lyle Bunn — Strategy Architect, BUNN

Communications devices such as digital signage, Web sites, TV, posters, newspapers and circulars all feature messages that, to get noticed, engage and communicate with customers in very different ways. Each device is unique in what a viewer is typically doing when they see messages. Internet users are reading and "clicking," TV watchers are sitting, watching and "flicking," print readers are scanning, reading and "flipping."

These spots are best when three seconds long, with three-second messages being combined to form a spot of five second increments, including message entry and exit.

The duration of a spot should be in context of the dwell time and the overall playloop time. As guidelines, a complete spot should be easily viewed during a single viewing session, with multiple spots typically being presented in the same viewing episode. As with other media, digital signage spots become stale after having been viewed seven times. Fortunately, a digital signage spot can be recomposed in variations of the same message with minimal effort.

Graphics may be a logo, brand name, product or visuals of the typical or targeted user, a usage scenario, benefits expected, comparisons to an alternative, etc.

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Messages composed for other communications devices offer a good source of composition elements for digital signage spots.

PowerPoint or keynote slides offer ease of composition of text and graphic elements. Individual slides can be saved as .jpeg or .pdf files for digital signage playout, but will lack the motion that compels notice, viewing and action.

Web site content is typically too busy and information-intensive for digital signage, but text and graphics from Web sites can easily be repurposed to suit digital signage viewing and messaging.

TV and video message spots are typically too long in duration for effective digital signage presentation since they are designed for viewing while sitting and watching a display screen. TV spots can also have a heavy dependence on audio to engage viewers, develop excitement or deliver a message or call to action. 

Posters and static signage offer excellent digital signage spot elements and composition approaches. The text is typically "to the point" and the graphics are simple and compelling. Posters are often informational and imply a call to action, which can be added to be a more explicit element of the digital signage spot. The digital signage spot can draw from poster or static signage elements to express what the offering is, why it is beneficial and has value, and what the viewer should do next.

Magazine ads also offer good text and graphic elements to use for digital signage. Magazine ads tend to focus on branding to generate or increase awareness. If using magazine ad elements for digital signage spots, a call to action should be added.

Newspaper and circular ads tend to merchandise while also generating brand awareness, so they offer an excellent source of text and graphic elements.  

Standards for content creation

Content and advertising standards offer a framework to help assure that the digital signage spot is not perceived in a negative light or tests legality. The American Association of Advertising Agencies(AAAA) has published advertising standards of practice which direct that no advertising should contain:

• False or misleading statements or exaggerations, visual or verbal
• Testimonials which do not reflect the real choice of a competent witness
• Price claims which are misleading
• Comparisons which unfairly disparage a competitive product or service
• Claims insufficiently supported, or which distort the true meaning of practicable application of statements made by professional or scientific authority
• Statements, suggestions or pictures offensive to public decency

As a guide, refer to the Code of Advertising Standards published in Canada in 2005, which offers a comprehensive framework for marketing and other communications.   

A good way to improve digital signage content design and composition skills is to look at digital signage content spots and gauge the ways that you are affected. Be the judge by asking yourself the following while considering the viewing environment:

• What would make the intended message clearer or easier to ingest or "take in?"
• What was good about it?
• Was the value proposition clear?
• Was the requested action clearly presented and compelling?
• What was a distraction or not essential to the message?
• What would you change to simplify or empower the message?

Many examples of digital signage spots can be seen on operational displays and as capability demonstration spots at the Web site of digital signage content producers. Additional information about digital signage content composition is available from numerous documents including two whitepapers. These include "Best Practices in Digital Signage Content" published by theDigital Signage Association, and "The New Madison Avenue Diet – The Strategy for Performance-Focused Dynamic Signage Content," published by Alchemy.