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Burger King's digital signage hits the spot

When it comes to digital signage, I am always on the look out for good, mediocre and not-so-good examples. Then there are end users who get digital signage just right, such as a local Burger King I visited recently.

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August 13, 2019 by Bradley Cooper — Editor, ATM Marketplace & Food Truck Operator

When it comes to digital signage, I am always on the look out for good, mediocre and not-so-good examples. I have seen some displays that are essentially glorified billboards or posters and others that are so loud and flashy that I instantly try to block them out. Then there are end users who get digital signage just right, such as a local Burger King I visited recently.

Nothing about this Burger King seemed particularly special. In fact, it still used a static menu board, which didn't pop out like McDonald's animated videos. However, it also featured a few displays that caught my eye.

Throughout the store, this Burger King had deployed displays, which featured various zones of content.

On the bottom corner of the display there was a seven day weather forecast that showed the temperature and current conditions, such as cloudy, sunny or rainy. On the right side of the display was Burger King's branded content that changed regularly. It featured content such as:

• Burger King's newest products.
• Job openings.
• Loyalty program information.

The rest of the display consisted of a loop of entertaining content. Most of this content was entertainment news and interesting videos, and most of it was fairly quiet. The display was never blasting videos at top volume. The only time the volume went up at all was when the display would play a movie trailer, such as the "Charlie's Angels" remake.

By using movie trailers, the display was able to draw my attention to it, and at the same time absorb the rest of Burger King's branded content.

You may be thinking, "That's all well and good, but what were other customers who aren't so familiar with digital signage thinking?" That is a good point, and I also kept an eye on how other customers were reacting, and I noticed those with a direct view to the display were paying attention to its content.

If I were to sum up what made these simple Burger King displays so effective I would say:

• The information on the display was actually useful and was not simply pushing sales.
• The display was not loud or irritating.
• It used natural techniques to draw in customer's attention such as increasing the volume slightly for its best content.

There are a few lessons other end users can draw from this example, whether they work in retail, restaurants or offices. In order to make truly effective digital signage, they need to ensure that the displays provide the following:

• More than one type of content.
• Relevant information, not just sales.
• Content that draws attention without being demanding.

About Bradley Cooper

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Bradley Cooper is the editor of ATM Marketplace and Food Truck Operator. He was previously the editor of Digital Signage Today. His background is in information technology, advertising, and writing.

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