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What not to do in digital signage

A digital marketing expert takes a look at the wrong moves deployers make when rolling out digital signage.

August 4, 2014 by Tanya Williams — BDM, Prendi

I love the digital world and I am a digital girl, but one thing that annoys me is businesses that skip the basic principles when delivering marketing messages to their audience.

Everything from readable content on digital signs to having your contact details and address on your website. Recently I saw an example of a national tire chain using outdoor LED signage to promote their offers. Firstly I applauded them for their use of the technology and taking a different approach from their competition; however, their execution of it was sadly lacking. Instead of creating content that was fit for purpose, they simply recycled old ads and marketing messages that were not designed to be used on an LED sign (a portable one at that).

This business was on a very busy road and at a railway intersection so they frequently had a captured audience just sitting outside their showroom, making it a perfect location for an LED sign. Being in the industry, I have an avid interest in how businesses are using digital technology, so I sat watching the screen for a number of minutes only to find I couldn't read most of the messages. The images were distorted and had obviously not been made to suit the screen resolution. The fonts were so tiny I could not read them from across the road, the design was much too busy for an LED sign and the transitions too fast for me to read regardless.

This is a clear example of what NOT to do, and this is why brands like this say the technology doesn't work — because they don't use it correctly! Talk about frustrating!

Here are my top tips for anyone considering using any type of digital technology in their business:

1. Think like a consumer and put yourself in their shoes - Before you implement digital technology, literally look at it from your consumer's point of view to see what is working well, not working and where there is missed opportunity.  Even better is to get an outside consultant to give you an honest, "outside-in" perspective. This small investment could save you a lot of money by keeping you from big mistakes in your implementation to market.
2. Invest some time and budget into creating relevant content - As a marketer I understand that marketing budgets are never big enough to do everything we want, but taking a small portion of it to create relevant content that is fit for purpose will guarantee a much better ROI. The lack of good content, just like the example I shared above, means lost sales, a poor brand perception and damage to your brand.
3. Missed opportunities can't be measured - How will you know exactly what these missed opportunities will cost you? Chances are you won't as most people who have a negative experience won't tell you — they will simply stop buying from you or change their perception of your brand. This is why getting the basics right is so important for your brand.

As a gesture of goodwill and because I am a regular customer of this business I decided to send them some proactive feedback in the hope they would make some changes to help their business and see some of the benefits that using this digital technology would bestow. My proactive feedback went unanswered! (So what do you think my perception of this brand is now?)

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