Brands can use digital signage to better serve their customers by offering platforms that allow them to go beyond just hearing and viewing information, and to engage with products in new and innovative ways.
Digital signage is not new. This concept has been around for years and is used to deliver targeted information, entertainment or advertising in retail or business settings. The network’s improved features and artificial intelligent are what is new.
The first step involved a network connected digital displays, which were managed by business owners from a central place. They could adjust the messaging to suit any audience or timeframe at their physical location. AI is now integrated into the platform, allowing for personalized sales, enhanced customer service, as well as more immersive shopping on-site.
Smart AI Marketing Messages
Christian Armstrong, senior director of the business development department at digital signage company SpectrioDigital signs using AI can have content that’s 50% more relevant for their audience, and encourage greater interaction.
It is also known as electronic signage. Display technologies such as LED walls, LCD monitors, and projections are used to vividly display websites, videos, restaurant menus or marketing messages.
These commercial TV screens can be used as large video walls or large format screens at the point of sale.
In order for digital signage to be successful, it needs to be compelling enough to attract the attention of shoppers who are on-premises and to keep them from their smartphones while they search for competitive prices. Digital signage can keep customers engaged with the marketing messages while they are walking around the store.
The E-Commerce Times reported that he said, “The goal of retail stores should be to keep phones in customers’ pockets while engaging them at the time of purchase.”
Digital Signage: The Best Marketing Tool for Dynamic Marketing
Armstrong stated that the use of digital signage in traditional stores is increasing. In the early 1990s, when Armstrong first became involved with digital signage as a marketing tool, it was considered a strange concept by most.
Its use is heavily influenced by experience. “As retailers become smarter and technology improves we introduce things like computer vision, analytics and trigger content based upon specific scenarios,” said he.
The digital signage in quick-service restaurants is a great example of its effectiveness. Think about Starbucks.
Quick-serve restaurants can also use motion graphics to promote certain products or services.
“With static menu boards there’s no way to influence this decision at the point. Using a radar scan, our analytics software allows merchants to monitor the length of a line in real time with digital menu boards. Armstrong explained that we can alter the content of the screen on just that line.
AI and Marketing: How AI can improve marketing
The measurement component is a vital addition to the new features that digital signage platforms will be offering. AI enables retailers to leverage the data that digital platforms collect and make intelligent content decisions.
Spectrio offers computer vision and non-obtrusive, low-cost radar technology. The radar component can identify who is walking past the display, and how long that person has been standing there. A camera within the screen identifies the demographics of the individuals, their age ranges, and even their sentiments — as in what mood they are in when looking at a piece of content.
Why is this important?
The AI then extrapolates this data and ties it to what content was playing at a certain time. It then provides the dataset to a retailer. Armstrong said that the AI could also include the number sold of products based on how many people looked at the product and what was playing on the screen.
Spectrio is cloud-based technology that can be accessed through a browser by the store owner or a corporate control.
Armstrong explained that changing the display of the screen is as easy as dragging the video into the playlist or asking the person who made the video to do it.
Content, creativity and analytics in a unique blend
Spectrio is unique among digital signage software companies because it places a strong emphasis on the content that will be displayed. The company has a separate creative team that creates about 8,500 assets to be used in a wide range of digital signage and media-related applications.
Armstrong claims that Spectrio also measures the effectiveness of content on-site using computer vision and radar. The company works with platform subscribers to improve content quality and engagement. It is the company’s goal to resolve its communication challenges.
We are in a lot more conversations these days with large retail brands. A lot of the focus and the hype around it has been our ability to combine three pillars — the delivery of the content, the actual content itself, and then measuring and improving. “We are beginning to see tremendous traction across many different aspects of retail,” concluded Armstrong.
