The growth of in-store digital signage

One of the biggest problems facing manufacturers and retailers in-store has always been how to convey product messaging to customers without being invasive or pushy. Some stores opt for the “may I help you” in-store staff route, however, many shoppers prefer to simply be left alone when they browse products and don’t want to feel like sales staff are shadowing them around the store. Not to mention that good staff are expensive! As a result of this, many retailers are turning to in-store digital signage to help educate customers, without infuriating them with overenthusiastic sales assistants.

The problem with packaging

In the past manufacturers would rely on packaging alone to fully convey the benefits of a product, but as products have become more complex, the reality is that a box alone simply can’t do it all. Large companies with multi-million pound advertising campaigns get around this by running television, radio and Internet advertising to inform the market about a product and its uses, but for small to medium enterprises, this isn’t always a viable option. Point of sale (POS) digital signage for shops is affordable and accessible to most companies, and means that more complex messaging can be conveyed to end users in store.

The adaptation of the infomercial

Infomercials on shopping channels have been a great way to fully explain the benefits of a product, particularly a new or innovative product that isn’t as simple as a corkscrew or toilet brush. Innovative products can’t always be summed up in a slogan or catchphrase so having an infomercial with a three or four minute presentation of the product is important to make sure the benefits of a product are fully understood. Throughout Asia, and particularly in Japan and South Korea, point of sale display stands often include a tablet -sized screen running a loop of a product infomercial, either with or without sound. Many retailers prefer adverts with subtitles or infographics to adverts with sound, partly to avoid a loudness war, with each manufacturer making their digital signage louder and louder.

Interactivity is the key to success

Although a few years ago the idea of having an interactive digital advert in a supermarket or convenience store may have seemed like science fiction, touchscreen technology is now extremely affordable and accessible to most entrepreneurs launching a new product or service. As anyone in sales knows, interacting with the product makes a potential customer much more likely to purchase, so, by harnessing touchscreen technology, you can drive sales in the right direction.

The future of digital signage in store

A number of retailers are now working to take bespoke advertising to the next level. The supermarket chain Tesco has been trialling facial recognition advertising, which will see a customer as they approach the checkout and work out their age and gender and display appropriate advertising. Successful adverts are all about catching the right customer at the right time, so by tailoring the adverts displayed to each customer, companies like Tesco hope to streamline their marketing operation and avoid advertising the wrong products the wrong person; or the right products to the wrong person.