Three Uses of Digital Signage in Various Industries.
Digital signage is a form of electronic display, which has been growing at an exponential rate over the last few years. It has now become one of the most commonly used forms of marketing communication. For this reason it’s vital that all marketers and business owners are aware of how digital signage can be used in different industries to achieve maximum return on investment.
Retail
The retail industry is one area where digital signage has become very popular in recent years for a number of reasons, for instance, there are a large number of businesses involved in retail so this automatically makes it a good market for companies looking to sell their digital signs to, also, as previously stated, digital signage offers great benefits to retailers, one of them being the ability to market a company’s products and services to passing customers with minimal effort or cost.
One of the best ways that campaigns leaning on digital signage have been used in the retail industry is for product placement. This involves strategically placing signs in store windows and other high traffic areas where they are visible to passing shoppers. The screen can then be set up to display either video loops, images or any combination of content suitable for the target audience it is being aimed at. Studies have shown that 58% of information processed by our brains comes from visuals we see, so this makes this form of advertising quite effective. There are also many benefits in terms of reducing costs when marketing a product on an electronic billboard as opposed to traditional methods such as newspaper or radio ads etc.
There are also many business owners in the retail industry who choose to use digital signage for promotional purposes, as we’ve seen on websites like https://mandoemedia.com/. An example of this is the Weetabix story where one of their special edition boxes was placed alongside toilet signs which, when scanned using a mobile device promoted a competition on the back of each sign where consumers could win breakfast for life with Weetabix and an iPhone6. The promotion had increased sales by 44% allowing them to sell 6 million boxes over an 8-week period. As can be seen from this example, there is potential for large numbers of people to view any given piece of content; all that’s needed is to make sure that passersby have time enough to stop and view the sign.
Restaurants
Digital signage has also been popular for in-restaurant use too. It allows restaurants to change messages quickly to promote daily specials, new products or other information which may affect their customers once they have entered the restaurant itself. Studies have shown that 79% of people are likely to visit a restaurant again if good customer service is provided but 69% of respondents said they would be willing go back to a place with good food and service if they found it in a search. As such, digital signage can also be used to promote tables available on the day or discounts for customers who book a table in advance etc.
Education
Digital signage has been used to great effect at many schools and institutions of higher education. This is usually done by setting up a set of digital signs which are then positioned around campus so that students can see them as they move around the campus. As with retail the content shown on these screens can be changed at any time, making it ideal for use in this sector.
Apart from promoting events and other information relevant to the institution, a large part of digital signage’s appeal when applied to educational facilities is due to its ability to provide real-time data about key statistics such as student attendance or grades on a daily basis. Digital signage makes checking up on such details easy for staff members who are often overworked anyway.
A great example of a digital signage solution used in the education market is for academic institutions. It has been reported that, in large classrooms with over 60+ students using laptops could be challenging when it comes to coordinate instructions and manage student behavior because it’s difficult for instructors to see what’s on each student’s screen. As such, there are many administrators who prefer to have digital signage systems installed throughout their schools so that they can provide teachers with real-time information about each student’s work. This helps improve engagement and classroom management by allowing faculty members to quickly check how well each individual pupil is doing during class time.
Healthcare Sector
Another industry that is effective with the use of digital signage is the healthcare sector. Research shows that 15% of consumers will seek a different hospital or physician for their next visit if they view negative feedback during previous experiences. When considering the number of hospitals around the world it is clear to see how important effective digital signage can be when used in this industry.
Digital signs have been known to decrease waiting times by almost 40%, staff and doctors missing information by up to 50% and increase patient satisfaction ratings by upwards of 90%. As such your facility is likely to see an increase on investment within 12 months through increased repeat business or referrals alone.
Parking Slots
Another industry that benefits from digital signage is the parking industry. After all, many people that come to your business might not have a designated parking space and will therefore be looking for one as soon as they arrive at your property. This is where digital signage comes in handy; offering drivers real-time information on available spaces that are close by so that they don’t waste valuable time searching for a desired location.
Most marketing agencies have already started using signage’s for their clients whilst others are beginning to explore whether or not they could use something similar themselves for their own purposes. Keep in mind also that some industries may be more suited to making use of digital signs than others. For example, those with plenty of foot traffic will likely see higher results with digital signage than those with minimal to no foot traffic.
Regardless of which industry you’re in, signs can bring numerous benefits to both you and your customers. From the retail industry to health and parking areas, digital signage highlights the benefits of marketing in a less costly and very effective way.