In-Store Digital Signage Reaches Shoppers

Posted on April 22, 2016 by Bud Morris
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In-Store Digital Signage Reaches Shoppers

Posted on April 22, 2016 by Bud Morris
 

It may be the age of rejecting commercials (thank you, PVR), but retail marketers have found themselves a loophole.
digitalsignage

Digital out-of-home (OOH) advertising is on the climb (eMarketer projects that spending in this category will hit $4.5 billion in 2019, up from $2.7 billion in 2014), and the niche of particular interest to retailers is the one that delivers commercials to shoppers while they’re idle and hungry for distraction, standing in a lineup at the store.

Better yet, when retailers implement this strategy responsibly, customers actually welcome it.

Recent studies show these digital signs—which can play audio and video—are 34% more effective at promoting items than their static equivalents.

Millward Brown, a British market research firm focused on advertising effectiveness, conducted a study last month on behalf of Impax Media, a developer of digital point-of-sale advertising networks. Their research found that checkout lines are the most hated part of shopping, with 69% of surveyed customers saying they make them either extremely or somewhat frustrated.

But—and here’s where marketers’ ears perk up—the same study found that digital signage at grocery stores reduced the perceived wait time by more than a third (35%). What’s more, 84% of customers said that watching content on the displays helped the time spent waiting in the checkout line pass more quickly.

Other findings from the study include:

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  • 70.2% of respondents said they would watch the screens when in the checkout line (combined with the 15.7% who said they weren’t sure, that brings the total of grocery store shoppers potentially interested in screen time to an impressive 85.9%);
  • 85% declared them entertaining and pleasant to watch;
  • 78% said the screens caught their attention;
  • 70% said the content was useful;
  • 62% called it interesting;
  • 40% said they’d be more likely to shop in grocery stores with video screens in the checkout lane;
  • Shoppers said they are most interested in seeing information like:
    • What’s on sale: 76%
    • Weather: 75%
    • Upcoming special in-store events: 69%
    • New services in the store: 65%
    • Local community events: 64%
    • Recipe ideas: 63%.
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Beyond grocery stores, these screens could work in any retail establishment. And why not? Here you’ve got captive customers who have already proven themselves in a mood to buy. If you can grab them in this state with a marketing message that makes suggestions about other things they might also buy, well, hello, perfect storm.