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26
In Search of Compelling, Ad-Driven Digital Signage Content
Filed Under Advertising, Digital Signage, Social Networking
I was reading through the full Bob Garfield AdAge article again and started relating it back to some interesting conversations I’ve had with both experienced Digital Signage Network Operators and Brands on best practices in advertising, given the general advertising landscape and consumer consumption thereof. I had some thoughts that I thought I would throw out there after this comment from Bob Garfield made me pause:
Consumers may not much care for commercials, but they like goods and services just fine and are in constant search of information about them. Oddly, in its obsession with not repelling audiences, advertising over the past two decades has provided more and more production spectacle, more and more belly laughs, but less and less information. Very quickly, because information is at its very core, the online world will fill the vacuum.
While Mr. Garfield is speaking about the propensity for/likelihood of Online to displace traditional ad mediums (Digital Signage isn’t high enough on the radar yet) due to the Internet’s inherent ability to fill the content/info void
it bodes well for Digital Signage as well and we may want to take heed and rethink ads on these networks.
We do need to keep in mind that every network is different and has different objectives and content needs, but my thinking goes like so:
Let’s take Concourse Media as an example (only because I’ve been in front of their screens 3 times in the last week):
They have a number of screens, well positioned throughout the PATH network, under major Toronto buildings in the financial district with great traffic count.
From their web site:
I’m going to have to use their pictures for this example as the ones I took didn’t turn out very well. Needless to say, I had shots of ads, screens and people. I caught a bunch of people in one of two positions - heads in the air looking at the screens, or heads looking down at their Blackberries. It was actually pretty neat to watch the passive consumption of advertising as I watched people go by.
If you take a look at the above picture, it’s an ad for something related to golf…let’s pretend it’s Nike Golf.
Nike Golf has a sponsorship with Tiger Woods and I would guess has oodles of content/creative sitting in their vaults with educational product information in them. A value laden ad to Concourse’s consumers/audience may then be a 10-15 second video only clip of Tiger Woods using a Nike product in a segment that explains why Nike SUMO Driver is going to get the slice out of your game and how to do it. To the right of the ad is the Nike Golf branding, call-out/call-to-action, maybe even showcasing web promotions or nearest locations to try and buy.
I’m not saying it’s perfect (Ok, it’s very ABC Advertising…I never said I was creative), but you get:
- The right demo/target in the audience
- Value to Consumer in the actual content of the ad (giving them a reason to spend 15 seconds with your ad)
- A ton of relevant product info in a quick period
- Celebrity endorsement
- Localization and call-to-action
The other conversation I had in this area to add value was with a Domestic Automotive Brand VP wherein they can license independent (3rd party credibility) content from Car & Driver on tests on the newest round of SUVs and overlay their brand and a ticker at the bottom on product info - make it fast and easy to get the most salient points on the car while watching something interesting…maybe even Nascar - e.g. Dodge had a number of wins and pole positions in the racing last year and has improved this year. Show that content (heavily edited of course) and relate to the brand and product with quick hit info.
With this type of approach, you’ve added value to the ad and, following up on what Bob Garfield said, you’ve provided solid information and hopefully given them a place to go find more info and start a dialog (web or store). I fully recognize that if you are more of a “regional” play only this isn’t as powerful (endorsements or participation in Nascar gets tricky 
) but the idea remains the same.
We generally have the audiences and the technology to do some pretty poignant and creative things that both TV and the web can’t do which gives us some unique opportunities in speaking with consumers - even if it is for only 6 seconds.
I’ve written some other articles in this light that give some more of my thoughts on the topic. There are some good comments after the posts that relate to this too:
http://digitalads.wordpress.com/2007/02/16/compelling-crown-cabs/
http://digitalads.wordpress.com/2007/02/12/mediocrity-in-thought-process-in-digital-signage-content/
http://digitalads.wordpress.com/2007/01/18/digital-signage-content-exchange/
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[…] up on my post from the other day (In Search of Compelling, Ad-Driven Digital Signage Content), providing product and services information used to be “part” of advertising’s […]