Digital signage has been an evolving technology for over a decade. Prices for the software and hardware have dropped dramatically from the levels at which they were just a few years ago. That means it is easier than ever for companies to take advantage of out-of-home media without allocating their entire budget to do so. This is why you’ll notice a growing number of stores, schools, churches, and other venues are adopting the technology.
Over the years, the digital signage industry has compiled an enormous amount of data with regard to what works and what doesn’t within the retail space. While this data doesn’t represent a set of best practices for content, it offers a set of reliable guidelines. The problem is that network operators and venue owners often neglect these guidelines. In fact, from observing their clips and loops, it often seems as if they have no strategy at all for their content.
Below, I’ll explain why it is critical to build your strategy carefully from the ground up. We’ll also take a look at the lessons that Hollywood can teach us about your clips and how to spend more money upfront to reduce your costs in the long run.
Building From The Ground Up
A lot of network owners are so anxious to deploy their digital signage screens that they often forget what it takes to develop effective content. Great creative does not simply happen. It would be akin to having a home built without the contractor using a blueprint.
The strategy for your creative begins with identifying your goals for the network as well as its limitations. For example, are you planning to use audio? How many screens will a given venue be able to host without impacting each TV’s individual performance? What type of traffic goes through the venue and how long do shoppers browse? Now is the time to ask these type of questions.
What We Can Learn From Hollywood
Hollywood gives us a fantastic example regarding how to approach your digital signage content strategy. Suppose an agent pitches an idea for a film to studio executives. If the studio likes the idea, they do not ask for a finished film at the next meeting. Instead, they flesh out the details. A director is hired, a screenwriter is put to to work on the script’s outline, and storyboards are designed. This is the ideal strategy when developing your signage content. From designing story concepts to creating the rough draft of your clips, it pays handsomely to spend more time on development before moving to production.
Reducing Costs By Spending More
To cater to anxious network owners who want to see a finished loop, many advertising agencies will simply throw something together. This is often done in order to come in under budget or to push something out by an unreasonable launch date. Hurrying the process can be disastrous. The creative is the most important component of your digital signage network. If you cut corners, whether due to time or budget constraints, you risk damaging its effectiveness. To properly frame the issue, what good would result from using a clip that fails to meet the goals you have set for your signage network?
One of the key advantages to developing your content strategy from the ground up is that changes can be made easily. The creative will already dovetail with your objectives. If it doesn’t generate the expected result, it can be modified without completely recreating it. Not only does this development process yield better-performing content, but it also sharply lowers production costs in the long run. This is a far better path than using creative that was produced without a clear focus.