Why Content is Now More Important than Ever

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By Hans Ketterings, Adtraxion
 
When it comes to hardware and infrastructure, large companies invest big money into their digital signage networks. But when the time comes to actually put the systems to use, messages are often lacking in both content and style.
 
Seldom have I seen persuasive play-out sequences. Sometimes I look at beautiful schedules but cannot find a clear message. Often I am confronted with irrelevance and lack of clarity.
 
If we as digital signage suppliers want to survive, we should help to ensure that our products are used properly, and to the full extent of their potential.
 
Today all argumentation seems technical, as you can see in most DS publications, but this is often not relevant to our customers. Instead of worrying about having flat screen type ‘blablabla’ with function ‘xyz’ that is integrated with ‘abc’ in ‘enhanced top gear mode’, they should focus on putting across clear and properly formatted messages, which affect the hearts and minds of their audience. This will not be achieved if technology is made the leading factor of consideration. You’d be better off buying a nice painting to put on the wall. It’s cheaper, does not depreciate and saves you a lot of maintenance effort.
 
But we are not selling paintings. We sell communication aids to enable customers to create awareness and understanding on the spot. The market is changing fast and all mobile devices and simple PCs can now do signage as well. We as suppliers have little time to evolve, but evolve we must; from nerd to consultant, from hardware provider to service provider, and from enabler to creator.
 
By following a few logical steps, companies will have much more success in getting their message across. Firstly, know your corporate identity and branding, and define your message. Secondly, create attention and address the audience. Communicate with them consistently and, if possible, employ interactivity. Be aware of the impact of colours. Thirdly, be mindful of information density. The length of the message should match the passage time of the audience. Remember, humans can hold a maximum of six items in their short term memory. To help with this, use associations. This is how the human brain stores and retrieves information. Finally, evaluate the audience experience and measure the effect on their attitude, and then tune your content accordingly.

 
By contrast, a few simple mistakes can dramatically reduce the effectiveness of a system. Displays which forget about stopping time will not attract attention, and will therefore reach a smaller audience. On the flipside, displays which look good but do not obey the rules of rhetoric are not convincing. Mixing many messages, or sending out multiple messages at the same time, creates confusion, as does showing too many objects at the same time.
 
Similarly, displays which do not have an introduction, or do not create authority, are not very persuasive. Additionally, failing to take the transit time of the audience into account can result in cut off messages or boring repetitions. Finally, the irrelevant spreading of information can be counterproductive. Displays of weather reports or breaking news might be appealing ways of drawing attention, but are often ultimately useless when attempting to communicate your message. They should therefore be used with care.
 
Helping customers to achieve their communication aims through the proper use of digital signage will ensure the industry’s survival into the next decade.