The Benefits of Digital Signage for Shopping Malls

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Shopping mall digital signage.

Shopping is becoming more of an entertainment industry than a necessity of purchasing goods, which is where digital signage comes in. Where we were once influenced by static billboard advertisements, vibrant eye-catching digital signage screens bring a myriad of images to bombard us with the latest trends, special offers and discounts, and why we should spend our hard earned money in their store. It is an art form of entertainment, where you can watch anything from a beach scene; advertising holiday essentials (and it looks so real you could run the sand through your fingers) to persuasive advertising on a imaginative and dynamic screen, where you are influenced into purchasing a brand of trainers which are the current must-have accessory.

So where is the best position for the digital advertising screens to be most effective? Obviously high-traffic areas are going to be a logical locations, but consider the prospect that it could also be a crowded and popular area, where the digital screen would be obscured from view. One of the most analytical places is around the escalator, where height offers a vantage point which can not be obscured. This is suitable for anywhere, not just shopping malls, but places like sporting venues, restaurants and hotel lobbies. Also most people look around when on an escalator, and take in their surroundings.

shopping mall digital signage

Interactive digital signage.

For an interactive and way-finding facility, the electronic signage screen would be located near the entrance to the shopping mall enabling the customer to plan a route around the area, taking in the stores of interest. Clever content, within the advertising digital screen, also displays appropriate advertisements, according to the data collected from the customer. For example, a teenage girl may search for trendy clothes stores, which prompts the screen to offer promotional discount codes (or coupons), either by way of a printed ticket, a QR code or a Bluetooth message, to be redeemed at the till. This can also incorporate promotions for the food outlets within the mall.

Designers have been able to incorporate digital displays into the fabric of the building, like encasing pillars with digital advertising screens, tiled wall panels, window displays or many forms of independent floor standing kiosks or platforms: some concreted into the ground, mounted onto a pedestal or set within a frame. The design of which knows no bounds, as any style or color of frame and surround can hold an electronic advertising screen.

Audio technology can also be incorporated, which is particularly useful for people who are hearing impaired; a speaker at head height or a headphone port allows for a verbal advertisement, information, messages or routes to be broadcast. Other considerations for physically impaired customers are screens at ergonomic heights, even for wheel chair users.

digital signage kiosk

Digital signage and advertising screens can be synchronized and choreographed to run simultaneously, scheduled at pre-set time intervals or run as individual and independent screens. Research over the past 5 years on digital advertising campaigns, has shown digital signage to be one of the most successful forms of advertising ever.

Digital Signage Solutions; Advanced Audience Augmentation

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Does your digital signage have it?

An Asian developer and provider of digital signage solutions, and technology leader in the development of software for the digital signage industry, have just announced the integration of software which specifically measures the audience activity as they view a digital signage screen.

The newly developed solution, offers similar benefits to online analysis, such as developers working with the likes of Google, for in-store digital signage applications. This delivers interesting data; provides marketing companies, stores and end users with invaluable information – how to target customers, the demographics of purchasers, their age, how long they linger over the product and their facial reactions to an ad. campaign. This gives a better overview of how to market the product or brand.

Recording data of a persons pupil size, hand gestures or the time they spend looking at a product is a good indication of a potential purchase. Previously in-store cameras not only caught thieves, but have also been utilized to capture interested customers. However the software, within the hardware of digital signage solutions, offers more in-depth and detailed statistics, giving clearer images than that of the ceiling mounted security cameras. Is it an invasion of privacy? There are thousands upon thousands of occasions in our daily lives where our images are recorded; whether for security purposes or demographic studies by the government; most of the time we are unaware of the intrusion and get on with life.

digital signage
Integrating these business opportunities with this software goes towards providing the customer with direct sales marketing and relevant information, helping and influencing them to make an informed decision. Whether this is for a vehicle purchase or a bottle of perfume, the strategies are the same. This has been highlighted by Android-based software, but it’s only a matter of time before the expansion into other devices and platforms. Getting the hardware and software to merge and create a unified bond brings a reliable product which offers cost effective investment along with superior quality result, now that is digital signage augmentation.

Indoor digital signage hardware

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Indoor digital signage solutions.

Digital signage is a relatively new technology; there are many solutions for indoor digital signage use that many of the installations cover. From free standing signs and including interactive units to engage with customers.

There are many innovative solutions from wall mounted and free standing electronic signage, controlling them is key, usually if installed over an IP network, the hardware will have an ad player that is networked based, so the multimedia content can be updated using a web connection. The other option if not utilizing an IP network is to manually update the ads, ideal when only a few units need updating otherwise it is time consuming and not as efficient. Screen sizes vary and depend on the application, as it would be pointless using a small 21” display in a shopping mall, as these applications are to be seen from a distance.

Interactive digital signage, is another hardware solution, the solutions here can be again, either wall mounted or free standing. Screen sizes tend to be 40” and up, with screens in landscape or portrait. These units usually incorporate a PC that has the content and software embedded to allow the touch screen to operate. These can be either a Windows or Linux base platform depending on the digital signage software that the client wants to use. Some clients prefer one platform over another, now by supplying a PC the client to install whatever operating software they wish. Using touch screens tend to build up brand awareness with customers engaging with the content.

interactive digital signage

Wall mounted dynamic advertising, can be used in any location whilst minimizing the footprint that these electronic advertising signs take up. You may have seen them used in hotels, elevators and even rest rooms. Normally wall mounted advertising displays are used as a more affordable way to enter the dynamic advertising industry and have smaller displays. The media devices can either be internet enabled, 3G or just standalone. Sometimes these are installed in risky areas, such as schools and prone to damage, this is when an LCD enclosure should be used to protect the hardware, they are very effective.

But one of the best dynamic signs you can see is as an LED video wall, the best video walls are the ones that have a super thin bezel so the image is uninterrupted and looks as massive as it should be. Another option is an indoor P10 video wall these are in 3 foot square panels and can be tiled to any size. The advantage is that the thin bezel displays are configured with a built in controller, enabling the picture to be split on each screen. The P10 video walls have a separate controller than can be updated with WiFi, 3G or hard wired. One thing to always remember is when installing a video wall, you need to use dedicated video wall mounts, rather than cheaper wall brackets, and the main reason is that the displays will be lined up perfectly, rather than misaligned displays.

video wall

Deciding on indoor digital signage.

One of the factors will be cost, also is the project itself. So now you have the data and only you can make the decision for your indoor digital signage solution.

Interactive Pizza Ordering To Outdoor Interactive Menu Boards

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Interactive Digital Signage Solutions.

Who would have thought that interactive digital signage would move so quickly, since the launch of touch screen smart phones, the industry has been pushing interactive or touch screen technology to ensure the adverts engage with the viewers, now there are multiple solutions on the market, so let us look at some.

Pizza Huts Interactive Digital Signage Pizza Table!

Well we have all seen it now, this is a table that you are sat at, then you choose you’re topping s for your pizza pie, order it and then whilst you are waiting for the pie to cook, you can play interactive games on the table, perfect for time warping! One drawback I can see is that there is no interaction with staff at the restaurant, you could go out on a date and not even speak – good in some instances I suppose! The interactive digital signage table enables the customer to choose; the size of the pie, the toppings, the crust options, the portion of cheese they want and much more.

When is a digital signage kiosk, not a kiosk?

Well the quick and simple answer is, when it is used with a tablet device to provide digital signage, these tablets have touch screen displays so they are interactive. The tablets have a type of kiosk housing around them to make them look as though they are an integral free standing kiosk. These are being installed and used at many tourist locations, due to the effectiveness and affordability. Now all the cabling is kept hidden inside the housing as is the network connection to the tablet. The data is streamed through internet updates to provide, fresh, new content.

Outdoor interactive digital menu boards.

We have all been through the drive through diner, now all you need to do with one Quick Serve Restaurant chain is to check out the queue inside the outlet and if you do not like the look of the length of the queue, you can order through the outdoor digital menu board that has a touch screen, it is NEMA 4 and provides all year round protection from the weather and is also vandal resistant. These interactive digital signage solutions are ideal for this environment. Then go and collect your meal from the pedestrian collection point, screens of 47” are used and they have a high bright, back lit LCD display that is 2,500 candelas, bright enough to be seen in direct sunlight.

Now the weird and wacky – An interactive bus shelter!

interactive digital signage

By Bus Stop Wizard

These interactive bus shelters, allows people to play games on the displays hen waiting for a bus, these look cool but we can see a problem in the future, with many teenagers hanging around the bus shelters putting other people off using the public transportation. Would you want to hang around listening to them? I know I would not. The displays by Bus Stop Wizard are 72” in size and perfect for outdoor use, they are certainly vandal resistant and weatherproof. Content updates are carried out using 3G ad players, so content updates should never be a challenge again.

More information on interactive digital signage hardware including touch screen displays can be found at http://www.digitalsignagetoday.com/topics/interactive-touchscreen/

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