Lucidity

Due to the proliferation of specialty television channels, the widespread use of the Internet and the growth of guerrilla marketing, consumers are now inundated with messaging from all sides. In response to this, new technologies have been created that help consumers avoid much of the advertising that is sent their way. Targeted markets now have the ability to skip television commercials, filter emails and block out advertisements on the Internet. So how do you interact and engage with a consumer who has learned to tune you out?

One solution is Digital Out-of-Home Marketing, a phenomenon spurned on by a 50% year over year increase in the number of digital sign placements around the globe. Expected to reach $2 Billion in revenues by 2009, Digital Out-of-Home is a rich opportunity owing to two key factors: 1) cheaper, more readily available digital screen technology and 2) the ubiquity of the mobile telephone.

Digital signage is one of the fastest growing market opportunities today. Digital signage can be summarized simply as an out of home tactic that involves a digital screen. Screens can be updated dynamically with new or existing content from anywhere in the world. Also, digital screens engage consumers with touch screen technology and direct interaction with mobile phones. It is estimated that there will be over 2.5 million digital out of home sites and over 10 million digital advertising screens by 2012.

An example of a digital out of home campaign is Motorola’s “Say Goodbye” campaign. When the Hong Kong international airport opened up a new wing they wanted to draw attention to it. The idea was to allow users to take a picture of themselves on their mobile phone  and then upload it on the large digital screens that had been installed in the new wing for everyone to see. When the picture was uploaded onto the screen, it appeared in the casing of Motorola’s latest Razr phone. The campaign was a huge success with thousands of people uploading their pictures generating momentum from word of mouth buzz and coverage in the regional press. It had people coming to the airport, just to say goodbye.

Digital signs can be controlled in a totally branded environment, delivering a completely unique brand experience. And from billboards to gas station pumps to in-store programming, digital signs fit just about anywhere. For example, Wal-mart has launched its own in-store television network that alerts customers to sales and other in-store incentives.

Interactive signage solutions in the retail environment such as touch-screen kiosks enable the direct measurement of consumer response. Signage can also provide marketers and venue owners with detailed information on the number of people that view specific content, it can identify who’s been engaged by it, and it can clearly articulate each advertiser’s return on investment.

Used in conjunction with digital signage, mobile phones can help deliver a personalized message at a meaningful and relevant moment. Mobile technology allows for immediate interaction and personalization of experience and message; it can even help consumers find what they are looking for. And the sheer novelty of many of the applications in use today is often enough to create a memorable brand experience. In one simple example, in Times Square users could dial a number on their mobile phone to hear the audio associated with a particular digital billboard.

One of the earliest and most successful digital outdoor campaigns was created for Nike and ran across Canada in the lead-up to the World Cup. Consumers could choose, via text messaging, their favourite soccer clip and it would be displayed on digital screens in popular malls. Through the interaction consumers were encouraged to visit a dedicated website and opt-in to receive other Nike news via SMS.

Another key way mobile phones can integrate with out of home advertising is quick response (QR) codes. Originally developed as a supply chain management tool, QR codes have given marketers the ability to send consumers from a magazine, an in-store display or an outdoor sign directly to a web address. The process is simple: a user with a camera phone equipped with the correct reader software can scan the image of the QR Code, which automatically directs the phone’s browser to the programmed URL. This act of linking from physical world objects is known as a hard link or physical world hyperlink. The QR code replaces more cumbersome URLs that marketers can only hope consumers will remember.

One of the reasons QR codes should be thought of as an enticing tactic for marketers is how easy they are to acquire. Anyone can generate and print their own by visiting one of several free QR code generating websites. As long as a consumer has QR code software on their phone, they have the ability to read and interact with the code.

When your target audience tunes you out you have to find other ways to grab their attention. Digital out of home signage has proven effective in engaging consumers where they were previously unreachable. Through the burgeoning technology of digital signage and mobile phones you can broaden your marketing reach and strengthen your brand communications. In a time when consumers have stopped listening, you can get in front of them with timely, relevant and engaging digital signage.