Often delegated to technical teams, or even installers, the choice of the location of the screens of a digital signage solution is a significant element in a digital communication strategy. Above all, it is necessary to understand that a place, whatever it is, consists of several areas, which have different assets and communication potential.
Si the multitude of installations, scenarios and different objectives makes generalization difficult, it is nevertheless possible to identify the right questions to follow, the main mistakes to avoid or even some tips and best practices for positioning your display screens.
The location of the screens, a crucial element
A digital signage solution is a digital tool that allows to communicatecommunicate on screens in an extremely effective way (more information for understand digital signage). More attractive than simple posters, and allowing a lot of information to be broadcast simultaneously, screens are the perfect allies for communicators to convey a message simply and quickly.
The messages still need to be seen.
Let the screens be watched.
To guarantee a optimal impact of messages, they have to be well-built, (on the form as well as on the content), talk to the right people and the screens need to be installed in the right places. It therefore seems obvious not to dissociate the intended target, broadcast content and location of the display screens. Instead, you should insert them in a more global communication strategy, with clear and identified objectives. Moreover, it is often from this same strategy that the desire to install such a system arises; it should not be forgotten when positioning the screens. This desire is also accompanied by objectives, communication objectives, communication with a target, an audience.
Conveying messages effectively to people then obviously represents the ultimate goal that motivates the equipment of a digital signage solution. Inform, entertain, sell, make people wait, promote, educate... the possible goals are numerous, diverse and varied, as are the targets. But one screen, located in one place, will not be able to serve them all. There are many different use cases, many goals that can be attributed to such a system, and just as many exceptions. So each situation is a particular case, and trying to follow “a possible miracle recipe” for the positioning of screens would be illusory. On the other hand, these few lines will help you raise the right questions and detect the locations with the greatest potential for your luminous digital signage.
Two identifiable areas, two different strategies
Once the objectives have been identified, one of the first questions to ask concerns the target, i.e. the people to be reached. A good study, and a good understanding of the latter, through an observation of it, will lead to a good knowledge, on the one hand, of its expectations in terms of information (which will guide the content), on the other hand, of its movements and its behavior in your establishment (which will guide the choice of location).
From this analysis, in addition to identifying the main flows of visitors, will result in the detection of high traffic areas (which should obviously be preferred), areas where people wait, stopped (the waiting areas), and areas where people pass by, usually without stopping (the crossing areas).
Display screens in the waiting area
In these periods of digital transformation, many companies are working day after day to improve the experience of their consumers (at the point of sale), or of their employees (internally). These efforts aim, among other things, to reduce waiting times, and are reflected in particular in the modification of the services offered, or by the addition of digital tools (automatic order terminal, drive, queue management system, etc.). But, despite their efforts, we are confronted every day with moments where waiting is unavoidable (doctor's waiting room, waiting in line at the supermarket, waiting at the car dealership, at the bar, in front of the coffee machine...) The examples are endless.
These moments, often overlooked, are however moments when the mind is free, or, at least, not very busy (the task that required concentration is done). At that moment, the mind is open, receptive, and even looking for a message, any message, to be distracted. The eyes will look around for a place to sit, something to read, to keep busy. Put yourself in the person's shoes (physically, in your establishment) and detect where your eyes naturally fall... Isn't this the ideal place to position a display screen?
This type of location, in a waiting area, brings the particularity of a relatively long exposure time. (the durations obviously depend on the context). A screen positioned in such a location will be intended to occupy a person for several tens of seconds (or even several minutes). The content displayed may be entertaining, educational, or informative. It is important to avoid broadcasting exactly the same thing during the period or the same patient person (which could convey a bad image). This format therefore allows relatively long and detailed contents (provided they are well structured), and requires reducing the frequency of distribution of content (for example by increasing the number of messages to be broadcast).
Display screens in transit areas
On the other hand, when we are not waiting in a parking zone, we are on the move, on the move quickly. Or, even if we take the time to stop for a few moments near screens, the eye rarely stays fixed on them for long.
Thus, such zones are characterized by a relatively short exposure time, of the order of a few seconds. It is then appropriate toadapt the content strategy to this particular area : the objective of such a display converges more on the task of attracting attention, the eye, of infusing an idea, an emotion, of introducing or recalling the name of a brand, or even of a teaser, i.e. an excerpt rather than really transmitting complete information!
And to do this, the format must be short, a few seconds of exposure only allow time for a few words. Obviously, the message will have been created for this occasion by taking care to maximize the readability of the content (legible, large fonts, strong contrast with bright dynamic signage, etc.). Likewise, a quick animation can help draw the eye, but should not interfere with reading... Losing 2 seconds for an animation out of the 4 seconds of time that a visitor will devote to a display is a mistake. Finally, the frequency of distribution of each content can be high: since people are not going to look at the screen over long periods of time, they will not see the repeats of the messages.
For example, in the case of a store offering promotions on new products, it will probably be more effective to only announce the promotions briefly at a point of passage and to reserve more details about these promotions for a waiting area, or for an area near the promoted products, where interested parties will be looking for this specific information.
Screen position and content strategy, two inseparable elements
Equipping yourself with display screens, and more generally with a dynamic signage system, is expensive: it is therefore necessary to do not neglect any aspect of its installation. As well as the content strategy deployed or the understanding of the targets, the location of the screens can play a big role in the success or failure of a digital signage project. (a poorly placed screen, a poorly formed or poorly targeted message degrades the brand image more than a well-positioned screen, or a quality message).
Obviously, it is important to fully integrate these 3 aspects into the overall communication strategy on screens and to identify the expected objectives and the targeted people before starting your large-scale deployment.
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