Intelligent Digital Signage.
If you have not heard of digital signage, the chances are you have interacted with the technology even if you were unaware of it. Think about the last time you have walked inside a shopping mall, used public transport or perhaps you have been in a public town square. Here you will find these vertical standing TV screens displaying an important message or some form of advertising. Conversely, have you ever wondered how it is these messages can seem targeted specifically to you?
A man walks past the intelligent digital sign and is targeted with gender-specific advertising
Unlike traditional forms of advertising, augmented reality marketing and face recognition advertising is a new revolution for retail businesses worldwide. In this article, we will explain clearly this concept and how today’s marketplace is taking advantage of this advanced technology.
Firstly let’s imagine the retail environment. A person walks into a large shopping mall and they are confronted with large crowds of people, stimulation from every angle, noises, music, and large signs shouting SALE SALE SALE. How then, is a retail store going to make their point of difference from the next? Especially when online shopping is now the norm.
Welcome to the era of Digital Signage.
First and foremost, digital signage is not a new concept. Businesses alike have been mounting television screens in their shop front windows ever since the price for large LED TV screens began to decline some years ago. However, there is a considerable difference between the domestic television and the commercial quality monitor known as a digital sign.
The digital sign may be a glorified TV however it does have some pretty neat features that you most definitely won’t find in any lounge room. Namely the ability to run continuously for 24 hours a day 7 days a week as well as the ability to link multiple screens together creating a stunning video wall. (More on Video walls in another post)
Previously a digital signage message was limited to the individual piece of content that was created for it. Usually, this meant the marketing material, either a still image or a video was uploaded to the screen via a USB stick or a small form computer located somewhere out of sight.
The marketing department deploys a new advertisement over the web
Nowadays the content can be sent to the digital sign via an internet connection, therefore, the marketing department can deploy new media from any location. The huge benefit, of course, is companies can now outsource their marketing offshore which is more cost effective and efficient.
Coupled with an audience camera built into the screen and special software, even more value can be derived from today’s smart digital signage. As the inbuilt webcam captures the passer buy, it will determine if the person is male or female. Additionally, the software will measure how long a person will look at a particular message, as well as and many other metrics of data collection. In addition to collecting this information, the marketing software will then display a tailored message.
For example, a female walks past a sports retail store with intelligent digital signage screens. The advertising being displayed is of a generic nature, perhaps a montage of athletes in various modes of exercise. The woman is captivated by the media and stops to watch it for a few seconds.
Uniquely, the audience measuring device (aka webcam) quickly ascertains what message is currently being displayed. It then determines if the viewer is male or female, and then changes the advertisement to a more relevant piece of marketing. Coupled with the previous advertisement along with the new audience data, this is a very effective form of targeted marketing.
In summary
Digital Signage in 2019 has now evolved into a concept involving augmented reality marketing and facial recognition. Undoubtedly this is the beginning of artificial intelligence in digital advertising. Furthermore, the interactive digital sign will soon become the method in which retail businesses and corporations gather even more data from their potential customers. Given these points, in a world where customer behavior data is becoming more valuable than the products in which the customer is later sold, we believe that the intelligent digital signage marketplace (estimated to be $31B by 2025) is only at the cusp of something much bigger in the digital advertising sector.
Panasonic is one of the leading providers of digital signage solutions
Published by technical support at AV Concept and Design. For more information