Have you ever watched a television commercial, engrossed in the visuals, but confused about its purpose? For example, think back to the last car commercial you watched. Maybe it showed a sleek car zipping along a deserted lane, winding up a lush hill which sits near the ocean. Admittedly, it may be a slick-looking commercial, but it’s focused on presentation rather than improving sales. Automakers are notorious for this. They hire high-profile advertising agencies who develop ad campaigns that are meant to win awards.

On digital signage networks, spectacular presentations seldom translate to the bottom line. They may grab attention and captivate viewers. But, the message is often buried under the design. In this article, we’re going to take a look at television advertising in the context of developing your signage content. I’ll explain the value of keeping your message simple, communicating benefits, and the potential pitfalls that you’ll need to avoid.

Supporting A Brand

A lot of large companies are interested in maintaining their brand. But, advertising managers – and the creative agencies they hire – often forget that their brand is ultimately built upon benefits and perceived value. For example, a nationwide discounter’s brand might be recognized because their stores deliver good value for the dollar. An athletic shoe company’s brand might be recognized because of its extreme durability under stress. When you see a car commercial, you’re unlikely to remember the automaker’s brand. It’s buried under the visuals. This happens in every sector.

The most effective way to communicate a company’s brand through your digital signage content is to drive home the benefits of the products. If you focus on developing signage content that dazzles viewers, you might keep their attention, but lose their motivation to take action.

Keep It Short And Simple

Behaviorists have found that the easiest way to elicit a response is through clarity and brevity (at least, in the context of selling). The content that you distribute on your signage network must get to the point quickly and clearly. Let’s go back to our automaker’s television commercial. It may be short (after all, network advertising rates are expensive), but it’s certainly not clear. By contrast, your content should boldly communicate the benefits of a product and it should do so as clearly as possible.

This leads to another potential problem. Even in simplicity, viewers can be distracted from a brand or a product’s benefits. For example, consider a television commercial showing Tiger Woods using a particular golf club. The purpose may be to sell the club, but the design of the commercial may cause viewers to focus on other details (i.e. Tiger Woods’s swing, clothes, etc.). That’s why it’s important to not only keep your signage content ad segments short and simple, but also tightly-focused. Any aspect that ultimately dilutes the power of the segment in communicating a product’s benefits should be eliminated.

Beauty Is Only Skin Deep

Here’s a good analogy: think of your digital signage content in the same manner as you would perceive an attractive person. That person may look spectacular. They might be able to grab and keep a passerby’s attention. But, if there’s little substance underneath the “shiny” exterior, they will lose an observer’s interest. Your signage content works in a similar way. The biggest difference is that it must deliver its entire message quickly. Communicate benefits clearly and boldly. Keep it short and simple. And most importantly, always include a clear call to action.

There’s a lot we can learn from old media advertising; mostly, what we should avoid doing.

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