In-Store Digital Signage Is Used The Wrong Way

Today I noticed an article on Adage.com that Unilever, who recently completed a major study with Nielsen and other companies (and overpaid for the data I'm sure) is concluding that posters and in-store coupons is a more effective medium for moving product than digital technology. Recently you may have noticed at your local supermarket that more and more televisions are popping up in the produce, deli, and possibly bakery aisles. The television are typically either placed up and above the shoppers heads so they are unseen or they are right in the shoppers faces with sound so they are overly intrusive.

The point is that in-store technology including digital signage has the capability to work. There is no reason that the internet + tv model can't be fused into the supermarket to work effectively. The problem is nobody has perfected it yet. Just sticking a television in an aisle and placing ads for Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream isn't going to inrease lift. I couldn't think of a bigger waste of money.

But what if there was digital signage technology out there that had the capability of giving product information along with serving advertisements. What if this digital signage had the ability to give a store map to show you where the condiments and dishwasher soap was located? How about a machine that printed coupons for weekly specials and if you scanned your rewards card it automatically gave you discounts on products you frequently purchased? What if it was fully interactive combining the internet + television model together?

The truth is the technology isn't the problem it's the way we've attempted to integrate the technology with the user. I've written on here several times over the past year that Out-of-Home Digital Signage is the wave of the future but we have to figure out how to entice the user. We have to come up with solutions on how to make the user want to use the product.

The odds aren't high that I'm going to be going down the produce aisle and notice an ad on the screen standing eleven feet over head for a new juice drink. If I see the ad then will that make me automatically buy the drink? Probably not.

However imagine this scenario. I walk to the wine aisle and pick up a bottle that looks appealing. I scan the SKU on the digital machine and then pops up four different types of cheeses and crackers as well as a recipe that I can print with the wine.

Now we are moving product through the store.

Wake up marketers. You need to push for this type of capability. You need to be the ones who create the demand. Otherwise we will continue to see end caps and and posters and nothing new to enhance the environment or move more of your product.

The full article on Unilevers waste of money research is here at Adage.com

Check out a company that is trying to do something different in-store.