DSE: Digital Signage Expo

Mark Zwicker
VP, Business Development
St. Joseph's Content

What is the secret to optimizing customer engagement?

When engaging the customer is the goal, start with one simple question: Will your customer care about what’s on the display? In order to create engagement the content needs to be relevant. To create relevancy and optimize customer engagement, I suggest the following three-step process.

Step one – understand the shopper.

With research you should have a good idea of who is shopping your store or product, depending on which day of the week it is and the time of day. As an example, is it a Tuesday, mid-morning or a Saturday afternoon? This may mean the difference between a retiree or a parent with children. Also, is the shopper in the snack isle or the produce section? The mindset can be very different between these two shoppers. Is English the preferred language or might Spanish be more appropriate for a particular store? Is the shopper also the consumer of the product?

Step two – create targeted content.

Once there is an understanding of the shopper and the context, then appropriately targeted content should be displayed. Are you trying to appeal to a college student on the move or a businessperson with greater dwell time? The spot might need to be fast-paced and short in length (6 to 8 seconds), or perhaps a longer (15 to 20 second) informational-based spot is required. If you are using sound, be aware that one size does not fit all. Chose your soundtrack to be age appropriate.

Step three – measure and refine.

Today’s digital media technology allows for different content to be displayed by zone and day part. By working with an analytics firm you can accurately measure the effectiveness of different digital media spots. Experiment by designing two or three different creative approaches and trying different spot lengths. See which creates engagement and which doesn’t. Then use the feedback to refine your approach and become more relevant.

By following this three step approach you will be well on your way to creating relevancy and optimizing customer engagement.

Brian Hirsh
President
Retail Entertainment Design (RED)

What is the secret to optimizing customer engagement?

Customer engagement starts with an in depth understanding of the consumer, their demographic, socigraphic, lifestyle, and OOH behavior patterns. From there, we would develop a comprehensive media strategy that creates an emotional connection by playing media that is specifically targeted to that consumer. RED develops synchronized audio/video programs that are entertainment based capturing millions of consumers attention while OOH. We often use music as key element to create this emotional level of engagement. In addition, we look at bringing additional interactive elements into the program and retail environments by offering sweepstakes, concert tickets, fly aways, meet and greets, coupons, or just the ability to pick up the latest ringtone or wallpaper with their mobile phone while shopping.

Bruce Wolff
Manager, Shipboard Technology New Build & Fleet Design
Royal Caribbean International

What is the secret to optimizing customer engagement?

Creative, Updated, Rich Content. Get to the point quickly because the window for gaining attention is short. Content should be enticing such that the customer is curious.
 

Bryan Meszaros
Chief Business Development
OpenEye Global

What is the secret to optimizing customer engagement?

The secret to optimizing customer engagement is simply having an understanding of your target audience. Once you understand the consumer habits in the environment it becomes easy to develop a successful strategy (placement and content). What areas are the frequenting? What time of day sees the most traffic? What is the demographic of the customer? All of these questions are necessary to explore so you can develop a strategy that is relative.

It also comes down to relevance. Many environments are saturated with advertising, most of which is not relevant to the environment or the consumer. Consumers are smart and are able to tune out most of the blaring ads. Understand your environment and create content that consumers should expect to see.
 

Christopher Burtt
Global Signage Production Mgr.
Tomson Reuters

What is the secret to optimizing customer engagement?

Customer's responsibilities:
1. Written Scope of Work
2. For larger projects, requirement specification, including campaign strategy. This helps vendor to make decisions and to offer additional suggestions.
3. Well defined process for submission, acceptance, billing and payment
4. One person appointed as final decision maker, even if others have input

Vendor responsibilities
1. Response to SOW that includes cost and timescales, detailed project plan for complex projects
2. Regular reviews of work in progress, with ability to prioritize as needed
3. Design approval prior to any development work starting
4. Well defined change control process
5. Clear goals in every meeting
6. Easy methods for communicating and distributing information (for example websites for tracking orders and creative review)
7. One point person that is aware of all activities happening at account

On both sides, trust, honesty and a good working relationship are vital. Both sides need to remember when negotiating that they will be working together closely; each party needs to be satisfied with the outcome!

My experience is also optimized when one vendor can perform design, development, hardware delivery and operational support.
 

Chris Borek
Senior Manager
Target Stores

What is the secret to optimizing customer engagement?

While there may be many secrets / ways to optimize customer engagement…..a key secret is to give the viewer value. People are not going to be engaged with your digital signage unless there is something in it for them. Even if it is only a 20-second time commitment on their part, if they are investing their time they want something out of it….an offer, some entertainment, and / or other relevant information.

Jerry Harris
Director, Audio Visual Services
Georgia Aquarium

What is the secret to optimizing customer engagement?

It goes without saying that the customer is a business’ lifeblood. Keeping them engaged has to be the singular focus if you want to succeed and exceed your sales expectations. So the secret to engagement optimization is making your messaging as attractive as possible to grab their attention.

Once you have a customer’s attention, tell them why your particular product and or service is ideal for them. Even if the message does not ring true at the time, find away to get customers attention while they are in a captive environment. Develop a system that can capture customer’s information so that you can contact them at a later date. One way to do this is through text messaging. For example, if you are promoting a holiday sale in the coming weeks you should have a coupon that the customer can receive via cell phone. Now your product will be on their cell phone even when they are not at your place of business.

So now that you have the customer’s information you can mine that data and send reminders of the upcoming sale. Of course you want to make sure the customer opts-in to receive updates and future promotions.

Whether you engage your customers through email, text message or cell phone, the key is to open the lines of communication and keep the customer engaged.

David Doyle
VP, IT Theatre Operations
Regal Entertainment Group

What is the secret to optimizing customer engagement?

Content.

Sure, there are other important factors that contribute to customer engagement: including customer relationship data, product development, promotional strategies, etc. Even the best laid plans go awry without compelling content. Content is where the rubber meets the road.

The Digital Signage canvas can illustrate different types of content…

“Stop & Turn” imaging is intended to capture the customer’s eye. This type of content can range from the subtle to the obvious and serves as the great way to tap customers on the shoulder.

“Appetite Appeal” connects the customer’s desires to a particular item or message.

“Informational or Institutional” content provides the customer with what they need to know, such as product options and pricing.

Any of these types of content can provide value to the customer. In fact, an EXIT sign is an example institutional signage – it tells you what you need to know. However, the secret to engaging the customer is mixing these content types. Think about it, some of the more memorable images in media today feature talking babies trading stock online or movie stars with milk mustaches.

Digital Signage provides a varied palate of opportunities. Be creative and focus on the actual connection with the customer.

Gary Halpin
President
Agency 225

What is the secret to optimizing customer engagement?

Okay, regarding optimizing customer engagement. Sure sounds like one of those fancy names MBA people toss around, doesn't it? With that being said, the first step is to get the customer's attention. In regards to in-store networks, there is a rather large network in a rather large superstore chain that may have compelling content, but I'd never know about it because the monitors are 25 feet in the air. So merchandising of the network (i.e. where its seen and where its heard) are vital. Another important component is the content (duh). But what kind of content is compelling? What type of content will engage the customer? Well, that has to depend on the location. It will be a lot different inside a Blockbuster Video location than it is in a public space or within a Home Depot tool section. One thing we have discovered is you can't engage a customer inside a store with an ad. The last thing customer's (in our opinion) want is to be sold to. It actually will turn them off rather than engage them. That is pretty obvious stuff as I hope our industry has made it that far. Beyond that, the question is impossible to answer without knowing the environment, the customer, even time of day or month or season. All I'd say in general terms is we like to educate and entertain them, or maybe edutainment. Let the customer drive the sale, that is typically our focus when creating content strategy and campaigns.

Jack Sullivan
SVP/Out of Home Media Director
StarCom Worldwide

What is the secret to optimizing customer engagement?

I think what needs to be defined is engagement? Does that mean viewed? Does it mean touched the screen to get more info? Does it mean bluetooth or some other device? Or all three? I think it really means gets the viewers attention and gets their attention for a period of time. My hope is that it gets the attention of the viewer because the creative is relevant to the venue and to the mindset of the viewer.

A this point you have a measurable and impactful connection with the viewer. This is a much more meaningful connection than other media connection. Tapping into the mindset, the psyche of the consumer when they want/need/cherish information is a heck of a lot more impactful. I really don't know how it can be measured but it's my feeling that message is retained by the viewer for a much longer period of time when it is a meaningful and more connected message.

Optimizing the engagement can come about several ways. 1) Make sure the screens are in their most prime spot within the venue. Right placement, size, number of screens, etc. 2) The dwell time for the customer has to be a favorable amount of time so that the message isn't fleeting ... the customer/viewer needs time to take in the message. 3) The ad has to have relevant information. Maybe it's flash creative or a short message but it has to match with the dwell time ... long messages and short dwell don't equate, short messages and long dwell is a lost opportunity to connect. And lastly, make sure content (if any) is relevant as well.

George Nauman
Partner/CMO
Chute Gerdeman

What is the secret to optimizing customer engagement?

Market research firm Frost & Sullivan says that by 2011, 90% of retailers will have in-store digital screens. As digital media becomes more and more a standard, the best digital signage won't count for anything if it doesn't take into account what people are typically doing inside of stores, namely shopping. There is a reason why retailers are talking more about consumer "missions," "life stages," and "need states" these days. Figuring out the context that consumers are placing around their shopping trip, the "why" vs. the "what," makes all the difference. Armed with this understanding the next key step is to choreograph the appropriate digital content to where and/or how in the customer journey you are going to make the engagement connection – (i.e., store front, orientation zone, category/product specific, fitting rooms, checkout, etc) and then orchestrate your overall customer engagement plan from there.

By combining clear, articulate text, imagery and sometimes even sound that describe a product's most important features and benefits; avoiding complex images, metaphors, or competing visual effects that weaken viewer attention; and using a bold, attention-getting format, you can deliver communication that connects with a viewer, delivers the appropriate message, and then lets that viewer get on with his or her life -- newly-primed with information about your products or services.

Engagement is one of the most powerful retail principles, but you can’t have engagement if you’re not connecting with the consumer. Exposure does not equal engagement.

Jason Feldman
Sr. Director, New Concept Dev.
Home Depot

What is the secret to optimizing customer engagement?

Meeting the customer's expectation for the shopping experience. If it is as simple as buying a can of soup, the customer should be able to easily navigate to the aisle and shelf where a selection can be made. If the purchase occasion involves a "high touch" experience like remodeling a kitchen, it is critical to provide a balance between inspiration, associate engagement and experience. The ratio of associate to customer is rarely even. For customers who want a quick in and out experience, it is important to provide the appropriate amount of navigation and shelf-level support (let signage or the product packaging do the heavy lifting). Associate experience and support should be focused where the return is the greatest - typically driving big ticket sales or a customer service-focused activity.

Jeff White
Owner, CEO
The Bar Channel

What is the secret to optimizing customer engagement?

The secret to optimizing customer engagement is knowing your customer and the time they spend in front of your screen. Once you know this, you should be running content and information aimed at this group. If your screen is placed over the counter of a busy kiosk in a busy office building, short engaging clips on business, finance, world news and items they can discuss in the office are relevant. If you screen is in the cafeteria of a university, content like entertainment news, extreme sports clips and trivia may be more applicable. Know the person/customer watching and show content that engages them.
The screen needs to keep the customers attention or keep bringing the customer back to the screen. Simply running ads doesn’t accomplish this…quite the opposite. A bland screen layout with the wrong content, running ad after ad will not optimize customer engagement…it will end it.

Also keeping the screen content fresh is key.

John Armiger
SVP, Marketing Dev.
Wyndham Vacation Ownership

What is the secret to optimizing customer engagement?

I believe there are several elements that contribute to optimizing customer engagement:

Listening
Education
Painting the big picture
Patience

One critical error commonly committed is not listening to the customer sufficiently in order to analyze their needs and assuming the position of expert. The results often miss the mark and do no not fulfill the customer’s expectations and ultimately require additional work and expense.

Education is an essential element for the customer to appreciate and understand the technology in order to make the decisions that are necessary for a successful project. The difficulty is being able to explain the technology sufficiently to make those critical decisions without over complicating it.

Painting the big picture will capture the customer’s imagination and make them part of the solution. If the customer understands the technology and can clearly see the solution, they will be more willing to participate in its success.

Patience is a virtue that is absolutely necessary because many of these customers are going to be introduced to new and emerging technologies that have completely different idiosyncrasies than what they are accustomed to. The customer is going to have to be comfortable with these technologies and processes and adopt them into their SOPs.

John Karlesky
Director of Marketing Support
Lowe’s Companies

What is the secret to optimizing customer engagement?

Relevancy. Customers will only be engaged if what they encounter is relevant
and meeting a real need for them. Be it information, entertainment or interactive
engagements, we optimize our customer relationships by making sure that we are adding value and serving them with every digital touch (not just blasting ad
messages at them).

Kevin Culp
Director, Information Technology
Gaylord Entertainment 

What is the secret to optimizing customer engagement?

There is no secret. In order to engage the customer, the information must be informative, eye catching (without the "cheezy" factor) and most importantly concise. You signage will only have a few seconds with the customer so the content must hit your point home quickly. The customer will engage once they feel the information is meaningful, impactful and relevant to their needs.

Margot Myers
Mgr., Retail Instore Programs
USPS

What is the secret to optimizing customer engagement?

It's not really a secret. Having the right information in the right place at the right time helps build customer engagement. Don't show cosmetics spots in the tool department or breakfast food spots at 5 p.m. Put screens where customers can easily see them, not so far over their heads that they become invisible. Where appropriate, interactive screens really increase engagement allowing the customer to select the information that best meets his or her needs.

Keeping content current also supports customer engagement. If customers see the same old stuff over and over again, they tune it out. A crawl across the bottom of the screen showing today's news, weather, sports scores, stock reports, etc., can help get customers to take another look. By the same token, content about a sale that's over or a holiday that's passed makes the overall content less credible to customers. Some sophisticated digital signage networks are tied to POS inventory systems. If the store runs out of a specific item, any spots related to that item are deleted from the playlist until the item is back in inventory.

The more specific the content is to the time, place, and customer needs, the better the level of engagement. Here's one example: A customer stops at the supermarket on the way home from work to pick up something for dinner. As she walks through the prepared foods department, the digital signage screen at the counter promotes the rotisserie chicken -- fresh, hot, ready to serve and $1.50 off this week. Then the content moves on to the upsell -- featuring items that would go with the chicken that also are on special this week. Now the customer is picking up containers of mashed potatoes and green beans. You've done all of the thinking for the tired, hungry shopper, putting useful information appropriate to the time of day in the location where it's most helpful.

Mike Hiatt
Director, In-Store Media Networks
Wal-Mart

What is the secret to optimizing customer engagement?

Be relevant. Identify the customers' particular mindsets, understand the shopping occasion, and focus on their particular need states. By better understanding the customer, you can determine what is most relevant to them. The more relevant the digital signage messaging is, the more engagement you will see.

Mike Quinn
SVP, Marketing Research and Dev.
PRN

What is the secret to optimizing customer engagement?

Unfortunately, there is no single 'secret' to engaging consumers. The challenge of engaging a consumer who is eating in a food court is very different than the challenge of engaging a consumer who is shopping for food at their local grocery store. Now consider consumers who are ordering off of a digital menu board, waiting in line at a bank, pumping gas, or riding in an elevator and you have a host of unique 'opportunities' to inspire consumers to pay attention to your message. That said, consider the food-court consumer versus the food-shopping consumer and a few simple considerations may emerge: (1) Is the consumer on a mission, or at a moment of leisure; (2) Are we trying to inform, or entertain; (3) How long is our opportunity to engage, or as I like to think of it, how big is the 'aperture' that we have to crawl through; and (4) How easy is it for the consumer to interpret our messaging, based on their position relative to our delivery mechanism? Once we answer some of these basic questions, we should be able to start planning an engagement strategy for any OOH Network.
Even within PRN's space, retail networks, we have a variety of engagement challenges and solutions. Our goal as a company is to engage and empower shoppers throughout their shopping trip. This means that we have to drive engagement at the store entrance, in key departments (such as grocery, HBA and Electronics), on end-caps and displays, and finally at checkout. In order to program each of these touch-points, PRN utilizes a simple formula that we have developed over the last 10 years. This formula starts with an understanding of the shopper's 'Mindset', it then identifies the shoppers 'Mode' (are they in motion, paused, or waiting) and finally, it evaluates the 'Messages' that can engage consumers, at the speed of shopping, by helping them shop smarter. As you can imagine, this results in a variety of unique engagement 'secrets' whose only commonality is that they make it 'easy' for the consumer to get new information that adds value to their current 'mission'.
As a result, the real "secret" to engagement is to understand and empower consumers wherever they interact with your media.

Pat Hellberg
President
Kaicon Consulting

What is the secret to optimizing customer engagement?

One word: focus.
One word but many applications.
The initial focus must be on the customer. Think like a customer. Easy. We’re all customers. What methods or messaging would attract your attention?
That leads to many other levels of executional focus, all of them make-or-break.
Focus on the mission/purpose of the network, focus on the key selling proposition/call to action, focus on the quality and aesthetic of the message, focus on the effectiveness of the message delivery itself (can the customer see/hear the message?), focus on the context in which the message is being delivered.
This thorough attention to both the big picture and the small details leads to campaigns and communication that optimize customer engagement.

Paul Flanigan
Producer
Best Buy

What is the secret to optimizing customer engagement?

Your customer. The more you know about your customer (where he/she is, what he/she is doing at that time, what engages he/she, pick your demographic profiling research), the better equipped you are to engage them in your communication.
 

Phil Cohen
President, CEO
Care Media Holdings

What is the secret to optimizing customer engagement?

Make the message specific to the environment and the viewer.
 

Tom Lapcevic
President
ClubComm/ZoomMedia

What is the secret to optimizing customer engagement?

I believe the most important element is to completely understand your prospective customer’s business. Once you accomplish this, you can determine how your solutions can be applied to help the customer. We breakdown our customer research into three categories: (i) the customer’s specific business; (ii) the industry in which the customer conducts business; and (iii) analogous industries. By utilizing this approach, we often know more about the overall business opportunities and challenges of our customers than they do – even before our first meeting with a prospect. We then can provide customized solutions while leveraging our scalable systems. Nothing beats preparation.
 

Warren Harmon
Media Support Services
Mayo Clinic

What is the secret to optimizing customer engagement?

Engaging the customer is all about displaying compelling content or
images. It's critical to draw the viewer to the screen, and deliver a
message that necessary for them to know. Often, the content must be
dynamic - changing often and offering relevant information to the viewer
at that time and that space. Again, engagement is about digital signage
in the RIGHT location. Strategic placement of the screen, coupled with
engaging messages will likely lead to engagement. Finally, you know
when you've engaged the customer when they proactively come back to the
screen looking for information they need and expect.