| With giant retailers like WalMart and others | | | | triggered their response. |
| investing heavily in point of purchase digital | | | | How Digital Advertising Tracks Customer Behavior |
| advertising, we can safely say that digital signs | | | | To demonstrate how digital advertising systems |
| have really arrived as a merchandising and | | | | can track customer data, let's look at three |
| product promotion tool. | | | | methods of interactivity: |
| The strengths of digital advertising are well | | | | Indirect interaction. This interaction is not |
| known. One of the commonly cited weaknesses | | | | initiated by the customer. It usually involves some |
| is the lack of any effective means to measure | | | | kind of motion sensor that triggers content to |
| not only the traffic walking by a digital sign, but | | | | change when a customer stops near the sign and, |
| also a customer's response and level of | | | | in theory, takes a closer look. The digital |
| engagement with the sign. | | | | advertising system can capture data about what |
| As interactive digital advertising begins to supplant | | | | was playing when the customer stopped so the |
| traditional digital signs, new opportunities are | | | | retailer knows what kind of content is most |
| emerging for measuring audience volume and | | | | effective. |
| response. | | | | Touch screen. This interaction is initiated by |
| Gauging Customer Response | | | | the customer and, as such, is more powerful as a |
| People of a certain age will likely remember being | | | | research tool. The customer is attracted to a |
| stopped in a shopping mall by someone with a | | | | digital sign and given options to touch the screen |
| clipboard looking for participants in a survey about | | | | for sales and promotional information, to print a |
| shopping habits. If you recall these moments, you | | | | coupon, to check product availability and so on. |
| likely also remember being somewhat annoyed or | | | | The software that runs the digital advertising |
| brushing the person off with a polite "too busy" as | | | | system can track what was playing when the |
| you pointed to your watch. | | | | customer touched the screen and which |
| Retailers knew then, as they know now, that | | | | selections the customer made to see which |
| intruding on shoppers in this way detracts from | | | | options engaged the customer most. Tracking |
| their shopping experience and can build | | | | time of day against this data paints a picture of |
| resentment over the long term. | | | | what kind of shoppers are in the store at various |
| In lieu of live questioning, some retailers now ask | | | | day parts, so advertising can be better targeted |
| shoppers to participate in online surveys, with links | | | | to them. |
| usually provided at the bottom of store receipts. | | | | Next generation. This option involves the use |
| Shoppers are enticed with chances to win gift | | | | of cell phones and PDAs. Cell phones are part of |
| cards or other prizes. The downfall there, of | | | | the so-called "next gen" in digital advertising. A call |
| course, is participation. Just like the clipboard-toting | | | | to action is displayed on the signs, prompting |
| mall surveyor, online surveys are easy for | | | | viewers to text in to receive a coupon or enter a |
| shoppers to ignore. | | | | contest. As described in a 2006 article on the |
| Into this environment comes digital advertising. | | | | Media in Canada Website, this method is akin to |
| Before the addition of interactivity, evidence of | | | | tracking the click-through rate on a Website ad |
| the impact digital signs had on shopper behavior | | | | because it tells the retailer exactly how many |
| was pretty much anecdotal - a certain video loop | | | | responses there were for each call to action. |
| played at a certain time and, coincidentally or not, | | | | With interactive technologies capturing the kind of |
| sales for the advertised item went up. | | | | data that advertisers and marketers want to see, |
| Interactive or hybrid digital signs, on the other | | | | digital advertising - already gaining popularity as a |
| hand, are tailor-made for tracking customer data. | | | | marketing tool - is poised to become an even |
| They can tell retailers whether or not customers | | | | stronger presence in today's retail landscape. |
| are responding to the signs and, if they are, what | | | | |