This article explores how businesses can use digital signage to evoke a specific sensation and impression upon the viewer. In short, you’ll learn several ways for creating a specific vibe through digital signage! We previously covered using digital signage to create a comfortable ambiance, but that can only be one example of setting the tone. For instance, it’s important to identify the desired sensation for a particular space. Cozy for coffee shops, vibrant for gyms, peaceful for reception areas, etc. Here everything is about choosing the right content, utilizing music where appropriate, and even playing dynamic content if it will be welcome.
Identify the desired ambiance
First and foremost, determine what sort of vibe you want to create. It can be as general or as specific as you like. Here are a few examples. Coffee shops benefit from a homey or aesthetically defined vibe. Gyms are a more upbeat environment. Reception areas should evoke a sense of arriving and calm. Spas and wellness centers will benefit from creating a more relaxing vibe. Restaurants should be thematic and mouth-watering. Toy stores can be colorful, playful, and fun. Bookstores should be timeless, stimulating but not distracting. Places based on travel should awaken a sense of adventure, with inspiring videos and images. Retail and fashion-based environments should be stylish, trendy, and glossy.
Choose the right content
All environments utilizing digital signage can be transformed both through visuals and audio. The vibe really depends on the context. As such, in some instances one of the two may be more dominant than the other. For example, audio is more prevalent in coffee shops and restaurants where the patron wants to focus on their vis-à-vis. Meanwhile, in travel, visuals will evoke a sense of adventure and showcase exciting sights more effectively than audio can. This, of course, isn’t to say the two can’t work together.
Once you’ve identified the desired vibe, build visuals or audio to match it. Consider which emotion and response you’d like to evoke in the viewer or listener. In wellness, you want to provide as much relaxation as possible, so go for calming visuals and slow-paced peaceful audio. In gyms, go for energetic audio and lively entertaining visuals.
Placement and display settings
Relocating displays which are firmly drilled into the wall is cumbersome, but it is an important step towards achieving the right goals and creating the intended vibe. We’ve talked about this a bit in our post about digital signage in coffee shops. Display location is vital, particularly when you aim to elicit a very specific vibe with digital signage. If placed the wrong way, the vibe is easily disturbed. In some instances, you may even find digital signage is not needed. For spas or fine dining restaurants, for example, there really shouldn’t be too many displays filling up the vision. In these instances, displays perform the best when they deliver moodful content without distraction. They should be more artwork than ad, blending and working with their surroundings instead of sticking out.
On a more direct note, once you’ve established the ideal placement and settings, always make sure your displays visible from the main vantage points.
Is there room for interactive content?
Digital signage has the power to engage viewers to interact with the display at a glance. The question is whether this particular capacity is needed in your case. Consider whether you want or need the viewer to engage and even interact with the display, or if it’s simply meant to enhance the mood and atmosphere in the room without interference.
Retail shops, self-service stores, fast food restaurants, or hotel check-ins are places where such engagement may be welcome. When creating the appropriate vibe, you want it to engage people to explore, interact, and perform specific actions. Museums are another great example. Users may bring an exhibit to life via interactive touchscreens. It makes them feel excited and curious, evoking a certain sense of adventure. Meanwhile in cozy places like cafes, wine bars, or pubs, the main service digital signage performs is mood delivering. In these cases, digital signage won’t be in the spotlight, but it will do a different kind of job. This, of course, isn’t to say that interaction should never be used in these places. The point is to be conscious of what you wish to achieve.
Consistency across multiple displays and locations
Trust and ease are built with consistency. This term definitely holds more value in selling products or performing services, but it also applies to digital signage. Maintain your visual and audio themes consistent throughout the room, your establishment, or even multiple locations. Use audio and music genres which are relatively similar to ensure the mood is stable and people know what to expect.
An excellent way to build and maintain a powerful sentiment with digital signage is cloud-based software. With digital signage software, you can easily replicate themed content across all your displays in seconds. Most software providers will offer templates, apps, and tools to create content directly on the platform. Try out all the tools OnSign TV has to offer and see for yourself!
Cover image by Pavan Trikutam.
