My title of these trends has changed this year to reflect the industry morphing into something new, something connected to the digital consumer….for all screens are part of the continuity of marketing messages including the increasingly powerful pocket screen.

As I reflect on last year’s predictions, it struck me how this industry is shaping up and what forces are driving new innovation and how each and every one of us in the industry is one of the forces that count no matter if it is one big screen or 500 small screens all connected to the mobile digital consumer.  I believe that 2013 marked a few changes in the industry; some that were subtle but important and others more obvious and game changing.

And now…on to 2014.

1.       2014 is the year of BIG and small!

This coming year promises that you will need to go big or…go small. With the trends that I see in the marketplace, it’s no longer (within the retail, hospitality and dining environments) ok to put a screen on the wall and expect the consumer to pay attention.  There is now a higher saturation of screens in the market place. The shopper is no longer wowed by the HD screen on the wall.  In the 5th Screen’s Good, Bad and Ugly Content Worldwide Survey, 40% of the participants saw digital signage in the retail environment.

The industry is headed toward creating BIG screen participation marketing experiences using huge video walls and large 65-80 inch screens with touch, gestural, virtual aisles, and augmented reality to engage the consumer in experiences that get the shopper off their pocket screen and onto the brand screen, engage them and then link to their small pocket screen to continue the conversation between brand and the shopper.

For the small screen, think tablets and mobile.  Both iPad and Intel based tablets are permeating the market place.  The recent announcement of Applebee’s deployment of Intel based tablets at each table is leading the way.  We now see them at Subway on the counter next to the register, in the hands of associates, at the shelf next to products, in new concept stores. These small screens will be interactive with a personal one on one purposed experience and with the goal to continue the conversation on the smallest screen; the pocket screen. And to help this #1 trend, tablets are getting more powerful and less expensive by the day.  The key to their success will be how these screens engage the shopper.  These deployments will, I believe will be the most significant growth area in the marketplace. Remember that saying great things come in small packages.

The combination of BIG and small screens in the new retail environment is the key to brick and mortar brand survival in the digital world.

2.       Participation Marketing and Gamification

In today’s attention grabbing environment the consumer is inundated with over 1,200 messages per day on average according to recent studies.  But, it is no longer the consumer watching, it’s about what they do.  And they DO media, not watch media in the marketplace.

Today if a screen does not deliver an engagement and story in a PoW network (Point of Wait, where the consumer has dwell time) or PoS Network (Point of Sale, where the consumer is shopping) environment it’s a waste of resource and the consumer will simply not care.

The engagement process might be touch, gestural, augmented reality or simply text to this number from their pocket screen.  The key is to give the engaged the consumer the chance to win something, anything or just offer to give them something and they will give you (the brand), personal information in return and connect with you the brand on their pocket screen for the ongoing conversation. The Gamification of retail is underway and using participation marketing techniques in 2014 is going viral and it will give the brand and retailers a high ROI and ROE (return on engagement).

The anti has just gone up and the consumer demands something to DO not something to watch.

3.       Great Content

Today’s consumer demands high quality experiences and the only element that we have to deliver on that promise is to create great content.  Content is one of the most challenging daunting tasks that has plagued the industry, but this year is the year that agencies are stepping up to the challenge.  We have reached a point that the knowledge base has finally sunk in…TV ads do not work on digital signage. Yes I know, those of is in the industry have been saying that since day one.  But now over a decade and half later agencies are on board with this.  And purpose built media for digital signage is now the new standard. In my recent 2013 worldwide survey on content 55% of the survey participants said that the content was mediocre and 8% considered the content bad. In contrast 35% considered the content good and only 2% considered the digital media to be great.

So why do I think Great Content is on the horizon? Now we know.  Now we know that every piece of brand media that the consumer comes in contact with has to be great or risk the perception; Bad Content=Bad Brand, Great Content=Great Brand.  Combine this with the fact that brands are making larger investments in their digital assets or they die. Brands understand that the past decade of feverish developments in intersecting digital technology requires them to create great content in the digital world. As brands become digitally bonded with consumers, the only perception is how great that content is and this will directly affect the consumer’s attitude toward the brand at every digital touch point.

 Look for great content on all screens, because the brand’s survival depends upon the digital bond.

4.       Connecting The Dots

This has been on my list for the last 3 years and this year moves up to #4 position.  The pressure for all screens to work together seamlessly is even stronger in 2014.  Call it omni-channel, transmedia experience, mobile connection, or whatever.  The bottom line is that a consumer is looking for an experience that is seamless. From their point of view, that means what I see on TV, on my tablet, on my smart phone and in-store creates a seamless experience on that path to purchase.  The industry gets it, the agencies get it, even IT gets it, and marketing definitely gets it.  But it does take the fundamental architectural changes in the backend.  And that process began for most retailers in the last 2 years and it is still in it’s infancy.  Through the omni-channel implementation in the retail sector, the seamless experience will become more of a reality this year. This is the time when the consumer touches the cloud and the consumer does not care which screen they are interacting with as long as it is entertaining, helpful, or useful.  Look what Apple just did…iBeacon (although not new just NFC the apple way)… but it does that tell us the experience is changing in retail and it simply does not matter which screen.  Digital signage will be a connected cloud experience or it will be ignored.

 Look for more seamless experiences across all screens where digital signage is a part of the cloud ecosystem.

5. Data and Experiences

Big Data is something that was a buzz in late 2012 and in early 2013…but what happens when small data drives the real time experience?  We have seen this in simple terms when weather data drives products offered like hot chocolate when it’s snowing or an umbrella sale when it’s raining.  But the world of data is changing and becoming part of the very fabric that we live in.  AutoZone utilizes big data to tap into a variety of databases, such as the types of cars driven by people living around their retail outlets.  This has given Auto Zone a competitive advantage because they can offer inventory to their customers with what they want, where they want it.  Image when this gets integrated into their digital screen strategy.

Small data will begin to drive our interactive screen experiences in new (unnoticed by the consumer), but extremely useful natural ways.

When considering templates, don’t be tempted to merely copy from one DOOH network to another. Every network has different needs, and the assets available and the type of templates created will be unique.

I have seen it WAY too many times where someone puts a picture over a picture with some text-urrgh! Templates are not just another power point message on the screen.  They can be sophisticated, elegant and agency level design that runs across the entire network and bleeds off onto other screens like mobile and tablet.

If we are talking about a point-of-sale network (POS)—specifically an in-store network—the content will always have overarching brand messaging that appears along with product offerings. One can create brand elements and templates that will be used throughout the year to drive that brand messaging while leaving central locations for a product offering to appear. One can also create a layer within the brand messages for product offerings that will have their own brand. Creating elements to drive these offers is just one example of a template that can be reused and changed slightly to keep the messaging fresh.

Menu boards are another great example of how templates can be used to change the pricing, pictures, or specials that need to be updated from breakfast to lunch and dinner. For any network, one needs to create a set of templates that are refreshed at least once a quarter. This isn’t an exercise in rebranding the company or building an entirely new visual language for the network, but one should create variance that introduces new elements into the ones that have already enjoyed a 3-month run.

For example, create a series of templates that have corporate branding elements for a specific purpose. You may have a series of compliance messages that you need to get out, so create a template that is designed for that type of message. The viewer will learn that when that particular template is up, the content pertains to workplace compliance. Creating templates with branding elements for other types of messages will also play well with viewers. If you use the same template for everything, the viewer will get tired of the same look all the time.

At Adspace, for example, they create templates for POS networks that allow weekly content changes and a complete shift with each retail season. They have a spring set of templates, a summer set of templates, a fall set of templates, and so on. Then within those templates they have different creative for holidays. In addition, they are following the customer: ‘What is Mom thinking for back to school or the holidays?’”

Also consider a series of community messages and good old eye candy that can give retail employees a reprieve in the daily grind. Give them something to smile about, too.

There are many methods to generate viewer interest on an internal communications network, and the digital signage communication offers power. It is also important that the templates create an overall look for the entire network—something that gives graphic consistency across all screens. This is where we can take a lesson from the 2nd Screen. TV stations create that kind of identity so that even catching a brief glimpse of local programming or a promo spot will visually tell viewers they are watching Channel 5. Network owned and operated stations take that a step further; one can tell they are part of a particular network by the consistent visual cues like typestyle, screen layout, and even the shape of the station’s logo. Not only do digital signage networks benefit from this kind of continuity; the fact is that after many years of TV exposure, the viewer expects, even subconsciously, that certain standards of appearance and identity will be met.

Within Target TV you know you are watching Target TV because a nice chunk of content playing is advertising an event or sale that is Target and Target’s ID plays a huge role in establishing the network look and feel. The station ID or brand is a breath of fresh air.  It’s a bright shiny spot and they’re fun. It really starts off to give the channel a Target branding moment. It gives it cool factor. It is designed to surprise and delight their guests. In production they go into a treatment that is part of an existing campaign with specific art. They take those campaign elements and slice them up and add the motion. In addition, Target looks at all of the content that runs across their network. Target does not throw just any content up on the network simply because the vendor wants it there. The Target network is much more of a collaborative affair than a mere purchase of airtime by a vendor.

Next article, I will discuss how many templates does one need and how does one figure it out?