Moving pictures: the rise of animation in digital signage

Highly animated digital signage content - is it worth the extra cost?

Last year, a study attempted to get to the bottom of what makes the most effective digital signage content. For the research, Kiosk & Display installed a special high-definition camera on top of screens in financial institution branches.

Using gaze software, the research team tracked when the customer looked at the digital sign, and when they didn’t. Based on the results, it concluded that the most effective content included messages that were highly animated.

In the study, highly animated messages averaged 240 views per day – almost 10 times more engagement than six-month old animation (32 views per day).

How to design digital signage

When it comes to digital signage design, it’s important to be clear on what makes video content so appealing:

1. It doesn’t ask much of the audience

You only need to look at the Netflix-inspired binge-watching habits to see how easy video is to consume. Research shows that the typical adult in the UK watches a whopping 35 online videos per week on average (not including streaming services like Netflix).

It’s something that people choose to do in their spare time. But people have come to expect the highest quality of video – keep that in mind when creating your digital signage content.

2. It helps build understanding

The way we’re tuned means we find it easier to process information presented in video than in just about any other format. Almost three-quarters (72%) of consumers say they would rather learn about a product or service by way of video.

But the pacing is crucial. Interestingly, a new study suggests that we have the capacity to learn just as much from watching videos at double speed. Analysis of students at the University of California Los Angeles showed that the groups watching videos at 1.5x and 2x speed retained as much information as those who’d watched the videos at normal speed.

3. It can be personalised

We all know the benefits of personalisation. It’s something all brands are looking to embed into their marketing, driven by the promise of better engagement with customers. According to HubSpot, personalised videos are 35% more likely to retain viewers compared to non-personalised videos.

With the latest AI facial recognition technology in digital signage solutions, you can, at the very least, customise the content according to the age and gender of the viewer. If integrated with data collection, such as loyalty cards, signs can display videos tailored on an individual customer basis.

Timing, relevance and execution

To get the desired response from your animated digital signage content, you’ve got to nail timing, relevance and execution.

On timing, brands have always been open to a little bit of experimentation, such as creating campaigns that adapt to real-time information like temperature. The boundaries of technology are designed to be pushed in an attempt to be relevant to consumers.

To be able to react to real-time information, the digital signage software – the tool that enables you to manage your digital signage content and screens – needs to offer you that flexibility.

But the most important part of any video strategy is the design and execution of the animation itself. It's a careful balance to create animated content that attracts without distracting from the message. 

Linney – digital signage content experts

With film producers, editors, camera operators, animation designers, VR/AR specialists and dedicated project managers all under one roof, our film and animation team can help you create video content that plays to the strength of your digital signage solution.

Everything we do is informed by insight. So, when creating your video content, we will work with you to truly understand your customers, which will create tailored outputs for your digital signage solution.