Screens on the Machines

By now you've grown accustomed to the screens at the gas pump.  Old news.  But for DOOH people, good news.  The premise is screens in high traffic areas for the purpose of creating advertising opportunities, and cash flow.  I personally have not been a fan of the screens on the gas pumps so far, because the messages I have seen are useless and irrelevant to me.

But what if those messages were actually INDISPENSIBLE?!!!  What if they provided me with essential information?  Not weather, not a promo for a tv program, or some other lame thing.  But something really important and relevant to me?  Then I would probably be interested in a heartbeat.  The point is not the screens or the gas pumps.  The point is the CONTENT.  The Message!

I am certainly not the first to beat this drum, and I won't be the last, but I will beat this drum nonetheless!  DOOH has so much potential to drive traffic and sales.  To promote. To inform.  To sell.  As DOOH providers we need to be more strategic about what we allow on our networks and our screens.  I understand the need to get money in the door, but let's push for something more.  Let's strategize engagement, and interactivity.

I work with a provider of content, Phase 3 Digital, that create and strategically distribute content and campaigns.  We have recently brought a network of phone banks in airports online, with the first 2 of many airports, Denver and Palm Springs.  Instead of pay phones, these phones provide free calls in the US and Internationally.  But each phone also has a digital screen with sale-able content, as well as 5 buttons for direct connect to any client.  In other words, a car rental agency can buy one of the buttons. Or a ticket company, etc.  So the air passenger is walking along and needs to make a call but his cell phone is dead.  He can charge his phone at this phone station while he makes a free call, and as he does so, he is facing a screen showing ads for hotels, events, destinations, offers, etc.

Bingo.  Automatic engagement.  Direct connection.  Target audience.  This is exactly the type of indispensible opportunity that DOOH must offer.

By the way, advertisers, the very first day online 2,000 people made calls on those phones!

We are also working with a vending machine company whose machines all feature video screens.  Same thing:  the viewer has an immediate engagement opportunity.  Powerful.

Gas pumps.  Airport phones.  Vending machines.  Store windows.  Get the message out, and get engaged.

Look--but don't Touch!

Touch screens are becoming more and more commonplace in the retail environment.  In the search for novelty and "customer engagement" retailers and businesses of other types have installed a variety of touch screen displays for information gathering and general amusement.

When it comes to information gathering, such as kiosks, the touch screen can be useful, but not really necessary.  I happen to prefer pushing buttons to using a touch screen when it comes to getting information or making a transaction.  I like the sensation of feeling or hearing a click when I push on a button.  Touch screens provide no such tactile satisfaction.  In fact, in a lot of cases, they simply don't work very well and require multiple touches or swipes of the finger to produce the desired result.

Talk about FMOT (First Moment of Truth) failure.

Then there's the touch screen "customer engagement" display:  Come and touch the display to play some cheesy game that's not as good as the games I have at home, or to achieve some unimpressive visual result that does nothing for me, produces nothing for me (other than perhaps a momentary diversion) and gains me nothing.

Welcome to customer DIS-engagement.

Don't ever forget: This generation of people cannot be entertained into doing business with you.

Show me something useful, valuable and relevant to ME!  If you try to get me to "touch", you'd better make it worth my while.

Remember, I carry a fantastic touch screen device in my pocket (my iPhone/Android, etc.) that I have customized to my own needs and interests (apps) and I'm in a hurry, so your touch screen had better do something incredible, or you run the fatal risk of becoming irrelevant and/or annoying to me.

Far better to utilize the incredible power of digital visual displays to entice, seduce, interest, inform or engage me.  Show me or tell me something interesting and important to me, and then I'll think about buying from you.  I want to know more about your product, service or offer as it relates to my wants, needs and preferences.  That is all a function of powerful initial display/messaging, which could then possibly could lead to me wanting to "touch".

As businesses and digital communicators we can't put the cart before the horse.  "Touch" isn't necessarily a problem, but it had better lead to a solution.