Dayparting : Digital Signage

By now, we as shoppers / venue goers are becoming more and more accustomed to seeing displays featuring various forms of digital signage. From promotional items to product overviews to celebrity endorsed advertisements, we are seeing a spike in ways that retailers are trying to grab our attention. What we might not have known is that there is a particular science / ideology behind the ads that we are seeing. One such word that explains the psychology of how and when retailers get their message(s) out to their target audiences is dayparting. Dayparting, simply put, is the synchronization of digital marketing content based on time of day / demographics / energy levels.

When retailers go about putting together their digital signage playlist, often times there are key messages / colors / products that want to be delivered. Various strategies factor in to what and how that message is received. One being the demographic of people who may be in a given area at a given time. For example if you find yourself at the mall during the mid-morning on a weekday, chances are you will not be seeing adds for Hollister Co. or Hot Topic. The reason why is that it is assumed that the target audience ( teenagers / early 20’s ) for these particular stores will most likely be in school / college. Rather, during the mid-morning weekday rush the idea would be to run digital signage that caters to the stay-at-home parents who are more likely to be frequenting the mall at that time. To maximize their message, good digital signage campaigns will cycle through a playlist of content that is geared around who the target audience will be. The same display used for multiple purposes and messages.

Dayparting : Morning Routine

In hotels / restaurants / malls typical digital signage that appears during the morning rush will naturally feature breakfast items, stock market numbers and what’s on the agenda for the day. While images play a big role in catching our attention, one thing that is a little less obvious is the choice of colors and speed in which the ads are delivered. Slower, less in your face content is closely associated with the natural progression of our morning energy flow. The idea of throwing fast moving, information overloaded content too early in the day will surely cause many to naturally look away. This is a case of too much too soon. While slower paced content absorbs easier in the morning, color schemes are used to entice the guests. Softer pastel colors in the morning are easier and less intense for our eyes.

Dayparting : Afternoon Routine

As the morning rush settles in and eventually makes way for midday, retailers tend to liven up their digital signage strategy. From brighter colors to faster paced content, the idea is to keep beat with the target audience. Content that is usually seen around this time in the restaurant industry are based around lunch specials while malls and retail environments tend to display ads that cater more towards the business crowd who may be shopping during their lunch break. Hotel / convention center lobbies know that on any given day that a single guest may visit the same lobby multiple times per day. Knowing this, it is important for their signage content to shift with their guest’s interests.

Dayparting : Evening Routine

Digital signage in the evening by far is the most eye catching that we have seen. From flashy club and venue promotions to dinner menu items that seem to come to life right in front of you. As far as retail environments, the content can range anywhere from fashion runway clips that promote the top designer’s newest lines to stores whose guests tend to be in the 18-55+ range.

Dayparting : ROI

Digital signage dayparting provides the perfect marketing solution by sending the right message at the right time to the right audience. The key is message relevance. Message relevance not only dictates how guests interact with content but how it will maximize digital signage ROI.

Contact Volanti Displays

For more information on how to setup your displays for dayparting or if you would like to set up some time to discuss your display ideas with our team feel free to contact Volanti Displays.

Office: 408.579.1620
Hours: 8AM – 5PM PST