Digital advertising hardware used as wayfinding

Digital Advertising & Wayfinding.

Introducing a wayfinding solution for your customers, with an engaging, responsive and logical result.
There are a number of steps to consider when planning a wayfinding screen.

• What information will be relevant to your clients or visitors?
• Will the screen be interactive?
• Create the maps
• Add promotional content, advertising campaigns or scrolling news, weather, live traffic information
• Place fixed points, ie. fire exits

Digital advertising uses.

From experience, how many times have you struggled to find your way in an airport, exhibition centre, hospital or shopping mall? I know I have and relieved when I come across an interactive digital advertising hardware used as wayfinding. It pinpoints ‘You Are Here’ and plans out a route to your destination. OK, so paper posters did the same, but this digital advertising screen has many added bonuses and facilities.

• Hospital wayfinding; electronically connected via Wifi, enabling you to be led directly to the patients room
• Conference within a hotel; a route to the designated room, with a timetable for the meeting and electronic lunch selection
• Shopping in a mall; customers approach a digital kiosk and use the touch screen to search for a brand, which then gives directions to the store and can include a discount voucher
• Airport passengers; from registering and booking in at a touch screen digital kiosk, through to checking the gate number and retail options within the building
• IT staff are able to adapt/update/delete/add information very quickly and it is very cost effective.

Leading visitors and customers via a route also gives the opportunity to display and promote brand awareness on the interactive wayfinding screen – a little advert here, a conveniently timed image there… Using rich text, specific colours and images in a clean and simple, yet effective way allow the user a self-serve source of information. A well-thought out electronic map can cover a whole campus of different buildings and outside spaces, as well as a building like a hotel; a multi-storied building, yet each floor is part of the map. Color coding has always been a popular and logical way of identifying routes and it works just as well via a screen. Each floor may have a screen at the exit of the elevator, just to update or remind the visitor of their way.

Another benefit is that some locations can be static markers, for example the toilets, yet other markers are changeable, particularly for changing events, like conferences, parties or functions. Not only are these touch screens used for wayfinding, but information can be searched at any point; bookings for a business meeting or how many rooms are book on a particular floor. Customers can also check-in and check-out for themselves by accessing the screen.

Digital advertising is big business and not just suited to corporate companies or high end hotels, but it is relevant in many aspects of life. Many of us have access to wayfinding on our cell or smart phones; this is a similar product, but in a fixed location. Whilst it is not being used for wayfinding a route, it is programmed to include and broadcast advertising campaigns, this adds another revenue stream and can be off set against the hire or purchase of the screens.

We hope this article helped you understand the concept behind digital advertising.