Interactive digital signage is where the more creative digital marketers get to shine and make use of new technologies. Competition for attention is fierce, and marketers are always looking for that edge to have their brand be top of mind.

This is something that interactive digital out-of-home achieves, thanks to its uniqueness and use of emerging technologies. There are other benefits to using interactive digital signage too, not to mention the countless ways that it can be implemented.

If you’re interested in learning a bit about the history of interactive digital signage, along with how gamification is driving its evolution, keep reading!

What Is Interactive DOOH

In general, conventional DOOH involves images and short videos, sometimes able to change based on weather or other data. Interactive DOOH on the other hand is when a viewer can do something that influences what is shown.

It’s important to note that there are varying degrees of interactivity for DOOH, all of which depend on the screen and environment. We’ve got simple things such as scannable QR codes, gesturing and small touch screens, to complex motion tracking and even having viewers submit content via their smartphones.

These types of interactive creatives don’t have to be groundbreaking either. Things like games, quizzes, surveys and social media are all part of the interactive DOOH umbrella.

One way to think about interactive DOOH is to think of it as gamified digital signage. Gamyfing, or gamification, is adding game-like elements to something, in this case, digital signage.

These game elements are things like points, badges and rewards, and have been shown to be highly effective at increasing engagement. Gamification can lead to a 100% to 150% increase in engagement metrics.

Places such as small retail stores whilst great for DOOH, may not be the most practical for interactive screens. Big open places such as shopping centres (malls) that encourage retailtainment, on the other hand, are great locations for interactive digital signage.

Interactive DOOH can take many forms, it’s basically any way that digital signage encourages viewers to be part of the experience, not just watch it.

Benefits Of Interactive DOOH

There are a lot of benefits to using interactive DOOH, many of which are similar to using DOOH in general. The main benefit though is that interactive digital signage provides an immersive experience/environment.

By creating these immersive environments, the shopping experience is improved for customers. The brands responsible for this will receive higher levels of brand awareness, as well as a lot of positive user-generated content and PR.

This is a huge benefit to brands, being spoken about positively in market will drive clear results in the form of increased sales.

Another major benefit of implementing interactive digital signage is that it can act as a great way to gather information on viewers. Advertisers can find out what creatives resonate and are enjoyable to viewers, and then add this to future campaigns.

These aren’t the only benefits of using an interactive DOOH creative, but they are the most unique.

Examples Of Successful Interactive DOOH Creatives

Interactive DOOH creatives have come a long way in recent years, especially with the rise of AI. Whilst the premise of a lot of these creatives has remained the same, the execution has improved dramatically.

We’ve highlighted some interesting interactive DOOH creatives before, some of our favourites are Timberland's augmented reality campaign and Hjärtat’s coughing billboard.

The Timberland creative was unique in that it allowed viewers to virtually try on clothes and was successful in getting people into the store. This campaign is a little bit dated, and if done again would be of higher quality and take into account more interactive components.

Whilst some of the most well-known interactive DOOH campaigns focus on gamification, it’s not the only form. Other successful implementations are information kiosks in shopping centres and self-checkouts.

These two aren’t always as fun or interesting for the audience but succeed in getting them to view the advertising content.

The Future Of Interactivity

We’ve pointed out what the future of interactive DOOH looks like, improving what we’ve seen before. This means higher-quality content that makes use of more inputs and newer technologies.

Examples of this include mirrors that can accurately show users what they look like in a range of clothes, whilst also letting them know what size would be best and if there is stock. Another example we’re starting to see is digital signage having NFC chips that are used in combination with smartphones to take the viewer straight to a website or change the creative.

Other high-tech adaptions of interactive DOOH are speculated, such as making use of VR and AR, although this seems a little far-fetched. The future of interactive DOOH is bright, with many exciting possibilities on the horizon.

Conclusion

Interactive DOOH is an extension of an already hyper-creative channel that is continuing to evolve. Brands and advertisers can create completely new and interesting creatives with DOOH thanks to its uniqueness, and interactivity is a part of that.

With more and more brands understanding the value that gamification can bring to their advertising content, we’re sure to see more take the plunge into the world of interactive DOOH.

On top of the creative freedom, the benefits interactive DOOH provides, such as increased engagement and valuable data insights are second to none. The possibilities are endless, and we can’t wait to see what the future of interactive DOOH will look like.

If you’re looking for a CMS provider that can help with not just interactive advertising, but dynamic, anamorphic and programmatic advertising too, look no further. Contact our sales team to enter the future of DOOH advertising today!