As you know, digital signage has become part of the mainstream advertising landscape. Although it still occupies a different niche, it is now one of the most cost effective mediums available. However, you may be asking yourself if it can match the sophistication and value of a cinema experience.
As a digital signage operator yourself you may be wondering how the price of the cinema experience compares to digital signage. It is fair to say that a cinema experience can compete with the cinema experience provided by digital signage, although not quite on the same level.
Some of the finer aspects of the cinema experience, such as food and beverage, are often overlooked. For companies operating in the food and beverage market, not considering these areas can be a costly oversight. For example, a chain pizza restaurant may find it difficult to compete with competitors who provide restaurant and beverage professionals to expand the brand experience and to give restaurant service in an entertainment venue.
The costs of purchasing the technology that they provide will be significantly higher, so it is important to ensure the price per view is considered. This is often overlooked, with a cinema experience focusing on creating a long lasting brand experience which will last several days or weeks. The costs of the technology are low but the cost per view is very high. With digital signage the overall cost per view is far lower than cinema experiences and hence it can be a viable alternative.
What is interesting is that digital signage actually offers the same level of sophistication as the cinema experience, with the added bonus of a far more flexible platform on which to deploy the signage and the ability to change content within the theatre itself.
Cinema experience versus Digital Signage
* The cinema experience is not a static medium. There is movement, wind, people and a whole range of sensory elements to consider.
* The cinema experience is a planned medium which can be used to target specific audience segments.
* The cinema experience can include music, lighting, special effects, narrative presentations, documentaries and promotional materials. All of these elements can be incorporated into a digital signage campaign and can be changed from ad to ad to help generate brand awareness, generate sales and generate brand affinity.
* Cinema experiences are used to sell products and the majority of that sale is made possible by branding.
* However, with an evolving technology landscape many cinema experiences are now being used to deliver brand awareness via the promotion of environmental information via environmental screens.
Digital Signage vs Cinema Experience
* Although the digital signage campaign has far fewer moving parts, the overall design and implementation is more complex and the installation and management more expensive.
* This is largely because the digital signage system needs to be protected from the environment in which it is housed and the need to ensure clear visibility from the outside and from the street.
* Also, the physical nature of the cinema experience means that it is far less easy to change the message or content that is being delivered via a cinema experience. In addition, in a cinema environment, the signage has to be protected from the weather elements, vandalism and vandalism is very common.
This means that the digital signage campaign is less suited to changing content or message rapidly and this can make the campaign expensive and resource intensive.
Therefore, it is no wonder why most cinema advertising campaigns are now implemented via digital signage.
It is also why, with the rapidity of technology advancement today, most cinema advertising companies have moved to digital signage.