Outdoor Digital Advertising Totems: what they are and how to best use them
If you're looking for an effective tool for outdoor advertising that helps you stand out from the competition, digital advertising totems represent the modern evolution of the classic advertising totem. Thanks to digital technology, these tools can offer greater interactivity and audience engagement.
What is an Outdoor Digital Advertising Totem?
An outdoor digital advertising totem is a tall, self-supporting metal structure with a digital screen that plays multimedia content, such as videos, images, and animations. These screens are usually LED or LCD and can come in various sizes and resolutions, although the most common are between 40 and 80 inches. Moreover, the more modern outdoor advertising totems may include various other functions, such as a charger for electric cars and bikes, an air pump for inflating bicycle tires, a microphone for making emergency calls through the totem itself, and much more.
Why Choose a Digital Totem Over a Traditional Totem
A traditional outdoor advertising totem is a structure with a support for hosting an advertising panel, while, as the term implies, a digital totem has a multimedia display. This allows the digital totem to differ from a traditional totem in three fundamental characteristics:
- interactivity: thanks to modern touch screens, an outdoor digital advertising totem can offer an interactive experience with the public, for example, through games or surveys; conversely, it's difficult for a traditional totem to offer this kind of experience, if not through the use of QR Codes or similar technologies; however, technologies like QR Code Engagement are also highly sought after for digital screens;
- flexibility and cost-effectiveness: an outdoor digital totem allows for easy changes to advertising content based on current needs, without the need to physically replace the advertising panel, drastically reducing printing and distribution costs;
- Internet connection: an outdoor totem usually has an internet connection, which allows for the streaming of content and real-time message updates.
Advantages of Using an Outdoor Digital Advertising Totem
These features bring several advantages to users of digital totems for outdoor advertising, especially when these are part of a professional Digital Signage ecosystem and supported by a precise strategy.
Increased Audience Engagement and Visibility
Thanks to the ability to interact with the public and offer multimedia content, an outdoor digital advertising totem increases the audience's attention and interest, which are naturally attracted to the dynamism and modernity of digital screens. Outdoor digital advertising totems are very visible due to their strategic position, being usually located along roads or in busy places.
Content Customization
An outdoor digital totem allows for the customization of advertising content based on the specific needs of your business: you can choose the format, design, colors, and type of content to display through a Content Panel, a content management software, to create content that perfectly fits the needs of the company and the target audience.
Result Measurement
Furthermore, the ability to monitor the use and interaction of the public with the digital advertising totem provides access to a huge amount of Real Time Data which allows not only for improving the effectiveness of campaigns through ongoing corrections but also for gaining insights into the behavior of visitors.
How to Best Use Outdoor Multimedia Totems
To best use an outdoor digital advertising totem, it's important to follow some best practices, including:
- choosing the right location: the digital advertising totem must be placed in a strategic location, where the public can easily notice and interact with it;
- choosing the right content: the advertising content must be relevant and captivating for the target audience, with high-quality images and videos that attract attention and stimulate interest. The interface should also ideally be easy to use and intuitive;
- frequently updating content: it's important to change advertising content often to prevent the public from getting bored, maintaining their interest and contributing to the dynamism of the messages transmitted;
- leveraging touch screen technology: if the digital totem, like all the more modern ones, is equipped with touch screen technology, it's advisable to use it to offer an even more engaging interactive experience;
- using sound cautiously: if the totem is equipped with speakers, it's important to be particularly careful to avoid disturbing or frightening the surrounding public.
All these points are the basis of a Digital Signage strategy and should be clarified from the first contact with the partner chosen for the installation and management of your ecosystem.
Where to Use Outdoor Totems
Outdoor digital advertising totems can be used almost anywhere, for both commercial and informational purposes. For simplicity, here are some typical situations where INFINITYS has been consulted for an outdoor totem.
Advertising for Shops and Commercial Activities
Outdoor digital advertising totems are very efficient for promoting shops and commercial activities: visiting customers are always looking for information on products and ongoing promotions.
Advertising for Events
Another "textbook" situation is the promotion of events through totems, which provide information on programs and modalities in a simple and direct way: for example, it is not uncommon to come across totems at trade show events.
Digital Signage
Outdoor digital totems can be used as digital signage, to interact, for example, with visitors to a tourist location: given the high demand for these applications, INFINITYS has created with its specialists the Totem Info Point product, specifically designed for tourist associations and public entities that want to improve the visitor experience.
Digital Totems and Digital Signage Strategy
In conclusion, outdoor digital advertising totems are a very modern and effective tool for promoting products, services, and information. Thanks to their flexibility and interactivity, these tools are able to offer an engaging experience for the public and increase attention and interest in the brand. However, to make the best use of them, it is important to carefully set up a communication strategy based on Digital Signage and digital communication. A single outdoor totem can do little if the strategy is not based on some best practices and if you are not able to customize the content based on specific needs.
