December 2, 2022
3 min read
By placing branches in groceries and other retail stores, banks and credit unions are able to extend their customer reach. While these locations offer convenience, digital signage is key to drawing in potential customers and conveying the correct message. This article from ATM Marketplace highlights four considerations for designing digital signage.
Grocery and other retail stores across the U.S. are home to nearly 4,000 bank or credit union branches, serving customers with signature mix of expediency and efficiency. These convenient locations give people access to financial products and services, transactions and consultation – all without having to seek out a separate bank location. Unlike their customers in the typical branch environment who are focused on banking activities, financial institutions use these locations to meet consumers where they are.
With convenience at the core of the in-store branch, banks and credit unions must provide the value customers and prospects are looking for, along with digital messaging that's right for the store. For these convenience-first branches, digital signage provides a commanding engagement tool to draw in potential customers and deliver meaningful promotional and brand-building messages. But to be most effective in this busy information-overloaded environment, there are some key strategies to keep in mind.
* Understand in-store audiences – Traffic patterns in grocery stores are wildly different than a typical bank branch. Further, digital signage screens at a grocery store branch are most often viewed by shoppers at check out. This audience, many of whom may not be current bank customers, will not respond in the same way to the same message found at a bank's typical transaction zone, so tailor them to the environment.
* Customize messaging for environment – Effective digital signage message strategy for in-store branches should consider the characteristics of both the store and its shoppers when crafting resonant messages. For example, credit card and loan promotions will likely appeal to a broad audience of shopper demographics and behaviors, regardless whether the shopper's primary financial institution is the in-store bank or not.
* Use scale to your advantage – Proximity and position of digital message screens relative to the store traffic and shopper activity is a primary consideration. Can shoppers plainly view the digital screen while standing at the checkout or will they most likely see the screen on their path into or out of the store? The positioning matters for the message. Use the right scale in the right place to ensure your message breaks through.
* Make it easy – Unlike customers in the typical branch who are focused on banking activities, the shoppers passing the in-store branch are otherwise engaged. Embedding QR codes into messages can provide customers a way to quickly and easily request more information, even if they don't have the time to stop at the branch right now. Leverage digital technology tools to help overcome customer engagement obstacles.
Selecting the proper screen size, planning for placement and developing tailored messaging helps financial institutions make the most of the in-branch store and the digital signage that shines a spotlight on the financial brand. Using these practical, customer first best practices will help deliver on the promise and potential of the powerful messaging medium.
Jerry Reese is group account director at Adrenaline, an end-to-end brand experience company serving the financial industry.
This article was from ATM Marketplace. News Features and was legally licensed through the Industry Dive Content Marketplace. Please direct all licensing questions to legal@industrydive.com.
