Bring on the Noise! Delving into the Issue of Audio Content in DOOH
March 25, 2009 at 3:58 pm 10 comments
I read an article about today about the “Voice for Signage” today in conjunction with a little discussion with @TexanAtHeart, which totally reminded me that a critical component of DOOH has not been discussed here yet. This is the controversial subject of “Audio.” I’ll related this to the Digital Out-of-Home / Advertising worlds as it seems to be the space(s) where this topic is the most “sensitive,” and is also what I know. There are actually 3 perspectives to think about, which I believe kind of ties in together:
1. The Agency Perspective: It is well known in the OOH/DOOH circle that agencies; even those specializing in these fields, still view DOOH similarly to broadcast television. In this sense, having audio capabilities becomes a natural expectation for the brand they represent, as well as the strategists/planners, and buyers.
2. The Media Holders/Networks: In the DOOH, or the Digital Out Of Home Advertising world, the obvious and ultimate objective is to generate revenue from advertising, so they must cater to the desires of the brands and agencies, and not having audio could make a Digital Signage Network highly unattractive. At the same time, I’ve also seen resistance from the networks and/or franchises themselves due to the belief that having audio is a disruptive force in their business environment. So there is a fine line even between the Media Holders and networks themselves.
3. And this is the kicker; The Employees at the locations where the signage and audio are placed & played: No matter what the location or business is, there are always employees working in them for hours at a time. Simply put; when Audio, including product/service announcements or music is on a loop for a long time (I’ve seen as long as a 1 month and as short as a 2 hour loop), this can simply bore them, or even drive them Crazy. I’ve heard the complaints from store managers and associates themselves several times over. What do they do? They simply just turn the audio off, which is a constant compliance issue in ad delivery terms. Employees also know that they won’t get cut for turning the audio off; nor should they. That’s just harsh, and an over-reaction on the management part.
So what do we have here? Brands and agencies want audio, and that makes sense. Media holders and networks need to have audio most of the time to make the network desirable, so that also makes sense. But then again, employee don’t want the same audio content to be bashed into their heads over and over again; Definitely understandable, and could be perceived as some form of sick Chinese water torture.
In a serious sense, bad Audio content could probably have a detrimental effect on employee performance, and in fact, the sales revenues themselves; there’s got to be a study on this some where… I think there are few things that need to be questioned in relation to the topic of “Audio content in DOOH” and all the parties involved:
1. Is audio really necessary to get the brand’s message out there? There are tons of great and powerful visual content that can even have a better effect / outcome.
2. Is audio be fitting to your network’s environment? If the thought is that audio is disruptive, you must have the guts to say “no thanks,” and that is in the best interest of the overall business. There are prices to pay either way, so this is sometimes a choice between the lesser of two “evils,” I suppose.
3. If audio is to be a part of the content offering in a network; and this is Ideal, Has the Audio Content Strategy been well thought out and planned as much as factors like network deployment, ad sales, and visual content strategies? The keywords here are probably “Refreshing Audio Content.” If the audio content is fresh and new as frequently as possible, then it is less likely that employees will be dissatisfied and the issue of compliance becomes less so. Maybe employee and consumers will even actually enjoy it!
Ultimately, Audio Content strategy is some thing that has not been discussed much, but if strategized and executed right; yes, it is critical component in offering up a more fuller message /communication, and more importantly; Everyone is happy! If it is considered as a “side note,” it could be as intensely bad for a network, as it could be intensely good when produced in the correct manner.
Entry filed under: Content. Tags: Audio Content, Audio Content Strategies in DOOH, DOOH.
1.
Ron Vaisbort | March 26, 2009 at 6:06 pm
Rightly so, the audio question is key – and its not just about whether audio helps/hurts the advertising part of the equation or annoys the pants off of employees – but how does the audience feel about it? People are looking for some escape when they enter their favorite retail establishment, and a “respectfully silent” screen that visually arouses their attention vs. demands it via intrusive audience will often be the winner.
Of course, there are “directed audio” solutions that attempt to solve this problem, but they are costly, not altogether effective and while some advertisers may demand audio they haven’t figured out how much more they are willing to pay for it. So..whats the ROI?
Yes, the absence of audio requires advertisers, agencies and networks to be far more creative…but I’d posit that it establishes DOOH as a truly unique medium when done correctly and the visuals do the talking.
2.
justoutofhome | March 26, 2009 at 6:49 pm
Audience/consumers and ability to have the message resonate in them is ultimately the end game. Hitting all the 5 sense seems to be the basic goals to achieve, but obviously in DOOH, it’s more like 3 sense (sight, hearing, and touch). If audio can be strategized and executed correctly and is relevant to the venue and it’s audience, it works well, but if not I don’t think it should be forced either. I’ll be interested to see how technology will help or hurt on this front.
Visually communicating can definitely work well, and even best in this medium in the present moment.
Thanks for the comment Ron!
3.
morgan williams | March 27, 2009 at 7:48 am
Great summary Christian. I am currently working on a project with many open spaces and the client has asked about audio. My gut says it just ain’t right. In the end, I don’t even want to deal with the pitches and claims of directional audio. I want to go with my gut.
Hopefully the client and the agencies will understand that we need to produce effective visual campaigns for this area of the network.
4.
justoutofhome | March 27, 2009 at 2:05 pm
Thanks MW!
Everything good? Yeah, presently, if you can get away without audio and your clients don’t mind or think it’s a critical factor, I think it may be good to go with out it. Directional, as Ron mentioned, is expensive still, and their effectiveness, not sure about. One less thing to think about. Email me if you need any advice on the project you been working on. Also, tell those Feds to get off my back!
5.
David Weinfeld | March 27, 2009 at 2:15 pm
Great post. And, certainly a topic that deserves a lot of analysis. When it comes to audio and digital signage, there always seems to be a fine line between what works and what does not. As you identified, employee fatigue is a huge issue.
While performing research on mall networks some time ago, I interviewed a few mall kiosk owners whose locations resided near digital screens with loud audio. They complained that the network content hadn’t been updated in months. It would be an under statement to say they were annoyed. They went so far as purchasing universal remotes and periodically turning the screens off all together.
While writing a recent article on the benefits states would realize in installing digital signage in DMV’s, I questioned whether or not such a network would have audio. Because of the computer testing performed in each location, I theorized that audio would likely be an issue. One concept I toyed around with in my mind was the creation of a smartphone application that would deliver real-time audio based upon a link with a location’s digital signage network – the iPhone’s new software update affords communication between a user’s phone and an external device (or creating a system similar to an Internet radio channel).
In some transit networks people tap into a digital sign’s audio feed by navigating to an FM radio channel. In my opinion, there is no way that could ever be a viable, long-term solution. The irony is that outdated technology is being used to facilitate audio on an emerging media platform.
I think significant potential lies in the improvement of directional audio systems, as well as the creation of applications linking a person’s smartphone, ipod, etc. to a digital signage network’s audio feed.
6.
justoutofhome | March 27, 2009 at 3:59 pm
David!
How are ya? Yes a Very “fine line” with this stuff. That Mall case is just Not right. That is where content goes away from being relevant to intrusive real quick. “Months” is very disturbing.. I think you got some there in terms of tying in mobile and
“on-demand” actually. Lesson is, obviously there is room to grow on this front in terms of tech and strategy.
Have a great weekend!
7. How To Hear With Your Eyes « Experiate | March 31, 2009 at 9:05 pm
[...] at Just Out-of-Home recently posted an article about audio on OOH content, and I applaud his post because he is correct: This is one of those topics of OOH that seems to be [...]
8.
Dan Reus | April 3, 2009 at 1:57 pm
The nature of audio in the OOH space is that it is rarely desired by the intended audience – they’re in a place where they already have their own agenda. People can carry on with their business with a lot of competing visual information without a problem. The same is not true of audio – there is limited human capability to handle multiple concurrent audio events.
The step from a marketer being perceived as offering something interesting with few strings attached (the current “no-audio” state) to being massively intrusive in the view of the audience is based on trust and respect. Lose that trust and watch the audiences turn on you and soon every message in that OOH space will be seen negatively.
We do a lot with DOOH in places like Times Square, shopping districts, an in restaurants and bars. We achieve great results without audio because we understand that telling a story in those spaces requires that talent. If we started forcing audio into those places to suit our clients’ needs, it would undo all we’ve done to make DOOH relevant in the audience’s day.
Who wants that?
9. Experiate » How To Hear With Your Eyes | May 31, 2009 at 7:26 am
[...] at Just Out-of-Home recently posted an article about audio on OOH content, and I applaud his post because he is correct: This is one of those topics of OOH that seems to be [...]
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[...] of Home sector probably since the advent of it. This issue was even discussed here previously in the “Bring on the Noise!” post, where Paul Flanigan of Experiate.net wrote a excellent reply in his post on this issue [...]