Jumping in and using channels without thinking about the business results

How, when, where and with whom to use large screen communications?

I've had the pleasure of working with (and being trained by) one of the best internal communication trainers in the business so wanted to get her expert take on digital signage. Information below is also taken from conversations with internal communication professionals around their use of the channel.

My question: How effective is the channel? Our internal communications trainer said:

"It would be interesting to look at the impact – you’ll remember that my big bug bear is that people jump straight to channels because they like the look of them, without thinking about the business results they aim to achieve, or what they might be particularly good for. So from a study, I would be interested in recommendations not simply about ‘why plasma screens etc. are a good thing’, but actually about how, when, where and with whom people can use them most effectively to support business results. Keep me posted with what you do on this one – I’d be interested to hear."

Following on from that, here's what internal communicators weighed in with when asked how they use their large screen communication channel.

How/what?

Content has to be spot on, especially the visuals, local content mixed with cross regional messages, promotional messages/adverts for visitors, operational messages, corporate content, as part of the bigger comms mix, showing commercials to staff, at-a-glance communications channel which reinforces comms messages and triggers a follow up action, business unit announcements, town halls...

When?

Alerting employees to an event, when bite sized messaging is needed, for IT security campaigns, health and safety messages, when people are not doing much else (e.g. waiting or on lunch), highlighting external campaigns before they hit the market...

Where?

Coffee bar, restaurant/canteen, reception, lifts (inside and outside), best screens are sited in sign-in, rest areas (where staff are likely to linger and catch more of the information), factories, contact centres...

Whom?

Company visitors (reception screen), employees in rest areas, manufacturing/factory staff, employees who can't access electronic channels during work times, e.g. contact centres agents...

Digital signage is a versatile channel that can really stand out and get attention when it's used correctly. Maybe it's time for that channel audit...

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