If you’ve been to the mall in the last few years you may have noticed that some things have changed quite drastically. Of course, the pandemic impacted the trajectory of tons of change in all industries across the economy, but in-person-shopping was one of the major ones. However, technology has also played a significant role in the development and evolution of the in-person shopping experience. For example, the integration of smart or digital kiosks has come with some major implications.
Kiosks aren’t necessarily new to the shopping experience. In early days, a kiosk might contain a map detailing the layout of the shopping center, along with some other important, but stagnant information. Today’s kiosks still contain pertinent information to the shopper, but they also allow for a lot more interaction, consumer engagement, and even advertising opportunities.
Kiosk advertising is a relatively new-aged marketing strategy that comes with a powerful impact if utilized properly. Below are some of the major advantages of integrating kiosk advertising into your overall marketing and advertising strategy.
1. Strategic Placement
One of the first benefits to acknowledge about kiosk advertising is the strategic placement that automatically comes with. Kiosks are typically placed in areas that experience high levels of foot-traffic. This is because of the pertinent information that they offer to consumers, shoppers, and anyone else who happens to pass by.
With so much regular foot traffic, advertisements placed on a kiosk will also generate an equal number of impressions. This is especially the case with immediately accessible advertising. In other words, an advertisement on a kiosk for something that’s happening on the other side of the city, or in another state altogether might be relatively unsuccessful.
Compare this, on the other hand, to a kiosk advertisement for a pastry-shop-and-bakery around the corner, who may be able to capitalize on additional sales based on the immediate vicinity of the business and its advertising placement.
With the pandemic finally starting to float into the rearview mirror and the return of in-person shopping and other services, now is a great time to start adding kiosk advertising into your marketing plan.
2. Interactive and Engaging
Kiosk advertising can also be quite interactive and engaging if it’s designed for that purpose. Made possible by digital kiosks that are equipped with touch screens and other high-tech features, businesses can catch the attention of a consumer much more easily. Not only this, but an interactive or engaging advertisement can retain that consumer’s attention for a lot longer than a stagnant piece of advertising with a logo.
Consumer engagement is a major discussion topic in today’s world of marketing and advertising because it correlates so heavily with repeat business and continued sales. Not only that, but the more engaged consumers are with a brand, the more likely they’ll be to suggest it to their friends and families, which grows the business even further.
3. Provide Local Opportunities
As mentioned above, one of the biggest advantages that kiosk marketing brings to the table is that it can spark local opportunities between consumers and businesses. By placing marketing material on a digital kiosk in a local shopping center, you can attract more foot traffic and expand your reputation among the local community.
Having a dedicated base of local fans and customers will make it easier for your business to sustain operations over a longer period of time.
4. Multi-Functional
Kiosks are also multi-functional which is another benefit to the businesses and organizations using them as advertising platforms. If digital kiosks were only designed to be a stage for marketing and advertising, consumers would almost undoubtedly ignore them completely.
However, because kiosks often offer information that consumers and shoppers are looking for, it brings consumers straight to the marketing material.
5. Affordable
Finally, digital kiosk advertising is relatively affordable when compared to other forms of out-of-home marketing. Billboards and digital billboards, for example, are much more expensive advertising campaigns to fund. This is mainly because of the size and scale of billboards vs. the size and scale of a digital kiosk.
Billboards are much larger and can be seen from miles away, whereas kiosks offer a much smaller marketing space, but one that is also much more interactive and engaging. All-in-all this drives the price of kiosk advertising down, while it remains a powerful and effective marketing strategy.
A few Final Thoughts on Kiosk Advertising
There are a lot of benefits to utilizing kiosk advertising in your overall marketing strategy. From increasing consumer engagement through interactive digital advertising, to the strategic placement of kiosks in the first place, kiosk advertising can greatly increase local sales, and help any brand establish themselves amongst a local community.