Hotels, individual retailers, malls and many other venues where digital signs are often found share a common characteristic: changing demographics and/or desires of customers throughout the day. Savvy marketers can take advantage of the ease with which digital signage messaging can be changed and scheduled to tailor messages to these different demographic groups that wander by their signs throughout the day.

The concept is known as "day parting," something that TV programmers have been doing for decades. This valuable tool has only recently become available to out-of-home marketing and advertising professionals as the tools to change messaging based on the time of day have become available.

Perhaps an example best illustrates the concept behind dayparting. Imagine the lobby of busy hotel catering to business travelers. Near the elevator a digital sign keeps guests informed of hotel amenities and services. A smart marketer has seized the opportunity to daypart messaging on sign by enticing early morning elevator users of the current breakfast menu. As the day progresses to the time business people leave for their appointments, the sign reminds them that office supplies are available from the hotel business center. As lunch arrives messages promoting the hotel restaurant's buffet are interspersed with digital signage pages promoting hotel amenities. As evening approaches, the messaging changes to promote a duet promoting in the hotel lounge. Dayparting can be used in a similar way in a retail store to appeal to different groups of shoppers who peruse the aisles at different times of day.

Digital signage opens up this approach to marketers. Before digital signage, changing messages throughout the day was inelegant at best and impractical at worst. Printed placards and signs -prone to tatters and tears- would have to physically be swapped out several times a day to accomplish the same sort of result.

Fortunately, professional digital signage systems like Keywest Technology's MediaZone make it easy to daypart messaging. Powerful, yet easy-to-use message building and scheduling software allows marketers to tap into the power of this exciting approach to out-of-home marketing and advertising.

As always, if we can be of any assistance with any of your other digital signage needs, simply email us or click on the Ask an Expert button to the right or call 800-331-2019. We'll be happy to help.