News

Study: Shoppers in larger malls respond better to digital signage

January 5, 2011

London — Shoppers respond better to digital advertising in larger malls because they are consistently happier and more engaged, according to the second wave of the digital malls study from lifestyle and environments network Kinetic Worldwide and Clear Channel Outdoor.

The latest installment of face-tracking research into consumer moods and engagement was conducted at Westfield Merry Hill, West Midlands - a huge retail and leisure destination ranked in the top five malls nationally in the U.K. The research adds to an earlier study in January 2010, which was conducted in Westfield Royal Victoria Place, Tunbridge Wells – a smaller mall in a commuter town.

The newer study showed that young people (ages 16-24) were found to engage with ads for longer than older shoppers, particularly if they felt an affinity for the brand.

Meanwhile, digital advertisements for youth brands were looked at for more than twice as long as untargeted ads. In general, the public was happier and more engaged in the larger mall regardless of time of day or day of week.

Face-tracking technology from Germany's Fraunhofer Institute – inventors of the MP3 audio format – was employed over seven days on a Clear Channel digital screen to capture shoppers' expressions or moods and contact duration, as well as their gender and approximate age. The camera was also able to detect recurring views, recording multiple viewings by the same person.

The duration and quality of people's engagement is linked to the size and breadth of offering within the mall. The initial study showed engagement levels differed significantly at the weekend to the week, and toward the end of the day. However, in the larger mall people were in a consistent mindset throughout their visit, remaining engaged all day and during both the week and weekend.

The research found that contact duration and mood states differed by age and gender, but recorded that younger people looked for longest and, perhaps unsurprisingly, women were generally happier than men in the malls.

Younger shoppers looked at the digital ads for 5.8 seconds on average, 2.6 seconds longer than the next nearest age group, 35-44s. The overall average across all age groups was more than six times the Postar definition of conscious engagement.

The camera detected different levels of happiness and net "feel-good factor," which was highest among 16-24s and when shoppers were viewing the ads for H&M and BlackBerry Messenger, suggesting an emotional connection is important in driving mood.

The research also revealed that the presence of animation offers a clear impact benefit. However, full video is slightly less effective than the dynamic images now being widely used by advertisers.

"By repeating this ground-breaking face-tracking technology in a larger destination mall we have discovered a consistency in mood and engagement levels that is invaluable knowledge for advertisers," Nick Mawditt, global director of marketing and insight at Kinetic, said in a press release. "Once people are inside the mall they are in a positive mindset which they remain in throughout the duration of their stay in that environment."