Things are a changin’ at Port Columbus International Airport. The airport recently wrapped up an $80 million terminal update. Part of the project to renovate the 55-year-old terminal included infrastructure upgrades to support new digital signage.
The planned digital signage upgrade includes two new large format screen installations in the central ticket lobby, designed to provide a platform for flight information, general airport information, marketing, community promotion, and paid advertising.
The new installations are the extension of an effort begun in 2010 when the airport completed the installation of a grid wall in its center ticket lobby. David Saleme, business development manager for the Columbus Regional Airport Authority, notes this installation has been very popular with advertisers and other users.
“We had the opportunity through the terminal upgrade to install two new signs,” says Saleme. “The center video wall, primarily targets anyone in the ticket lobby, but it is above the entrance to Concourse B. We have two other concourses entrances, A and C, with soffits above their entrances. Instead of going with a grid video wall system like in 2010, we selected a direct view, high-resolution LED. It is a large format seamless display that will include both advertising and flight information displays. On these new signs we will be able to provide passengers the information they need, provide a very good platform for advertisers, and other messaging.”
Saleme has been part of the digital signage project since it first appeared on the drawing board due to his management of the airport’s advertising program. Through this work, he was able to identify return of investment (ROI) and other benefits derived from digital signage.
Airport Business recently had the opportunity to tap into Saleme’s impressive digital signage resume, which includes membership in the Digital Signage Federation and sitting on the board of the Digital Signage Expo, to get some insight on what makes or breaks a digital signage installation.
What were your primary objectives with these projects?
We had several. First and foremost, we wanted to enhance the passenger experience. This install places very easy-to-locate flight information right where the passengers need that information.
The Concourse A and Concourse C flight information on each wall will be specific to the concourse. Passengers will not be able to miss this signage; they are going to be large scale; these walls are 44 feet wide by 14 feet tall. Each sign faces the center of the ticket lobby. When passengers are checking in and trying to get to the check point, they will be able to easily identify their destination concourse. The information is viewable from a significant distance, so their experience is greatly enhanced.
This signage will also provide a platform for very effective advertising in that location. The signage provides 100 percent exposure in a large digital format that is seen by all enplaning passengers coming through the terminal. It is effective advertising for third parties. There is also a significant amount of time in the video loop that can be utilized for other types of promotional messaging. We can promote airlines, concessions, parking as well as community messaging. All of this can be put up on this display.
What kind of ROI can an airport expect in terms of advertising with this type of project?
In our case, we expect these signs to cost between $1.4 and $1.5 million total. We started with a budget of $1.9 million. The ROI was built off of the budget amount. We expect to come in significantly below our budget. We expect to have the signs paid for within seven years. With the signs having a life expectancy of 10 years, it provides us with a solid ROI and a significant profit off them as well.
Direct-view LEDs last longer than traditional LCDs. The LCDs out there are typically a small flight information display or a video wall created by grouping individual displays together. These typically have a lifespan of six to seven years, so you have to collect your ROI in a more accelerated fashion. But direct-view LEDs have a lifespan of over a hundred of thousands of hours.
You can get 10, 11 years out of these new video walls. We expect a payoff during the life of the sign, and then the benefit that comes from having it in place long-term.
How often do you update the information and what is the process to update?
Flight information displays are updated continually, but the other components update in waves. We may go for weeks without any updates, and then everybody wants their content updated on the same day. Some of it can be programmed in because the content management software allows us to program the content. If you want to recognize a passenger appreciation day, you can load the information and set a timer on when it goes up and goes down. You can pull ads down at certain times, directly from your desktop.
How do you determine what information you want in a digital signage system?
It is really designed for information that is going to be beneficial to the passenger. If it is advertising, the client will determine their message. But, if it is used for other information, say parking information, then you need to consider how to relate it to the passenger and the resulting message should sell the benefits of on-airport parking.
We've also had a lot of success in increasing revenues by promoting our in-terminal concessions. The messaging provides a platform to so identify our concepts, where they are located, and what each has to offer.
We utilize the Thanks Again loyalty program to support our concessions, so we frequently place ads throughout the terminal promoting the program. We have a high adoption rate of participation in Thanks Again at Port Columbus and part of that is because we utilize digital advertising to drive customers to use the program. The messaging helps passengers understand what the loyalty program does. For every dollar you spend at a concession in the airport you get airline miles. You park at the airport, you get airline miles. It really serves as a very timely reminder of a service that they can take advantage of while they are here.
How do you determine where you are putting these signs?
We tend to put signs where we think we can capture a passenger's attention. Baggage claim devices are valuable advertising locations because passengers who have checked their bags will be dwelling in front of baggage claim for a certain amount of time. The dwell time creates the value.
We also strategically place messaging in areas where passengers will be looking. Flight information displays are a prime location because we know that passengers coming into the terminal will be looking for flight information, so we have digital signage in very close proximity to these displays. We also try to interrupt their journey with these digital signs. For example, we've got digital signage on a down escalator soffit. When passengers are on the escalator they're captured for that moment in time, and Clear Channel Airports has advertising signage on those escalators.
What tips would you give for getting the advertising on this signage?
Find a good partner. We've been working with Clear Channel, and they have been incredibly successful at finding clients that will go on the video walls. They are the ones who actively go out, market and sell the time.
It also helps to have standard-sized signs available so that someone, who has created content or a message that might display at a local mall or an entertainment facility, can use that same message in the terminal without reformatting or redesigning.
How do airports decide what digital technology to use?
Planners should look at the life expectancy of the signs being considered, whether it is a standalone screen, an LCD screen or a direct-view LED. Direct-view LED signage tends to cost more because they are designed to work in a commercial environment where they may run for extended periods of time. However, these signs also have a much longer life expectancy. Once the signs are selected, do a strict return on an investment (ROI) analysis, as well as an ROO, or a Return on the Opportunity, analysis.
When considering ROI and ROO, don’t just look for the revenue generated from clients. Consider how you can maximize the opportunity to impact other factors in the airport environment. Customer service is as critical as is promoting concessions and other revenue opportunities in the terminal. Then, make sure to place the signage in the right location, and have a plan to maximize the return on the opportunity there as well.
For quality installation a competitive bid is an absolute must. With our current signage, the bid process produced a wide range of pricing. We were able to select the one that was under our budget but also met our needs from a quality standpoint. A strong competitive procurement process can help you find the right system for your environment.
What would be your top suggestions for a successful digital signage project?
Make sure you plan for beyond the initial install. Make sure the wall where you plan to place the sign benefits the passenger traffic you have in that location. The one element that is typically overlooked is the content that needs to go on the screen long-term; most projects we do in an airport have a very easily identifiable upfront cost. There may be some maintenance cost downstream over time, but with a direct view LED they should be minimal. In a digital signage install you really need to focus on content creation over the life of the sign, and how you are going to manage and spend for meaningful content.
With the digital install comes the need for content. Are you going to engage a marketing firm and have it designed? Are you going to look for some nontraditional ways to get content for the walls? We are exploring the idea of putting up our own Facebook feeds. These feeds can populate the wall and create a constantly changing source of content that doesn't have any significant additional costs. We know that is safe because we are the ones loading information on social media, so it should be able to be easily displayed in the terminal environment.
Should you look for ideas outside the aviation industry?
It is very important to look beyond the aviation industry for support with digital signs. Digital signage is a very mature industry outside of airports. I belong to the Digital Signage Federation and sit on the board of the Digital Signage Expo. Information on the upcoming annual conference can be found at www.digitalsignageexpo.net. We have been able to incorporate ideas from other industries into the airport environment in part because the information at this show provides a great opportunity to see what these other industries are doing. I would also suggest looking at other industry groups that participate in the conference to maximize the opportunity digital signage provides.
For example, museums have done a good job of using large format digital signs. Arenas do a good job of placing signs where people are going to be looking. Arena displays contain action and activity provide support messaging for the team as well as support paid advertising. Digital signs are everywhere, and they are trending to these large format high-resolution LED displays.
