By Mark Mantha and Bill Horst
The 66-m (217-ft) lightbox installed in the underground PATH in Toronto fulfils dual objectives of illuminating the entire space and working as an incredibly effective messaging medium and advertising option.
The importance of illumination in the new world (post-COVID) cannot be understated. More than ever, an emotional connection with the consumer in-store will be paramount. From an over-arching perspective any environment will now be morphing as to what consumer engagement looks like—what mechanisms drive relevant behaviour at the “moment of truth” in-store.
To break through the clutter and integrate in a fast-paced digital future, lighting/light boxes can have a dramatic and lasting impact and be extremely cost effective as corporate purse strings and budgets are tightened.
Drawn to the light
Like any creature, we are drawn to light. It is inviting, intriguing, warm, and makes people feel better. Brands should be that beacon drawing in consumers. Lighting sets the stage for the store and can highlight areas where one wants the traffic to flow (or not). Lightboxes can solve two problems—highlighting key brand and product messaging and enhancing (or augmenting) ambient store lighting.
A recent article in MarketWatch suggests online pricing will be more expensive than on premise post-pandemic. Will people be paying a premium for convenience online? As a result, bricks and mortar retail will once again be re-inventing itself. Does the new shopping environment befriend the consumer, speak to them, make them feel appreciated and welcomed, let alone address their needs?
Done correctly, the masses will flock back to ‘the store’ as people are social creatures and (price points notwithstanding) will only do so much online where convenient. So, what does the magic formula look like to create and enhance the shopping experience?
No doubt in-store digital signage will ‘pop’ going forward, with updated applications to include touchless screens (mobile interaction), wayfinding, and social distancing messaging. This lends itself to the consumer being on guard and prepped for direction and brand engagement. Keeping it simple with lightboxes can ensure signage about safety and direction does not drown out brand messaging.
