After the TV screen, computer screen, and mobile screen, the battle for attention on the fourth screen is at the forefront of advertising. The fourth screen gives businesses the opportunity to advertise to a receptive audience who has the willingness to engage. However, who’s to say that place based advertising really works?

Research has shown that people are exposed to about 5000 ads per day. At the end of the day if you ask anyone to list some of the ads they have seen, I bet they will have a hard time coming up with anything more than 5-10 ads. The few ads that people do recall tend to be the ones that really stick out and are able to differentiate themselves from the clutter.

How do you get your ad to stand out from the other 4999? Deliver it on a platform where people have the opportunity and willingness to engage. This is where digital signage comes into play. With current technology, digital signage displays can deliver engaging content that is bound to grab the viewers’ attention. Whether it’s an RSS feed, a social media stream, live TV, or even 3D, digital signage can get audience engagement much easier than traditional print signage.

In terms of reach, a recent study by Arbitron showed that 181 million people in the US had seen a digital display within the past month and 135 million had seen one within the past week. This is a bigger audience reach than any other form of new media advertising. Also, it is a medium that people are willing to engage.

The study concluded that 47 percent of those who saw an ad on a digital display recalled the ad later. That translates to almost 1 out of every two people who recalled an ad they saw on a digital display. Another figure that stood out from the study was the fact that 19 percent, or 1 out of every 5 people, made an unplanned purchase after seeing a featured item on digital display. The study was done across a wide demographic and its significant sample size makes the numbers that much more reliable.

The fourth screen presents businesses the opportunity to significantly boost sales by featuring strategic ads in locations where those ads will be most successful. With 75 percent of purchase decisions being made inside the store, it is important to use digital signage to engage with your audience at the most opportune time.

Clearly there are figures to back up the claim that digital signage works. Not only does this medium provide a cost efficient platform by which to deliver your content, but it also serves it up in a form that people are willing to engage.