Theme parks come in all shapes and sizes with a wide variety of rides, attractions, activities, and events. With so much going on and a flow of customers to satisfy, clear and efficient marketing and communication are vital. Digital signage for theme parks is a reliable solution to providing an exceptional customer experience and ensuring recommendations and returns.
Theme parks have numerous obstacles to efficient communication, such as complex routes through the park and weather reliance. This blog highlights how digital signage for theme parks can overcome these obstacles and enhance the customer experience.
1. Improve Navigation with Digital Wayfinding
Anyone who has ever been to a theme park understands the feeling of getting lost, not knowing where the toilets are, where the next best ride is, where the doughnut stand is, or even where the exit is! As a result, with some UK theme parks being over 200 hectares large, there must be an easy-to-use system to assist with efficient navigation.
One form of digital signage for theme parks is digital wayfinding. Install freestanding digital kiosks around your theme park or digital screens on walls and buildings as a hardware platform for this innovative wayfinding method. These screens use touchscreen functionality to allow visitors to select where they are and need to go with no fuss or confusion.
The screens also have the capabilities to display animations to engage younger audiences. For example, if there is an on-site zoo, an animated monkey could drop down on-screen with the dialogue, “the monkey feeding show at monkey HQ”, providing guests with necessary yet fun directions on where to go. The possibilities are near endless, boosting the customer experience.
2. Advertising Promotions on Digital Signage for Theme Parks
Theme parks are action-packed. With so many things to do and see, there is simply not enough room to stick a poster up for every promotion going on, whether you are promoting a new rollercoaster or a new pop-up food stand. Besides, masses of print posters can make a park look cluttered and messy. With poster replacement being a manual and time-consuming task, this visual chaos becomes prevalent when print posters become weather-worn or outdated.
To overcome the limitations of static posters, employ digital signage for theme parks. Place digital screens throughout your park to display promotional content neatly and attractively. Promotional content for different stalls, eateries, rides, products, services, and more can be placed on a playlist, delivering various content on rotation. Moreover, the ability to schedule content means that specific promotions can go live when necessary, for example, a new ride opening or specific lunchtime deals.
When it comes to digital signage versus print posters, the former not only looks better but is far more effective. Electronic screens capture attention and provide the opportunity to display multimedia content to turn heads. For example, when displaying promotions for fast track passes, design an animated rollercoaster to rush past the screen, showing how fun the ride is before presenting the cost. In addition, the effectiveness of digital signage makes it a key attraction for external sponsors wanting to reach their target audiences, for example, families visiting theme parks. For more information on how a digital signage network could generate an additional revenue stream, check out our detailed sponsorship guide.
3. Cut Down Paper Usage and Help Save the Environment
Forests are becoming increasingly barren due to deforestation. According to the World Bank, between 1990 and 2016, the world lost 1.3 million square kilometres of forests (an area larger than South Africa), causing a knock-on effect on our climate. We now have just 12 years to limit climate change catastrophe. As a result, we must make changes to be greener and save trees.
A massive contributor to paper waste is the continuous use and replacement of paper posters. Theme parks are likely to have 100s or even 1000s of poster points dotted around. All these posters need to be updated and changed frequently. In comparison, just one digital screen drastically cuts down paper usage, boosting the eco-friendliness of the theme park. These steps to combat the climate crisis can increase footfall; many guests are drawn to businesses actively doing good for the environment.
From a usage perspective, the ability to remotely update digital signage for theme parks makes park operations smoother, removing the need for staff to walk around the park and replace posters.
4. Enhance Health and Safety Communication with Digital Signage for Theme Parks
Digital signage for theme parks is a vital method of communication when it comes to health and safety. Rather than relying on staff to manually spread the word, control multiple digital signage screens from one central location and display emergency messages across every screen in the park with the click of a button. This efficiency is critical for acting quickly and saving lives.
Emergency messages could vary from a site fire to a ride closure due to an engineering malfunction or urgent cleaning (because someone braved the site’s fastest rollercoaster straight after a heavy lunch). With screens dotted around the theme park, broadcast these health and safety messages widely to inform customers that they should avoid a particular queue or attraction, ensuring their day runs smoothly.
The ease with which content can be updated on-screen is notably valuable for theme parks with zoos. For example, if an animal has escaped or someone has called a vet to the scene, use digital signage for theme parks to alert guests quickly and efficiently on where to avoid or go.
Additionally, in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been a renewed focus on hygiene, alongside mask-wearing and social distancing. Whilst official rules may have relaxed, there are many people still wary. Digital signage provides an easy method to communicate hygiene reminders, as well as rule changes. The on-screen content can be changed immediately or scheduled to display for a particular day, for example, following a new government announcement.
5. Improve Customer Experience With Live Weather Updates
Ultimately, the weather can be the most critical factor in determining a successful theme park trip. While digital signage software cannot change the weather, it can help your guests prepare for it! There is nothing worse than joining a 2-hour queue and halfway through the heavens open. Guests are then stuck, unprepared and soaked.
Resolve this problem with digital screens; show live weather updates and let guests know how long it is until expected rain. If it is going to rain soon, the digital screen can direct guests to shelter or where they can buy ponchos, raincoats, and umbrellas. Digital signage can also display live wait times for rides, working hand-in-hand with weather updates. These updates are helpful for the guests planning their day and digital signage can reduce perceived wait time by as much as 35 percent, improving the guest experience.
6. Boost the Atmosphere with Multimedia Digital Signage for Theme Parks
Making your theme park stand out and providing an atmosphere and experience your guests will never forget is the key to a successful theme park. This effort improves the chances of return and recommendation. While props, structures, posters, lights, and more can help this, digital signage for theme parks is an incomparable form of décor.
Display immersive graphics, themed content, animation, bright colours, promotional videos, and more with the multimedia capabilities of digital signage. This content could include animations and videos of pirates near the log flume or horror animation near the ghost train. Rather than static forms of decoration, digital signage brings the scene to life, creating a niche experience for guests.
Placing this signage in queuing areas also distracts customers, helping the line psychologically move faster and improving their overall experience.
7. Improve Revenue With Digital Menus
Revamp your theme park with smart and eye-catching digital menu boards. Whether your theme park has food stalls, a food court, a restaurant, or even a bar, replace dull and static posters with large digital menu boards that can be seen and read from the front to the back of the queue. These screens will boost sales and increase revenue for your club.
The high-brightness of these screens means that even noncommittal passers-by will have their heads turned and be potentially convinced to purchase food or drink. Display enticing and colour-vibrant imagery and video to further help products stand out. In particular, schedule lunchtime deals or limited-time-only promotions to help encourage purchases amongst theme park guests. Research has found that two-thirds of customers have made a purchase they were not originally planning to make because they found a coupon or discount.
The ability to change displayed content through a central location with the click of a button will also enable menu updates or one-off deals to appear on-screen immediately. For example, if food goes out of stock on busy days. This ease in content control saves time for staff and customers.
Use digital signage for theme parks in a variety of ways to increase customer satisfaction and add to the magic they experience on the day. From digital screens that attractively promote products and events to standing digital kiosks that will help guest navigation, digital signage for theme parks is a worthy investment.
If you have any questions related to digital signage for theme parks, speak to an expert today. Call our friendly team on 02380 981110 or Email info@troudigital.com for a no-obligation consultation. Alternatively, click the button below.
