In-Store Overhead Messaging | Best Practices to Understand

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Key Research on In-Store Overhead Messaging

Why should you market your own brand in your own store? This may seem counterintuitive. You’ve already drawn a shopper into your store, and you’ve done a lot to make sure they enjoy the experience. However, in-store messages can do a lot.

Consider these statistics from the National Frozen and Refrigerated Food Association:

When shopping, close to half of all customers go directly to the sections they know.
Special offers and discounts are the top motivator for purchasing things like frozen foods.
Recommendations are responsible for 28% of frozen food purchases.
Customers are interested in displays that can inspire them to try new items.
Discounts are responsible for 29% of dairy purchases.

This research suggests customers tend to shop for things they know in aisles they’re familiar with. However, they’re ready to hear about deals and get inspired about their purchases.

Several approaches to in-store messages exist, and researchers broke down the types into a few categories in 2023:

Static and informational: These messages provide required information. You might tell customers about prices, sustainability, or how a product is made.
Static and inspirational: These messages can inspire a customer to purchase a product or service.
Dynamic and informational: These messages change often, and they engage customers and increase their involvement in a product.
Dynamic and inspirational: These messages also change often, and they help to create a more interesting environment.

The researchers suggest that using ads in all quadrants can provide the best experience for customers.

Best Practices for Effective Overhead Messaging

Planning is an important part of any overhead messaging strategy. The following tips and strategies may help you as you get started.

Know Your Customer & Timing

Your marketing plan should form the basis of your in-store messaging program. Unfortunately, close to 70% of businesses don’t have one. If you’re one of them, you’ll need to dig deep.

Talk to your customers about what they like about your store and what they want to hear. Ask your staff members to do the same. Then, determine when customers tend to congregate in your store. These data sets can help to inform your plan.

Keep Messaging Short & Relevant

Research suggests that 89% of customers pay attention to in-store advertising. If your messages are off-topic, they will notice. And if you drone on for too long, they will tune you out.

Share vital information only, and focus tightly on just one topic. Remember that you can share longer bits of information in other formats, such as a blog or an email marketing blast.

Balance Music & Messaging

Talking too much about your products and services can wear out your customers. Experts call this “ad fatigue,” and they say it’s on the rise. More than 60% of adults say they’re less likely to buy a product when they’ve heard it advertised too often.

Remember to play more music than advertising. Your customers should hear mostly songs when they visit. Similarly, mix up the messages, so they don’t hear the same advertisement more than once while they’re in your store.

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Quality & Volume

Loud and pulsing music can create a party-like atmosphere in your store. However, researchers say it can keep some customers from making purchase decisions. They’re paralyzed by the music instead.

Ensure that your music and messages are loud enough to hear, but not so loud that they’re overwhelming to your customers. The sounds should be crisp and clear, even at moderate volume.

Update Frequently

Repeat customers expect new messages on their subsequent visits. If you repeat the same advertisements, you can expose yourself to the deadly ad fatigue we discussed previously.

Updating your ads often also allows you to highlight new products, services, and sales. A regular update schedule can ensure you keep things fresh.

Use Data & Customer Feedback

Once your messaging program has been launched and running, ask your customers how it’s working. Customer surveys are proven to increase sales. They can also help you to fix things that aren’t working.

Data points like sales frequency can also help you pinpoint ads that are (or are not) working. For example, if you launch an ad about a new snack cake and don’t see the profits increase, you may need to adjust the ad to increase your profits.

How Pandora CloudCover Can Help

At Pandora CloudCover, we create an ideal overhead messaging solution for businesses of all types and sizes.

Sign up, and you can tap into stations curated by musicologists. Mix in your messages with the songs, allowing you to entertain and inform your customers at the same time.

Use our platform to schedule your music and advertisements in advance. Control your messaging remotely from anywhere at any time, simplifying the management process for you.

If you’re not sure what to say in your messages, we can help! We can help you create professional messages that speak to your customer base and clientele.

Experiment for yourself! We offer a free 14-day trial with no credit card required. Sign up today. Terms and conditions apply.