Selling ad time on your screens: requirements and routes

A screen at the entrance, the till or the waiting area shows its own content, but rarely around the clock. The remaining time can be sold to third parties: local businesses, brands, event organisers. Whether that pays off depends less on the sale than on the preparation.

Requirements

A describable audience. An advertiser wants to know where the screens hang and who passes by. A site description with location, type of place, dwell time and typical visiting hours is enough to begin with. Figures without a source do not belong in it.

Loop planning. Advertising runs in a loop alongside your own content. You have to decide how much of the loop is sold, how long a spot is and how many spots fit.

Filler content. If an ad slot is not booked, no black screen may appear. Your own content fills the gap and gives way when a booking comes in.

Technical connection. The playback system must schedule booked spots on time and be able to report playback. Both are prerequisites for invoicing.

Three routes

• Sell it yourself. Customers come from your own surroundings, such as local businesses. This gives direct contact and full control, but costs time for quotes, coordination and invoicing.
• Through a sales house. It brings clients and takes over sales and often the handling. In return you give up the client relationship and part of the revenue. Before agreeing, look at contract term, exclusivity and reporting.
• Through a marketplace. Sites are listed and booked by advertisers, partly automatically. This lowers the effort per booking and calls for clean site descriptions.

The routes can be combined as long as it stays clear which time is sold where.

What advertisers need

• a price list or a clear offer stating how billing works
• a record that the spot ran
• format specifications: aspect ratio, resolution, length, file type, whether sound plays
• approval of the creatives before launch, so that nothing unsuitable appears
• a contact person for changes and complaints

This includes a statement of which sectors are not advertised. That protects brand and site.

Legal guardrails

In general terms only: some products are subject to advertising bans or restrictions, such as tobacco, gambling or medicinal products. At the site, protection of minors can play a role, for example near schools, playgrounds or leisure facilities. Further requirements may come from the landlord, the municipality and, where cameras are involved, data protection. The operator checks creatives before they run and records the approval.

Checklist before the first sale

• a site description exists for each group of screens
• the sellable time per loop is fixed
• filler content is available and checked
• playback is reported and a record can be retrieved
• format specifications, price list and exclusion list are in place
• an approval route for creatives is named
• a contract or template covers term, cancellation and liability

This magazine is published by Kapaso GmbH, which develops software for such screens. The article describes general practice and refers to no product. This article is not legal advice.