Walk into any supermarket. Something is playing. Something is flickering on the screens. But if you ask yourself — what exactly was playing and what was on the screen — there probably won’t be an answer. Just background. Just images. The brain learned to filter this out about ten years ago.

This is not a problem with the formats. Audio works. Screens work. The problem is that they are almost never brought together into one system. They live in parallel, each on its own. And as a result, the business pays for two channels and gets zero synergy.

Why two channels is not automatically twice as good

Imagine: on the screen — a coffee promotion. At that same moment over the speakers — a yoghurt advertisement. A person stands between two messages that have nothing connecting them. Neither one “lands.”

Or another scenario: both the audio and the screen are saying the same thing — word for word. That’s not amplification either. That’s repetition. The brain treats repetition as noise and switches off.

Audiovisual integration is not about shouting louder. It’s about dividing roles. Audio does one thing. The screen does another. Together they guide a person from attention to action.

Here’s the simple logic: sound attracts attention and sets the mood. The screen clarifies, shows details, anchors the offer. Sound can remind. The screen — confirm. When this works in sync — the contact with the customer becomes noticeably stronger.

What happens in retail without a system

A typical picture for a chain store: there’s background music on a subscription, there are screens with supplier advertising, there’s some local content that gets updated once a month. All of this exists separately. Nobody touches the music for years. The screens are updated by the marketing manager when they get around to it.

Digital signage in retail in this state is just an expensive poster. It’s there, but it changes nothing. Audio in this state is a radio that nobody listens to.

Now imagine both channels living according to a single scenario. Morning — an upbeat rhythm, short messages about breakfast items, screens showing the coffee corner and fresh pastries. Lunchtime — the pace slows, the focus shifts to ready meals and lunch combos. Evening — calmer music, screens reminding about last-hour discounts.

This is not a fantasy. This is a scenario that can be set up once and launched across the entire chain.

And one more detail — this approach doesn’t require sitting down every day and manually changing content. The matrix is written out in advance. The system switches on its own. The marketing manager works on strategy, not routine.

Audio + screens: what the research shows

According to MRC Data (Nielsen Music) — 72.6% of shoppers notice background music in a store. Almost three quarters. But “noticed” is not “bought more.”

Then it gets more interesting. Research published in the Journal of Marketing showed that a slower music tempo increased sales in supermarkets by 38%. Not through advertising. Simply because people walked more slowly — and picked up more. Tempo was the deciding factor.

Now screens. Retail TouchPoints reports that retailers with digital signage see an average of +32% in sales. And one more point — queues. Perceived waiting time drops by 36% when there is content on the screen. A person looks — and doesn’t feel like they’re waiting.

Now imagine: music tuned to the time of day, the screen showing what is relevant right now. Not separately — together. These numbers don’t simply add up. They amplify each other.

HoReCa: where atmosphere is the product

In cafés and restaurants, audio design is not background. It’s part of the experience. People return to places where they feel good. And “feeling good” is not just food. It’s lighting, temperature, music, the pace of service.

Here, creating atmosphere in business is literally a competitive advantage. Two coffee shops with the same menu and the same prices. In one, something nondescript from YouTube is playing. In the other — a curated playlist tuned to the time of day, and on the screen above the bar — seasonal drinks and the dessert of the day. Where will the customer come back?

But here too there is a mistake that is made often. Screens in HoReCa start to be used as advertising billboards — lots of text, bright banners, promotions. This breaks the atmosphere. The person came to relax, and they’re being sold to again.

Digital signage in HoReCa should be unobtrusive. Dynamic content and video content — beautiful food videos, short announcements, minimal text. Audio sets the mood. The screen complements it visually. It doesn’t sell — it shows.

Impulse purchases in a café are not the result of aggressive advertising. They are the result of the right moment: the person is already relaxed, they see an appetising dessert video, they hear calm music. And they order something else. Without pressure.

Shopping centres: a more complex game

A shopping centre is not a single location. It’s dozens of tenants, several zones, different traffic at different times. Here audio and screens solve different tasks.

Media facades for shopping centres are about navigation, events, announcements. A person walks in and immediately understands: what is where, what’s happening today, where to go. Audio here plays the role of a soft guide — it doesn’t shout, it suggests.

But inside a shopping centre there are also separate zones: the food court, the entertainment zone, anchor stores. Each zone has its own scenario. The food court during the day — one thing. That same food court on a Friday evening — something entirely different.

A centralised video management system allows this to be set up once and not thought about every day. A manager launches a campaign — and it rolls out on the right screens at the right time. Without manual intervention at each location.

The same with audio: a centralised audio management system makes it possible to manage playlists, volume, and advertising inserts across the entire venue from one place. This saves time and eliminates the chaos where one wing of the shopping centre is playing one thing and the other wing something completely different.

Real time — an underrated advantage

One scenario that is rarely talked about: reacting to events right now.

The temperature outside has suddenly dropped. A clothing store can change the content on its screens within minutes — showing jackets and thermal underwear. And simultaneously launch an audio message: “Discounts on outerwear today.”

Or: there’s a queue at the checkout. Instead of people getting anxious — the screen shows useful content, the audio plays something calm. Tension decreases. The experience is better. A person who waited without frustration will spend more than one who was irritated for five minutes.

Real-time advertising campaigns are not about large budgets. They’re about flexibility. Real-time content management allows you to react to the weather, time of day, stock levels, local events. Without delays, without approvals three weeks in advance.

Personalised content for customers in this format means a person sees and hears what is relevant right now, in this specific place. Not yesterday’s promotion. Not last year’s banner.

How not to do it

A few mistakes that come up most often.

The first — duplication. Audio and screen say the same thing. Word for word. This is not amplification — it’s irritation.

The second — desynchronisation. The screen already has a new promotion, the audio still has the old one. The customer hears one thing, sees another. Trust drops.

The third — one scenario for the entire day. Morning and evening are different audiences, different moods, different needs. The same content around the clock is like wearing the same outfit to the beach and to a business meeting.

The fourth — ignoring zones. Advertising screens near the entrance and advertising screens near the checkout have different tasks. The entrance — to generate interest. The checkout — to nudge toward an additional purchase. Increasing average customer spend happens right here, at the checkout — if the content is right.

The fifth — absence of analytics. Digital advertising analytics shows which videos generate a response and which don’t. Without this it’s impossible to understand whether the system is working at all.

The sixth — and perhaps the quietest mistake — not checking what the customer actually hears. Volume levels, sound quality in different zones, dead spots where audio can’t be heard — all of this affects the experience. Poor sound ruins even good content. A person won’t remember a message they barely made out through the noise of the refrigerators.

Where to start

Not with equipment. Not with content. With a question: what should the customer do after they see and hear?

If there’s no answer — the system won’t work regardless of the budget.

Next — break the space into zones and define a scenario for each. Entrance, checkout, waiting area, category shelf — each zone has its own task and its own content.

Then — put together a matrix by time of day. Morning, lunchtime, evening, weekends. Audio and screens should live on a single schedule.

And finally — centralised management. Managing digital signage content from a single interface is not a luxury for large chains. It’s a condition without which the system quickly turns into chaos. Especially if there is more than one location.

Interactive digital advertising, synchronised scenarios, flexible management — all of this is accessible without enormous budgets, if there is the right platform and a clear plan.

What you get as a result

Audio and screens — two channels that most businesses use separately. And both — below their potential.

When they work together according to a single logic — everything changes. The atmosphere becomes manageable. Communication becomes precise. The customer doesn’t just see advertising — they receive an experience that leads them to the desired action.

Digital out-of-home has long ceased to be just a billboard on the street. Inside a point of sale it is a complete environment — where every sound and every frame on the screen either works for the business, or simply takes up space. There is no third option.

This is not about technology. It’s about the scenario. Technology is only the tool.