ABSTRACT
The Pe suasi e Edge o Design: Con en
Expe ience as a Media o and Demog aphics
as Mode a o s o Pe suasion in DOOH
Ad e ising
P o Thé èse Roux
Depa men o Ma ke ing, Supply Chain & Spo Managemen
Tshwane Uni e si y o Technology,
h ps://o cid.o g/0000-0003-0820-1723
[email p o ec ed]
The Re ail and Ma ke ing Re iew
Volume 21, Issue 2, No embe 2025, Pages 106-124
Doi: h ps://doi.o g/10.5281/zenodo.17341624
Despi e he apid comme cial expansion o eme ging ma ke s, academic esea ch emains limi ed on how digi al
signage design and con en in luence pe suasion ac oss demog aphic g oups. This s udy examines he in e play
be ween signage design, con en expe ience, and consume demog aphics in con ibu ing o pe suasi e ou comes in
digi al ou -o -home e ail ad e ising. D awing on he S imulus–O ganism–Response amewo k, a s uc u ed su ey o
350 consume s in an upscale Sou h A ican mall was conduc ed o es a model in which signage design in luences
pe suasion bo h di ec ly and indi ec ly h ough con en expe ience. Resul s indica e ha design has a signi ican
p edic i e e ec on pe suasion, whe eas con en expe ience does no media e his ela ionship. Demog aphic ai s a e
ins umen al; income and gende mode a e se e al key ela ionships wi hin he model, sugges ing ha design and
con en a y by demog aphic p o ile. These indings highligh s a egic oppo uni ies o cus omising digi al media in
di e se and demog aphically segmen ed ma ke s. The s udy ad ances he unde s anding o digi al ou -o -home
e ec i eness in Sou h A ica, a con ex in which digi al signage is expanding apidly ye emains unde explo ed.
Simul aneously, he indings hold b oade ele ance as co e cogni i e and beha iou al mechanisms—especially hose
cap u ed by he bo om-up e sus op-down a en ion model—o e aluable insigh in o how signage design cap u es
a en ion and d i es pe suasion ac oss di e en global ma ke s. This s udy p o ides p ac ical ecommenda ions o
designing and implemen ing digi al signage, which unc ions e ec i ely bo h isually and psychologically wi hin eal-
wo ld e ail en i onmen s. I ad oca es o demog aphically in o med, s a egically designed signage ha aligns wi h how
shoppe s pe cei e, p ocess, and make pu chasing decisions.
Keywo ds: digi al ou -o -home ad e ising, media design, con en expe ience, consume demog aphics, pe suasion,
bo om-up e sus op-down a en ion, e ail ad e ising, eme ging ma ke s
107 The Re ail and Ma ke ing Re iew: Vol21 Issue 2 (2025) ISSN:2708-3209
1. INTRODUCTION
The expansion o he in e na ional Ou -o -Home (OOH) ad e ising sec o is p ima ily d i en by echnological
ad ancemen s and he accele a ed deploymen o digi al sc eens ac oss bo h de eloped and eme ging economies.
OOH media is de ined as “comme cially a ailable and physically en able asse s si ua ed ou side he home in bo h
public and comme cial places” (Wilson 2022, p. 279). To cla i y he concep ual scope, schola s o en de ine digi al
signage as loca ion-based ne wo ks ha deli e dynamic ad e ising and edi o ial con en wi hin indoo en i onmen s
(e.g., Bu ke 2009; Dennis e al. 2010, 2012; Wilson 2022). In con as , digi al ou -o -home (DOOH) media ex ends
beyond indoo spaces o include digi al sc eens in public and high- a ic a eas (e.g., Robe s 2018; Roux 2018; Taylo
2015). This s udy concep ualises digi al signage as a subse o DOOH media, ocusing on in e ac i e displays in
upscale e ail malls. These digi al sc eens deli e eal- ime, con ex -sensi i e con en , including ad e ising, news,
communi y upda es, and en e ainmen , and can be con igu ed o enhance consume engagemen h ough in e ac i i y
(Roux 2024).
Wi hin he b oade OOH ad e ising ca ego y, DOOH has eme ged as a signi ican a ea o global expansion
(G and iew Resea ch 2024), gaining inc eased isibili y in eme ging economies ac oss he A ican con inen (Mybu gh
and S ua 2019; S a is a 2024). Al hough DOOH has expe ienced apid comme cial g ow h, academic esea ch
emains limi ed, highligh ing a gap in knowledge o how di e se demog aphics in e sec wi h digi al signage, pa icula ly
in upscale mall en i onmen s (Dennis e al. 2010, 2012; Roux & Ma ee 2021; Roux e al. 2020). Consequen ly, he e
is a g owing need o esea ch in o con en - ele an ad e ising, as he e ec i eness o pe suasi e messaging depends
on i s imeliness and ele ance (Canguende-Valen im & Vale 2022; Po gie e & Roux 2024), as well as consume s’
abili y o cogni i ely p ocess DOOH ad e ising as i expands in o eme ging ma ke s (Wilson 2022).
While comme cial DOOH con inues o g ow, academic esea ch has ocused p edominan ly on consume
esponses o di e en con en o ma s wi hin e ail con ex s (Bae e al. 2016; Bu ke 2009; Dennis e al. 2013; Dennis
e al. 2014; Ga aus e al. 2021; Nanni and O danini 2024; Rogge een e al. 2016; Willems e al. 2017), malls (Dennis
e al. 2010, 2012; Roux and Ma ee, 2021; Roux e al. 2020), and public spaces (Baue e al. 2011; Lee & Cho 2019).
By con as , he ole o design as a pe suasi e ac o has ecei ed a less a en ion han con en in DOOH esea ch.
Digi al signage design in ol es he s a egic placemen o displays o maximise engagemen , wi h a iables such as
loca ion, human densi y, sc een design, and isual salience all shaping e ec i eness (Xaba e al. 2020). Fu he mo e,
digi al signage is pa icula ly c i ical in mul icul u al, high- a ic en i onmen s, whe e di e ences in language, cul u al
e e ences, and media li e acy equi e consume s o apidly decode isual cues and dis inguish be ween ad e ising
and ambien con en .
Ne e heless, mos esea ch ea s con en and media design as sepa a e elemen s a he han examining hei
ela ionship. Unde s anding how hese bo om-up ea u es ope a e indi idually and in combina ion is essen ial o
ad e ise s seeking o sus ain engagemen in e ail se ings. Equally unde explo ed is he in e ac ion be ween isual
ea u es and " op-down" in luences such as demog aphic ai s and con en expe ience. Demog aphics encompasses
he cul u al, linguis ic, and socio-economic di e si y o consume g oups, which shape how messages a e pe cei ed
and p ocessed (Po gie e & Roux 2024). Wi hin DOOH con ex s, hese demog aphic ac o s in luence he ex en o
which design and con en esona e wi h dis inc audience segmen s.
This s udy add esses hese esea ch gaps by in es iga ing how digi al signage design, con en expe ience, and
demog aphic complexi y mu ually con ibu e o pe suasi e DOOH con ex s. This esea ch d aws on he S imulus–
The Pe suasi e Edge o Design: Con en Expe ience as a Media o and Demog aphics as Mode a o s o Pe suasion … 108
O ganism–Response (SOR) amewo k, whe e signage design se es as he s imulus, con en expe ience co esponds
o he o ganismic p ocess, and pe suasion deno es he beha iou al esponse. Demog aphic a iables a e ea ed as
mode a o s ha media e he dynamics o hese ela ionships.
In doing so, his s udy expands on ea lie esea ch ocusing on digi al con en and i s in luence in e ail, mall, and
public en i onmen s (e.g., Bae e al. 2016; Bu ke 2009; Dennis e al. 2010; Rogge een e al. 2016) by in eg a ing
design, con en , and demog aphic complexi y wi hin a uni ied amewo k, posi ioning pe suasion as he cen al
ou come. Applying he SOR model p o ides a mo e holis ic and heo y-d i en lens on DOOH ad e ising e ec i eness,
demons a ing how en i onmen al design and consume -le el ac o s join ly con ibu e o pe suasi e e ec in e ail
se ings.
Focusing on eal- ime consume in e ac ions wi hin Sou h A ica, as an eme ging ye unde explo ed DOOH ma ke ,
his s udy gene a es ac ionable insigh s o enhancing campaign design and in e ac ion. These insigh s demons a e
c oss-na ional ele ance, as he in e ac ion be ween design, con en , and demog aphic complexi y e lec s uni e sal
cogni i e and beha iou al mechanisms a he han ma ke -speci ic dynamics.
2. LITERATURE REVIEW
2.1 BOTTOM-UP AND TOP-DOWN PROCESSES IN ADVERTISING
Unde s anding bo h bo om-up and op-down p ocesses is equally impo an in he neu al app oach o ad e ising,
as i mimics human pe o mance in a way inspi ed by biological ci cui y (Milosa lje ic & Ce 2008). Bo om-up
a ibu es a e inhe en , no iceable, o salien en i onmen al s imuli ha na u ally cap u e a en ion. In con as , op-
down a ibu es pe ain o goal-di ec ed asks in luenced by consume demog aphics, knowledge, expec a ions, and
mo i a ions. Mo eo e , bo om-up a en ion ope a es as a apid, pa allel, p e-a en i e p ocess, whe eas op-down
a en ion is associa ed wi h ecogni ion and analy ical p ocessing (Conno e al. 2004; Ege h and Yan is 1997; Pie e s
& Wedel 2004). Ad e ise s, he e o e, mus unde s and how hese wo p ocesses no only p omp consume s o no ice
ad e ising bu also enable hem o p ocess and espond o i —insigh s ha a e essen ial o designing e ec i e
ad e ising con en and media. In his s udy, bo om-up and op-down p ocesses a e no ea ed me ely as cogni i e
p inciples. S ill, hey a e posi ioned as explana o y mechanisms wi hin an SOR amewo k, whe e hey unc ion as
s imuli ha in luence pe cep ion and pe suasion ( esponse) ia in e nal s a es, such as con en expe ience (o ganism).
Pe suasion is no me ely a esul bu he ou come o how s imuli a e no iced, p ocessed, and in e p e ed h ough bo h
bo om-up and op-down pa hways.
In ad e ising esea ch, neu ological and biological measu emen s a e equen ly u ilised o cap u e b ain ac i i y
and consume beha iou in a non-in asi e manne (B aeu igam and Kenning, 2022; Zámečník 2024). Neu oscien i ic
me hods a e pa icula ly aluable o analysing how consume s expe ience and p ocess ad e ising s imuli (Zámečník
2024). Fo ins ance, Silbe s ein and Nield (2008) used s eady-s a e opog aphy (SST), an ERP-based (e en - ela ed
po en ial) echnique, o es ima e b ain ac i i y in esponse o TV ad e ising s imuli aimed a in luencing b and
p e e ence. They obse ed inc eased ac i i y in he le p e on al co ex, a egion associa ed wi h long- e m memo y,
occu ing when pa icipan s swi ched o an ad e ised p oduc . This inding sugges s ha b anding and ad e ising can
ac i a e key b ain egions in ol ed in memo y and decision-making.
Simila ly, Geske and Bellu (2008) examined how indi iduals comp ehend in o ma ion p esen ed in p in e sus
isual media. They no iced di e ences in b ain p ocessing wi hin he i s 100 milliseconds. Visual media elici ed
109 The Re ail and Ma ke ing Re iew: Vol21 Issue 2 (2025) ISSN:2708-3209
s onge occipi al esponses, indica ing enhanced image ecogni ion and in o ma ion p ocessing, as well as mo e
e icien ac i a ion o b ain egions esponsible o isual pe cep ion and cogni i e in ake. These indings unde sco e
he capaci y o isual ad e ising s imuli, such as digi al signage, o apidly ac i a e a en ion and memo y sys ems,
s essing he need o DOOH campaigns o op imise bo h isual salience and message design.
Recen esea ch has examined he impac o digi al ad e ising on he consume expe ience. Wooley e al. (2022)
u ilised In elligen Bounding Boxes (IBBs) o ack iewe s' gaze in ideo con en and du ing sc een ansi ions. Visual
ea u es such as size, b igh ness, and colou cap u ed ini ial a en ion, whe eas sus ained engagemen was d i en by
mo emen and con en ele ance. S able elemen s we e equen ly o e looked, as use s did no need o emembe
hem. These indings sugges ha ad e ise s should inco po a e dynamic elemen s in o DOOH ad e ising o sus ain
a en ion and enhance message comp ehension. In his s udy, such dynamic and salien ea u es a e concep ualised
unde he b oade cons uc o digi al signage design.
Bo om-up and op-down p ocesses, along wi h b ain measu emen s, enhance ad e ise s' unde s anding o how
consume s pe cei e and espond o ad e ising s imuli. Despi e hese ad ances, he human b ain can p ocess only a
limi ed amoun o in o ma ion—a cons ain iden i ied as he a en ional bo leneck. As a esul , only a ac ion o he
many ma ke ing messages encoun e ed daily a e no iced (Ande son, and Pei z, 2023; Ha and McCann, 2008).
By iden i ying which con en and media ea u es can b eak h ough his bo leneck—ei he by s anding ou isually
(bo om-up) o ma ching iewe in e es s ( op-down)—ad e ise s can gene a e messages ha a e mo e likely o
cap u e a en ion and be e ained. This s udy examines how design and con en expe iences can help o e come he
bo leneck and in luence pe suasion, pa icula ly ac oss di e se demog aphic g oups. Since in e es s and
in e p e a ions a e moulded by cul u al, linguis ic, and socio-economic backg ounds, inco po a ing demog aphic
a iables is essen ial o explaining how ad e ising esona es ac oss he e ogeneous audience g oups.
2.2 BOTTOM-UP MEDIA ATTRIBUTES OF DIGITAL SIGNAGE
Media owne s and ad e ise s wo ldwide con inue o in oduce new digi al signage ea u es and imme si e
expe iences. One example is he in eg a ion o senso ial and hap ic echnologies in o digi al kiosks, deli e ing physical
sensa ions ha enhance mul i-senso y engagemen . Using ul asonic ansduce s, hese sys ems p ojec ex u es on o
use s’ hands, enabling in e ac ion wi hou physical con ac o ex e nal de ices. Digi al ex u es can be pe cei ed a
dis ances up o one me e om he display, aided by isual cues and audi o y eedback (Oemkiosks 2021; Ul ahap ics
2018).
O he inno a ions include holog aphic digi al signage, which p ojec s isuals ha appea o loa , cap u ing a en ion
h ough pe cep ual no el y. These sys ems may also be in eg a ed wi h kine ic LED displays ha change shape and
dimension, enhancing con en c ea i i y. In eg a ing digi al signage wi h me a e se en i onmen s enables b ands o
c ea e hyb id expe iences ha seamlessly blend physical and i ual eali ies, which expands oppo uni ies o
consume in e ac ion (OnSign TV 2024). These inno a ions e lec b oade design a ibu es—mo ion, in e ac i i y,
no el y, and isibili y ha cha ac e ise bo om-up s imuli in DOOH en i onmen s.
2.3 DIGITAL SIGNAGE DESIGN
Design elemen s unc ion as ex e nal s imuli (S) ha ini ia e pe cep ual and a ec i e p ocessing. Ea lie esea ch
con i ms ha hei e ec s a y by con ex ual ac o s such as sc een placemen , s o e ype, and a ic le els (Bu ke
2009; Rogge een e al. 2016; Wilson & Suh 2018). Fo ins ance, Bu ke (2009) ound ha consume esponses o s o e
The Pe suasi e Edge o Design: Con en Expe ience as a Media o and Demog aphics as Mode a o s o Pe suasion … 110
signage a e in luenced by sc een placemen and iewe p oximi y, whe eas Rogge een e al. (2016) obse ed s onge
e ec s in la ge b owsing-o ien ed en i onmen s compa ed o smalle , ask- ocused e ail se ings. Wilson and Suh
(2018) u he demons a ed ha digi al signage is mos e ec i e in high- a ic a eas, whe e isibili y and engagemen
a e heigh ened. Howe e , such indings isk o e simpli ica ion by ocusing p ima ily on physical placemen while
o e looking ac o s like con en ele ance. A mo e comp ehensi e accoun equi es conside ing bo h en i onmen al
ac o s and consume o ien a ion. Design plays a c i ical ole in pe suasion, as i in luences whe he consume s engage
wi h and e alua e messages. This s udy builds on hese insigh s by assessing he e ec i eness o signage wi hin a
eal-wo ld, high-densi y e ail en i onmen .
The numbe o people in a loca ion and hei ac i i ies can also in luence he e ec i eness o digi al signage. In
quie e anspo en i onmen s, indi iduals ha e mo e ime o p ocess s imuli (Wilson & Till 2008). By con as ,
c owding does no signi ican ly a ec shoppe s' esponses in e ail en i onmen s (Wilson & Suh 2018). These indings
sugges ha en i onmen al and social con ex s a e mo e in luen ial han audience densi y in de e mining consume
esponses o digi al signage (Rogge een e al. 2016; Wilson & Till 2008 2011; Wilson & Suh 2018). Ad e ise s should
he e o e conside hese en i onmen al dynamics and ailo con en acco ding o placemen s, a ic pa e ns, and
engagemen con ex s. This s udy explo es hese dynamics in a mul i-le el shopping mall, whe e shoppe mo emen ,
c owd low, and a ied signage placemen allow o a na u alis ic assessmen o design e ec i eness.
Ad e ising media expe s acknowledge ha sc een design and ea u es signi ican ly in luence he e ec i eness o
digi al signage. Fo ins ance, ea ly media esea ch using psychophysiological measu es such as hea a e and skin
conduc ance ound ha la ge ele ision and cinema sc eens elici highe a ousal le els han smalle sc eens (Ree es
e al. 1999). Howe e , iewe s o adi ional ele ision and ilm a e ela i ely s a ic compa ed o consume s in dynamic
en i onmen s, whe e mul i asking is he no m, such as shopping, commu ing, o d i ing. As hese mobile consume s
na iga e spaces sa u a ed wi h compe ing s imuli, isually salien ea u es become essen ial o cap u ing and
sus aining a en ion (Wilson e al. 2015; Wilson & Till 2008).
Consequen ly, he e ec i eness o OOH ad e ising depends on he op imal placemen and posi ioning o digi al
displays o ensu e high-quali y exposu e (Bha ga a e al. 1993; Bha ga a and Don hu 1999). Digi al signage
ad e ise s should he e o e iden i y and le e age isually salien ea u es such as con as , mo ion, size, and
b igh ness o cap u e immedia e a en ion and sus ain i wi hin complex, high-s imulus en i onmen s. The e o e, isual
salience is ob ained h ough sc een quali y, isibili y, size, loca ion, and design a ac i eness.
2.4 DIGITAL SIGNAGE CONTENT EXPERIENCE
Consume pe cep ion o ad e ising alue is a key de e minan o e ec i eness ac oss bo h adi ional and ambien
ou -o -home (OOH) media o ma s, including ele a o panels, public oun ains, and bus oo ops (Roseng en and
Dahlén 2013; Roseng en e al. 2015). Ad e ising e ec i eness is equen ly linked o i s pe cei ed alue, whe he
in o ma i e, emo ional, o p omo ional (Duco e 1995)—a p inciple ha equally applies o digi al ou -o -home (DOOH)
media.
In he con ex o digi al signage, con en plays a pi o al ole in shaping consume esponses. I s impac depends on
bo h he na u e o he con en displayed and on i s alignmen wi h consume expec a ions. Gi en he c i ical ole o
con en in enhancing audiences' expe iences, iden i ying he mos sui able con en ypes o e ail en i onmen s is
essen ial. In his s udy, con en expe ience is concep ualised wi hin he ‘O ganism’ s age in he SOR model,
ep esen ing he consume ’s cogni i e and a ec i e p ocessing o he displayed message. Con en expe ience is
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cen al o pe suasion, as ele ance, use ulness, and appeal inc ease he likelihood o changes in a i ude and
beha iou al in en ion.
Table 1 summa ises empi ical indings on how a ious ypes o digi al signage con en in luence consume
esponses ac oss di e se e ail se ings, unde sco ing he impo ance o con en ele ance o ad e ising
e ec i eness.
Rega ding hedonic con en , Dennis e al. (2014) sugges ha senso y-a ec i e messaging is mo e e ec i e han
pu ely unc ional con en in enhancing in-s o e expe iences and de eloping posi i e consume a i udes. Roux e al.
(2020) simila ly ound ha digi al signage in Sou h A ican upscale malls appeals o shoppe s seeking hedonic
engagemen . Howe e , unc ional con en also plays a meaning ul ole; i can ele a e mood and in luence shopping
beha iou (Dennis e al. 2010, 2012), inc ease sales h ough p omo ions and in o ma ion upda es (Bu ke 2009), and
ou pe o m gene al messaging when p ice- ocused (Rogge een e al. 2016). O e all, he e ec i eness o digi al
signage is con ex -dependen , equi ing alignmen wi h he e ail en i onmen and esponsi eness o audience needs
and moods. The dual alue o con en , encompassing bo h expe ien ial and p ac ical aspec s, unde sco es he
impo ance o balancing en e ainmen wi h use ulness, depending on he shoppe 's o ien a ion.
TABLE 1: PAST RESEARCH ON THE INFLUENCE OF DIGITAL SIGNAGE CONTENT IN VARIOUS RETAIL
ENVIRONMENTS
Sou ce & Con en Types
Type o con en in es iga ed & con ex
Key indings
Hedonic
Dennis e al. (2014)
Senso y-a ec i e digi al signage; Re ail
s o es
Senso y con en enhances in-s o e expe ience, pu chase in en
Roux e al. (2020)
Digi al signage in mall en i onmen s
Hedonic enjoymen mode a es he e ec o digi al signage on mall
app oach beha iou s.
U ili a ian
Bu ke (2009)
News & p omo ions; Re ail s o es
U ili a ian con en boos s hedonic p oduc sales
Rogge een e al. (2016)
P ice-p omo ion signage; Re ail s o es
Rele an , imely signage boos s pe suasion, pu chase in en
U ili a ian & Hedonic
Bae e al.(2016)
Digi al signage engagemen ; Re ail s o es
Consume s use digi al signage o con enience, no en e ainmen
Lee & Cho (2019)
Digi al signage ad e ising, Re ail s o es
Cogni i e and a i udinal ac o s in luence DS ad e ec i eness
Roux & Ma ee (2021)
Digi al place-based media; Upma ke
shopping malls
Digi al place-based media enhances enjoymen and use ulness in
malls
Miscellaneous
Baue e al. (2011)
Public digi al signage; Va ious loca ions
Con en engagemen ma e s mo e han design
Nanni & O danini (2024)
Au oma ed digi al sc eens; Re ail s o es
Digi al signage sc eens wi h au oma ed con en imp o e e iciency
bu educe pe sonalisa ion, lowe ing impulse pu chases and o e all
spending.
S udies show ha combining con en ypes enhances engagemen . Bae e al. (2016) ound ha pe cei ed
in e ac i i y mo i a es consume s h ough bo h p oduc in o ma ion and en e ainmen . Lee and Cho (2019)
ecommend me ging p oduc de ails wi h s o y elling, while Roux and Ma ee (2021) highligh how digi al media
enhances enjoymen and use ulness in upscale malls. These indings sugges ha con en ype and placemen a e
key o digi al signage e ec i eness. In his con ex , con en expe ience e e s o consume s’ subjec i e e alua ion o
he message’s use ulness, appeal, and ele ance. Hyb id con en —blending unc ional, a ec i e, and in e ac i e
dimensions—can op imise engagemen , especially in li es yle-o ien ed e ail spaces.
The Pe suasi e Edge o Design: Con en Expe ience as a Media o and Demog aphics as Mode a o s o Pe suasion … 112
2.5 THE INTERPLAY BETWEEN DIGITAL SIGNAGE DESIGN AND CONTENT
Resea ch highligh s ha media ea u es should no be conside ed in isola ion. Design and con en in e ac
dynamically o in luence consume engagemen and he success o ad e ising. Baack e al. (2008) and Wilson and
Till (2011) ound ha con en alone has a limi ed impac unless signage is designed o en ice, a ac , and emain isible
wi hin he consume ’s ield (see also Wilson e al. 2015). These indings align wi h he SOR model, whe e con en
e ec i eness (S imulus) depends on he medium’s s eng h and isibili y. Fu he mo e, expe imen s in pe asi e
compu ing sugges ha iewe esponse o public digi al signage elies on bo h bo om-up e ec s and con ex ually
ele an con en (e.g., Baue e al. 2011; Mülle e al. 2009). This highligh s he need o align media design wi h
message ele ance o sus ain in high-s imulus e ail spaces. The pe suasi eness o DOOH ad e ising, especially
digi al signage, es s on he combined in luence o design and con en . Pe suasion eme ges no om design o con en
alone, bu om hei in e ac ion in shaping how consume s a end o and e alua e he message.
D awing om he SOR model, his s udy es s whe he con en expe ience media es he ela ionship be ween
signage design and pe suasion. In his amewo k, signage design and con en se e as ex e nal s imuli, con en
expe ience ep esen s in e nal p ocessing, and pe suasion is he esponse. The SOR model (Meh abian & Russell,
1974) has been c i iqued o assuming ha consume s espond passi ely o s imuli and o ea ing s imulus si ua ions
as objec i e, o e looking subjec i e in e p e a ion. The model is also desc ibed as linea , implying a unidi ec ional
en i onmen –beha iou ela ionship. In addi ion, i has been no ed ha i assumes emo ions a e caused p ima ily by
he no el y o s imuli (Viei a, 2013; Sco e al., 2024). Howe e , his model has e ol ed wi h app aisal heo y, which
ecognises ha consume s ac i ely in e p e s imuli, wi h emo ions shaped no only by no el y bu also by goal cong ui y
and con ex ual ele ance (Roux e al., 2020; Sco e al., 2024). I is widely applied in e ail and media esea ch o
explain how en i onmen al signals in luence in e nal e alua ions and a oidance beha iou s (Roux e al., 2020), and
i s lexibili y suppo s bo h bo om-up and op-down p ocesses, making i especially sui able o DOOH ad e ising.
Acco dingly, his s udy employs he SOR amewo k as a heu is ic a he han a igid sequence, acknowledging ha
eal-wo ld consume esponses a e o en nonlinea and con ex -dependen , and ha consume esponses a e
equen ly complex. The con ibu ion o his s udy is o ex end he model by showing ha design exe s a di ec
pe suasi e e ec and ha demog aphic ai s u he mode a e he ela ionship be ween design, con en , and
pe suasion. The analysis p o ides a mo e de ailed applica ion o he SOR model o DOOH ad e ising, showing ha
pe suasion does no depend solely on con en expe ience bu also on design and consume di e ences.
Based on he discussion, he ollowing hypo heses a e p oposed. They a e g ounded in he li e a u e and suppo ed
by a gumen s de eloped in he pape : (H1a) Digi al signage design signi ican ly p edic s pe suasion (S → R); (H1b)
Digi al signage design signi ican ly p edic s he digi al signage con en expe ience (S → O); (H1c) Con en expe ience
posi i ely in luences pe suasion, media ing he e ec o design (O → R).
2.6 TOP-DOWN CHARACTERISTICS AS MODERATORS
Resea ch indica es ha ad e ising con en and media ac o s signi ican ly in luence ad e ising success. Howe e ,
consume esponses a e no uni o m; hey a y acco ding o indi idual demog aphic ai s and psychological s a es
(Meh a 2000; Vak a sas & Amble 1999). Ad e ise s, he e o e, ailo campaigns o mee he speci ic needs and
p e e ences o dis inc consume segmen s. Fu he e idence shows ha esponses o ad e ising and media depend
on demog aphic ac o s such as income le el, gende , and language (Chekima 2016; C eusen 2010; Canguende-
Valen im and Vale 2022; Leppäniemi and Ka jaluo o, 2008; Po gie e & Roux 2024; Roux 2021; Roux 2023). These
demog aphic and cul u al cha ac e is ics in luence how s imuli a e pe cei ed, p ocessed, and in e p e ed, making hem
113 The Re ail and Ma ke ing Re iew: Vol21 Issue 2 (2025) ISSN:2708-3209
Demog aphic
T ai s
Digi al signage
con en
expe ience
Digi al signage
design
H1b
H1a
Pe suasion
H2b
H2a
H2c
H1c
c i ical mode a o s o ad e ising e ec i eness. They mode a e whe he signage and con en succeed in pe suasion,
explaining a ia ion ac oss audience segmen s. Thei inclusion cla i ies why speci ic ac ics esona e mo e wi h
demog aphically a ge ed audiences and why e ec s di e ac oss segmen s. Acco dingly, his s udy hypo hesises ha
demog aphic ai s mode a e he ela ionships be ween digi al signage design and pe suasion (H2a), digi al signage
design and con en expe ience (H2b), and con en expe ience and pe suasion (H2c).
Table 5 p esen s he s udy's concep ual amewo k, which in eg a es bo om-up and op-down in luences, along
wi h he p oposed hypo heses, o o e a mo e nuanced unde s anding o pe suasion in digi al signage en i onmen s.
S imulus O ganism Response
FIGURE 1. CONCEPTUAL MODEL USING THE SOR FRAMEWORK WITH HYPOTHESISED DIRECT
AND MODERATING EFFECTS
Sou ce: C ea ed by he au ho .
3. MATERIALS AND METHODS
This s udy employed a desc ip i e design, using su eys o collec da a a a la ge upma ke shopping mall in Sou h
A ica. The si e was selec ed o i s mul i-le el layou and di e se mix o e ail s o es and se ices, making i well-sui ed
o examining consume in e ac ions wi h high- esolu ion digi al signage displays. The mall is equipped by a la ge ou -
o -home OOH media owne wi h in e ac i e ouchsc eens and LED cylind ical sc eens, enabling a ealis ic assessmen
o digi al signage e ec i eness in a comme cial en i onmen . This se ing acili a ed he examina ion o bo om-up
a ibu es (e.g., sc een design, con en in e ac i i y) and op-down cha ac e is ics (e.g., consume demog aphics),
allowing o analysis o how di e en consume segmen s p ocess and espond o pe suasi e signage cues. The eal-
wo ld e ail con ex also enhances ecological alidi y, as consume esponses we e measu ed unde na u alis ic
exposu e condi ions. This se up aligns wi h he SOR model, enabling eal- ime obse a ion o how ex e nal s imuli
(signage and con en ) in e ac wi h in e nal esponses (con en expe ience) and a e mode a ed by demog aphic ai s.
A non-p obabili y quo a sampling app oach was employed o selec 350 esponden s, ensu ing ha he sample
accu a ely e lec ed he ypical demog aphic p o ile o pa ons a upma ke shopping malls. The sample size mee s he
minimum h eshold o media ion and mode a ion analysis using eg ession-based echniques, as ecommended by
es ablished me hodological guidelines (F i z & MacKinnon 2007). Quo a sampling was chosen because i allows
esea che s o ob ain a sample ha e lec s speci ic cha ac e is ics o he a ge popula ion while main aining e iciency
in da a collec ion (Mose , 2022).
Da a we e collec ed a e e hical clea ance was ob ained (TUT Resea ch E hics Commi ee, REC2024-06-009).
T ained ieldwo ke s in e cep ed shoppe s nea digi al signage loca ed in ood cou s and concou se a eas o he mall.
The Pe suasi e Edge o Design: Con en Expe ience as a Media o and Demog aphics as Mode a o s o Pe suasion … 114
To ensu e ecological alidi y, su eys we e conduc ed on weekdays and weekends, du ing busy and quie shopping
pe iods, cap u ing a ange o shoppe beha iou s. Responden s expe ienced he medium in a eal e ail se ing,
allowing hei pe cep ions o be measu ed unde na u al condi ions. This app oach enabled a mo e ealis ic e alua ion
han me hods elying on ecall-based o pos -exposu e imp essions.
The s uc u ed ques ionnai e included i e-poin Like scales o assess digi al signage design (Roux e al. 2020),
ad e ising con en expe ience (Bae e al., 2016), and pe suasion (Du e , 2015), adap ed om alida ed and es ed
scales. These cons uc s align wi h he h ee main s ages o he concep ual model: s imulus (design), o ganism (con en
expe ience), and esponse (pe suasion). To con i m con en alidi y, digi al mall signage p o essionals sc u inised he
ins umen and e i ied ha i co e ed all ele an aspec s o he selec ed cons uc s. This ques ionnai e was compiled
and pilo - es ed o e alua e bo om-up a ibu es, including sc een quali y, loca ion, isibili y, and ad e ising con en
expe ience, encompassing bo h u ili a ian and hedonic componen s. The pilo su ey was conduc ed wi h a
con enience sample o ma ke ing s uden s s udying consume beha iou o assess cla i y, eliabili y, and po en ial
esponse biases. Feedback om he pilo s udy led o mino e inemen s ha enhanced ques ion cla i y and
measu emen consis ency o he inal ques ionnai e be o e ull-scale da a collec ion.
C onbach’s alpha was used o assess he eliabili y o he scales. Media ion analysis ollowing Ba on and Kenny's
(1986) p oposed app oach was used o es whe he he digi al signage con en expe ience media es he ela ionship
be ween digi al signage design and pe suasion (H1). This me hod was selec ed o i s sui abili y in es ing media ion
wi hin simple model s uc u es.
Compa ed o s uc u al equa ion modelling (SEM), he PROCESS mac o o e s se e al ad an ages: i au oma ically
gene a es a wide ange o s a is ical ou pu s, educing he need o ad anced coding skills. Acco ding o Das gee e
al. (2020), SEM o en equi es g ea e coding p o iciency and manual model speci ica ion. Hayes, Mon oya and
Rockwood (2017) u he a gue ha he choice be ween PROCESS mac o and SEM is unlikely o signi ican ly a ec
s udy ou comes, as di e ences in obse ed a iable models a e ypically small. Gi en ha his s udy employs a simple
media ion model wi h obse ed a iables, he PROCESS mac o ep esen s he mos app op ia e and e icien analy ical
app oach. Mode a ion analyses we e also conduc ed o iden i y which demog aphic ai s mode a e he ela ionships
be ween digi al signage design, con en expe ience, and pe suasion (H2).
4. RESULTS
The o al sample o 350 comple ed ques ionnai es included sligh ly mo e emales (53.3%), wi h mos esponden s
(40.2%) aged be ween 25 and 34 yea s, e lec ing he planned quo a and he shoppe p o ile o he mall whe e he
da a was collec ed. The majo i y o he pa icipan s spoke an e hnic A ican language (63.3%), while 36.7% spoke o he
languages, such as English and A ikaans, aligning wi h Sou h A ica’s mul icul u al and mul ilingual demog aphics.
Consis en wi h he shoppe p o ile o luxu y malls, mos esponden s (74.2%) ell wi hin he uppe -middle (24.9%) o
high-income (46.7%) b acke s.
When conside ing he desc ip i e and eliabili y s a is ics in Table 2, he analysis con i med ha all measu es used
in his s udy demons a ed sa is ac o y in e nal consis ency, wi h C onbach's alpha sco es anging om 0.76 o 0.89
ac oss he 18 i ems, each co esponding o a dis inc cons uc . Desc ip i ely, pe suasion (M = 4.47, SD = 0.71) and
digi al signage design (M = 3.91, SD = 1.03) we e a ed ela i ely highe han digi al signage con en expe ience (M =
3.44, SD = 1.08). The consis en ly high a ings o signage design sugges ha shoppe s no iced and app ecia ed he
ecen ly ins alled in e ac i e digi al ouchsc eens and LED cylind ical sc eens. Among he design elemen s, sc een
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