How to Choose the Right In-Store Communication Material
Printed signage, screens, shelf talkers, window graphics, and kiosks each serve a different purpose. The right choice depends on the message, location, lifespan, and store workflow.
Choosing an in-store communication material means balancing visibility, message lifespan, ease of updates, brand consistency, and the ability of store teams to install or manage it properly.
At the point of sale, messages overlap quickly: prices, promotions, new products, services, wayfinding, commercial events, brand commitments, practical information. The risk is not a lack of materials. The risk is using the same material to say everything, everywhere, all the time.
Start with the objective, not the format
The first instinct is often to ask: “Should we use a poster, a screen, or POS materials?” In practice, the better question comes just before that: what should the customer understand, do, or feel at this exact location?
An in-store communication material can serve several objectives, but it is better to avoid mixing everything on a single visual. The clearer the message, the better the material can do its job.
Which material should you choose depending on the message?
There is no single “best” material. A printed poster may be more effective than a screen for a highly local price message. A screen may be more relevant for engaging a waiting area or rotating several messages without overcrowding the space. POS materials may work better when the goal is to capture attention as close as possible to the product.
| Store need | Relevant materials | Point to watch |
|---|---|---|
| Guide customers through the store | Hanging signage, directional signs, window graphics, aisle signage | Avoid messages that are too long. Signage should be understood in just a few seconds. |
| Highlight a promotion | Printed poster, shelf talker, tabletop sign, screen, totem, endcap | Check that prices, dates, visuals, and the actual location of the offer are consistent. |
| Bring an in-store campaign to life | Posters, POS materials, screens, zone dressing, banner stands | Do not multiply materials without a hierarchy. Customers need to understand the campaign quickly. |
| Build brand image | Large format visuals, window graphics, ambient screens, wall dressing, premium materials | Prioritize visual consistency over an accumulation of commercial messages. |
| Explain a service or usage | Explanatory poster, interactive kiosk, short-loop screen, counter display | Choose a nearby readable format with structured, lightweight information. |
Printed signage, POS materials, screens: the right store-level tradeoffs
In real store life, the choice of material also depends on very concrete constraints: who prepares the visual, who installs it, how long it stays up, how often it changes, and how headquarters can keep control without slowing down local teams.
When should you choose printed signage?
Printed signage remains highly relevant for prices, local promotions, aisle information, short campaigns, and messages that need to be placed as close as possible to the product.
Its value: it is simple to deploy, easy to understand, and very effective when properly positioned.
When should you choose digital signage?
Screens are useful for rotating several messages, animating an area, building atmosphere, presenting services, or adapting content depending on the time of day.
Its value: it lets you refresh communication without reprinting and manage multiple pieces of content remotely.
When should you use physical POS materials?
POS materials work well to give a campaign a physical presence, catch the eye in the aisle, or create a stopping point. They add volume to a campaign and make the offer more visible in the space.
Its key strength: it turns simple information into a visible commercial presence.
When should you choose a kiosk or interactive material?
A kiosk becomes valuable when customers need to search, compare, configure, consult, or access richer information than a simple visual can provide.
Its key strength: it supports autonomy or guidance within the customer journey.
The right material also depends on location
The same message does not behave the same way at the store entrance, in the aisle, at checkout, or in a waiting area. Location changes the available attention span, reading distance, and the customer’s level of intent.
Store-level example: a back-to-school campaign
At the entrance, a large visual can announce the campaign and set the tone. In the main aisle, a poster or screen can remind customers of the key offers. In the department, shelf talkers and small posters should guide customers to the relevant products. Near checkout, a screen can promote an additional service or last-minute offer.
The topic is the same, but each material plays a different role. This distribution is what prevents the “wall of messages” effect.
At the entrance: set the context
The store entrance is used to announce, reassure, and guide. Messages should be limited in number, quickly readable, and visually consistent with the retail brand universe. It is a good location for a national campaign, a seasonal promotion, a commercial highlight, or a brand message.
In the aisle: support the decision
In the aisle, customers compare, search, and hesitate. The material needs to be more precise: price, benefit, product advantage, bundle, new item, usage tip. This is often where printed signage, small posters, shelf talkers, and nearby POS materials are most useful.
In a waiting area: deliver a richer message
At reception, checkout, order pickup, or in a service area, customers sometimes have more time. A screen can then display several messages: services, loyalty program, commitments, new products, practical information, or inspirational content.
Common mistakes when choosing materials
In-store communication materials lose effectiveness when they are chosen out of habit rather than based on use. A few poor reflexes often come up in store networks.
Putting too many messages on a single material
A poster or screen that announces a promotion, explains a service, mentions a date, and adds a brand statement becomes difficult to read. Give each material one main message and distribute secondary information elsewhere in the customer journey.
Using a screen like a static poster
A screen that always displays the same static visual loses much of its value. Treat digital signage as programming, with several pieces of content, suitable durations, a clear rotation, and regular updates.
Forgetting what is feasible in stores
A communication plan may be coherent on paper and difficult to apply when teams lack the right files, formats, or timing. Define who creates, approves, prints, broadcasts, and removes the materials before launch.
Treating every store as an isolated case
Across a network, tone, format, and visual quality can vary quickly from one store to another. Centralize templates, control editable zones, and give stores defined room for local content.
How do you build a consistent mix of materials?
Print, POS materials, and screens work well together when each one has a defined role. The campaign should distribute information according to location and reading time instead of repeating one visual everywhere.
The same creative version deployed everywhere without adaptation: A4 aisle poster, screen visual, banner stand, local post, with the same text density and the same level of detail.
A campaign designed by role: an announcement visual, a decision-support material in the aisle, a dynamic reminder on screen, and easy-to-produce local formats.
1. Define the priority message
Before producing the materials, clarify what the customer should remember. An immediate discount? A new product? A range to discover? A service to use? A brand promise? This priority helps avoid overloaded materials.
2. Adapt the material to reading time
A message seen in passing must be very short. A message read in the aisle can be a little more detailed. A message viewed on a kiosk can be more complete. Available attention span should guide content density.
3. Plan adaptations from the start
An in-store campaign rarely lives on a single format. It may require a poster, a small poster, a horizontal screen, a vertical screen, a shelf talker, or a counter display. Planning these adaptations ahead of time avoids last-minute changes.
4. Keep visual consistency across the network
In a store network, consistency does not mean total uniformity. It means materials remain recognizable, readable, and aligned with the brand guidelines, even when some content is adapted locally.
If the material is removed from its context, can its objective still be understood? And if it is placed back in the store, does it appear at the right moment in the customer journey? If the answer is no, the issue often comes from the choice of material as much as from the message itself.
What Toucan® can bring to material selection
When materials multiply, the main challenge becomes organization. You need to produce the right formats, maintain visual consistency, let stores adapt certain content, and avoid gaps between the campaign as planned and the campaign as actually displayed.
Toucan® helps structure this in-store communication approach. Teams can create posters from templates, catalogs, or product databases and prepare content for in-store screens. The same framework supports faster production, clearer management, and adaptations suited to store realities.
- Headquarters can control templates, formats, and brand elements.
- Stores can create operational materials without starting from a blank page.
- Printed and digital content can be designed with greater consistency.
- Campaigns are easier to adapt to key commercial moments, departments, or local needs.
The right in-store communication material depends on four criteria: the objective of the message, its location, its lifespan, and how easily it can be produced and updated. Print, POS materials, and screens are not in opposition: they complement each other when properly prioritized.
Choose, produce, and manage your in-store materials more effectively
With Toucan®, retail brands can structure their communication materials, create posters aligned with their brand guidelines, and broadcast content on in-store screens, while giving store teams the autonomy they need.
Explore Toucan®FAQ: choosing an in-store communication material
There is no single best material. The right choice depends on the message, location, available reading time, campaign duration, and update constraints.
A printed poster is especially suited to prices, local promotions, aisle information, and messages close to the product. It is simple, visible, and easy to install in a specific area.
Digital signage is relevant for broadcasting several messages, engaging an area, adapting content over time, or promoting services and campaigns without reprinting new materials.
Messages should be prioritized, the amount of information per material should be limited, and each format should have a clear role: guide, inform, promote, or reinforce the brand.
Consistency depends on shared templates, clear visual rules, centralized content, and controlled adaptation options for local teams.