How do I turn my TV/Screen into a digital display system for my pharmacy?

Once you have identified the need to amplify your content marketing game within your pharmacy to achieve growth and increased revenue, you will be in search of the most logical and cohesive way to do it. There are a few options for digital display systems and while it is possible to transform your domestic TV into a digital display system for your pharmacy, how easy is it really?

We’ve created this guide to explain the three elements you need to consider when putting together your own set up;

• Hardware
• Software
• Content

The hardware

To an unsuspecting pharmacist or pharmacy owner, it may appear that it’s possible to use any screen as your main digital content marketing screen in store. While it is definitely possible, there are various considerations to take into account for it to be efficient enough to succeed - depending on particular hardware-based factors.

Is your TV screen externally facing?

Will your digital display screen be externally facing, i.e. in the window of your pharmacy? If so, you will need to think about whether your domestic TV screen will be able to compete against the rays of the sun during daylight hours. 

Glare is produced by the screen reflecting light from the sun, making it difficult for the viewer to see the image on screen clearly. This will undoubtedly make your content marketing on display redundant if your customers and passersby aren’t able to make out the information. In addition to glare, the dimness of a consumer can easily appear to viewers as a piece of broken or in-the-process-of-breaking equipment.

Should the build quality of your TV screen not be up to scratch, and depending on the angle of the glass, your window TV screen display may begin to buckle and structurally weaken in humid weather. A renowned, yet extreme example of this is the Walkie Talkie building in London - melting and damaging cars below from the sun’s reflection on its glass panels.

Did you know? Digital signage reaches 135 million people a week!

Will your TV screen also be used internally?

Either used as an alternative or in combination with external screens, you may choose to use your TV screens internally within your pharmacy. Although inside, commercial lighting can also cause glare issues on domestic TV screens compared to purpose-built commercial screens.

The hardware of your domestic TV is designed for entertainment use within the home, not for commercial use in pharmacies. In your pharmacy, you may decide you want to have your screen running 24/7 to present your content and promotions to as many people as possible. However, consumer TVs are rarely designed for constant round the clock use. Such heavy duty use is taxing on the television’s hardware and can lead to damage such as screenburn, pixel death, colour distortion, and even complete capitulation. 

While many parts of the overall process can be completed, making sure you have specific commercial display hardware is probably something you can’t bypass.

Download our brochure to find out more about the screens used in Pharmacy Display. 

Hardware is more than just the screen…

Although the screen is the element most seen and experienced by customers in your pharmacy, hardware extends beyond the screen and will affect the overall running of your content marketing.

You may choose to run your messaging and content via a simple USB slideshow on your TV screen. This is occasionally easy and straightforward, however, you may have to manually restart the loop of content once the slideshow ends which is tiresome and repetitive. The main disadvantage of using a USB is the labour intensive process of regularly updating the content on the drive, compounded if you have multiple locations which need to be updated. There is potential for content that is not formatted correctly to appear stretched or lost on screen - there is also the additional risk of file corruption via this method that can be avoided with a professional screen display.

Use of a media streaming service such as Plex will be necessary to run your content on your TV screen, which offers flexibility and a variety of streaming options. However, you will need an additional form of device to receive the media. Whether that’s a computer or laptop attached to the screen or some sort of media dongle, it’s another potential hurdle to overcome and another tool to monitor.  

The software

Indeed, the question of software is a broad and important one. The inner workings of your TV screen are originally designed to handle films, TV shows, and games consoles, however, it can have the capability to connect to a media streaming server to stream pictures, videos, and text-based content in your pharmacy. There are a variety of media streaming server tools out there, such as Serviio and Jellyfin, yet not all of them are suitable for commercial purposes. Additionally, there are often additional costs associated with these tools for access to their full toolset.

The software extends beyond the hosting server and playback, but also includes content creation tools. Software for content creation is also necessary should you decide to use your TV screen as a digital display system in your pharmacy. For example, Adobe Photoshop is used by over 90% of the world's creative professionals and is more or less expected amongst the content production industry. 

While free software such as GIMP or PIXLR does exist, they have limited functionality and a steep learning curve. Having multiple disparate systems for creating and displaying your marketing content is a real drain on your time and efforts.  An all-in-one solution for your pharmacy’s content marketing needs is required to elevate both your revenue and customer satisfaction. As the market sits today, only Cegedim offers a Pharmacy Display with such bespoke software for the creation and management of software - reducing hiccups, and giving you more time to spend on patient care.

“Cegedim’s Pharmacy Display solution has transformed our business. Tailored to our goals, we were given the freedom to be as involved as we liked in the content production process. The hardware is super HD and the videos we received were lively and engaging - as a plus, the ongoing customer support we received was out of this world.”

– Gurminder Singh, Owner of Singh Pharmacy

Speak to us about how Cegedim’s software package options are tailored to your content needs, whether you want to be fully involved or otherwise.

The content 

Tying in with content creation software, it’s also important that you have adequate design skills in order to create effective digital displays. Without it, your digital display system will fail at catching the attention of your customers and retaining their engagement. You should question whether you have these design skills already, or if you can afford to work with a freelance designer or design agency - bringing additional associated costs.

Did you know? Digital display systems gain a whopping 400% more views than static displays.

Cohesive design is key to building and developing your pharmacy’s brand and creating eye-catching content and is incredibly more effective than static displays. According to Screenfluence.com, digital display systems receive 400% more views than posters and brochures. If you catch the eye of a visitor, only for their eyes to be met with poorly designed and thought out messages, it could plant a seed of doubt about your pharmacy’s brand values and standards.

It’s also important when creating content to ensure your design is accessible and able to be understood by all people who may enter through your door. Check for typos, colourblind-friendly colour palettes, and a clear typeface - or alternatively, leave this to the professionals. All of these aspects will affect the image of your pharmacy, with any mistakes being a reflection of skill and attention to detail. Would your patients be comfortable receiving diagnostic support from someone without meticulousness?

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It is definitely possible to utilise your own TV screen as a commercial digital display system for your pharmacy! However, there are a multitude of things you will need to consider to make it worthy of your time and effort. To successfully deliver great content marketing to your customers in an economical and time-efficient way, Cegedim’s Pharmacy Display may be the more viable solution for you.