The evolution of digital uses is reshaping the place of screens in our daily lives. Olivier Garosi, President of Club Digital Media and COO of Madic Digital, reviews the findings of the 2025 study on French perceptions of digital signage, four years after the first wave was conducted with Ifop.
Question 1: Could you tell us what motivated the Club du Digital Media to repeat this study in 2025, four years after the first wave, and how the issues surrounding display screens have evolved since 2021?
The Club du Digital Media brings together more than 50 professionals involved in digital signage in a variety of situations, whether on the street for consumer advertising, in a point-of-sale for targeted brand marketing, or in a company for internal corporate communications. The Club’s aim is to provide its members with relevant, up-to-date tools to help them run their businesses more effectively. Statistical studies are one such tool. The first study we carried out in 2021 on the relationship between the French and digital OOH advertising made a strong impression on our community, as it had been a long time since we had any recent figures showing the general public’s interest or lack of interest in our OOH medium. We told ourselves at the time that we’d have to renew these figures within 3 or 4 years, and that’s what we’ve done in 2025.
Because in 4 years, society has continued to evolve, the behavior of consumers, walkers and citizens has changed, our society is changing. The dizzying evolution of technologies, propelled by AI, is changing the way we all look at our habits and our surroundings. The perception of digital signage in public places can change. We’ve seen that this isn’t necessarily the case, and we’ve learned a lot from it.
Question 2: The study highlights a strong ambivalence in French people’s relationship with digital signage: perceived as both intrusive and attractive. How does Club du Digital Media interpret these results?
This is a pertinent comment. That’s what our medium is all about: attracting without repelling. Paper posters for communication, information or advertising invaded our daily lives in public spaces a long time ago, and are now part of the public “landscape”. Even though many people may find them intrusive, and in some cases they are, these same people expect this communication in many everyday situations, for guidance, reassurance and enlightenment. Digital media is a new medium, and it needs to find its place. At the Club, we believe that digital on-screen signage complements “paper”, the generic term for all static signage.
This study is very interesting, because it shows that the attractive or repulsive effect depends strongly on the context in which the viewer “receives” the communication. The content of what is broadcast has a strong influence on perception: if it is adapted to the context, it serves the user; if it is not, it is inevitably perceived as intrusive.
It was very important for our business to show this “context” effect and highlight this ambivalence, which we intuitively sensed, without necessarily finding out why. It guides the entire profession towards greater reflection and responsibility for the “scripting” of the medium as a whole, right down to the content broadcast.
Question 3: In terms of outdoor advertising, what are the key findings of this study for brands and advertisers? How can these results guide future strategies for broadcasting content on digital screens?
There are many lessons to be learned, but if we have to summarize, 3 points stand out.
Firstly, the fact that, contrary to popular belief, only 25% of French people find display intrusive in general. This confirms our belief that OOH advertising has its place in a citizen’s “customer journey” throughout the day. All the more so since, as we said earlier, 3/4 of the remaining 75% expect the “service” of an out-of-home display to depend on the location in which they find themselves.
Another finding is that digital out-of-home advertising has a high impact (65% attention rate), and 54% of French people find it effective. This figure has been falling since 2021, and may be indicative of a natural wear-and-tear phenomenon to which we professionals need to pay particular attention.
Finally, the latest striking figures: 34% of people have reacted to seeing digital media on a screen, with 9% converting it into a spontaneous purchase, 11% talking about it to others, and 8% going to the store. Taking into account everything we’ve said before, and above all the improved quality and relevance of the content we’re broadcasting, these good figures encourage industry professionals to engage our customers, the brands, towards a more favorable balance between digital media and paper in the years to come.
Until the next study in 4 years’ time!
