The Persuasive Edge of Design: Content Experience as a Mediator and Demographics as Moderators of Persuasion in DOOH Advertising

Despite the rapid commercial expansion of emerging markets, academic research remains limited on how digital signage design and content influence persuasion across demographic groups. This study examines the interplay between signage design, content experience, and consumer demographics in contributing to persuasive outcomes in digital out-of-home retail advertising. Drawing on the Stimulus–Organism–Response framework, a structured survey of 350 consumers in an upscale South African mall was conducted to test a model in which signage design influences persuasion both directly and indirectly through content experience. Results indicate that design has a significant predictive effect on persuasion, whereas content experience does not mediate this relationship. Demographic traits are instrumental; income and gender moderate several key relationships within the model, suggesting that design and content vary by demographic profile. These findings highlight strategic opportunities for customising digital media in diverse and demographically segmented markets. The study advances the understanding of digital out-of-home effectiveness in South Africa, a context in which digital signage is expanding rapidly yet remains underexplored. Simultaneously, the findings hold broader relevance as core cognitive and behavioural mechanisms—especially those captured by the bottom-up versus top-down attention model—offer valuable insight into how signage design captures attention and drives persuasion across different global markets. This study provides practical recommendations for designing and implementing digital signage, which functions effectively both visually and psychologically within real-world retail environments. It advocates for demographically informed, strategically designed signage that aligns with how shoppers perceive, process, and make purchasing decisions.