Introduction: why this action matters for adoption
Electronic billboards and digital displays are a change-management communication and engagement intervention. They do not replace sponsor messages, manager conversations, training, or feedback channels. Used well, they make the change visible in the flow of work: at entrances, break rooms, production floors, elevators, cafeterias, clinics, campuses, and other places where impacted people naturally pass.
This matters because people adopt change through repeated, relevant signals, not one announcement. Prosci’s ADKAR model frames individual adoption as movement through awareness, desire, knowledge, ability, and reinforcement; Prosci also notes that communication plans commonly support awareness and reinforcement [Prosci, 2026]. (prosci.com) Digital displays are strongest in those two areas: they create “I’ve seen this before” familiarity and remind people what to do next.
What this action is and when to use it
This action is the planned publication of short, visual change messages on electronic billboards, lobby screens, factory or warehouse monitors, office digital signage, or similar shared displays. It works best when the audience is onsite or hybrid, the message is simple, and the desired action can be completed later through a QR code, short URL, manager conversation, training link, or local support channel.
Use it during awareness to introduce the reason for change, during readiness to point people to learning or manager briefings, during go-live to reinforce dates and support routes, and during reinforcement to celebrate adoption and remind people of new ways of working. Avoid using it as the first channel for sensitive news, role impacts, restructuring, performance issues, or changes that require dialogue before public visibility. Gallup cautions that more communication is not automatically better; the right information must come at the right time and from the right level of the organization [Gallup, 2020]. (gallup.com)
Preparation: inputs, stakeholders, materials, timing, and decisions needed
Start with the change impact assessment. Identify who is affected, what they need to know now, what behavior will change, what resistance or confusion is likely, and what other communications are already planned. PMI emphasizes that stakeholder groups need communications with the right clarity, detail, and language [PMI, 2013]. (pmi.org)
Confirm decision rights before design begins. The sponsor should approve the business message. The change manager should own sequencing and adoption intent. Communications or brand teams should review tone and design. IT, facilities, or the signage owner should confirm file format, screen locations, rotation, and publishing windows. HR, legal, employee relations, accessibility, and local managers should review where relevant.
Prepare a short message, approved visual, QR code or short URL, accessible landing page, accessible text description, publishing schedule, and removal date. Digital signage guidance from UBC recommends clean, brief slides, ideally with a clear call to action and a very low word count [UBC Digital Signage]. (digitalsignage.ubc.ca) UMB’s guidance recommends sufficient contrast, readable sans serif fonts, short links or QR codes, WCAG-compliant landing pages, and accessible text descriptions for display content [UMB Digital Displays]. (umaryland.edu)
Step-by-step facilitation guide
Define the adoption purpose. Decide whether the display must create awareness, drive an action, reduce uncertainty, or reinforce a new behavior. One screen should have one primary purpose.
Match the message to the project phase. Early messages should answer “why this is happening” and “what it means for me.” Implementation messages should focus on dates, steps, training, and support, consistent with Gallup’s distinction between early distributive questions and later procedural questions [Gallup, 2020]. (gallup.com)
Map the viewing environment. Walk the locations. Note how long people can look, whether they are walking or waiting, whether the screen is noisy or silent, and whether the audience includes deskless, shift-based, multilingual, or low-vision employees.
Write for a glance. Put the main message first, use familiar words, active voice, and one idea. CDC plain-language guidance recommends knowing the audience, putting the most important message first, using active voice, and limiting sentences to one idea [CDC, 2025]. (cdc.gov)
Design for readability and accessibility. Use high contrast, large sans serif type, uncluttered layouts, and enough display time. WCAG 2.2 specifies minimum contrast ratios of 4.5:1 for text and 3:1 for large-scale text at Level AA [W3C, 2024]. (w3.org)
Connect to two-way channels. Add “Ask your manager,” a help desk route, listening session, QR survey, or champions contact. CIPD notes that genuine two-way communication requires managers to listen and act on feedback [CIPD, 2026]. (cipd.org)
Pilot and adjust. Test the display from the actual viewing distance. Ask two or three target users what they think the message means and what they would do next. If they hesitate, simplify it.
Publish, monitor, and rotate. Launch in sync with manager briefings and other change communications. Remove expired messages quickly. Stale screens reduce credibility.
Example: how this could be applied in a real change initiative
A distribution company is replacing paper pick lists with a mobile warehouse app. The impacted audience includes pickers, supervisors, inventory control, and temporary workers.
Four weeks before go-live, screens in break rooms show: “New picking app starts July 15. Faster scans. Fewer paper lists. Ask your supervisor what changes for your aisle.” Two weeks before go-live, the message changes to: “Practice the new picking app this week. Scan the QR code for a 3-minute demo.” During go-live week, monitors near time clocks show: “Need help with the picking app? Floor walkers in blue vests are here on all shifts.” After launch, the display reinforces behavior: “Great progress: 82% of picks now completed in the app. Keep scanning every item.”
The display campaign supports awareness, readiness, go-live support, and reinforcement, while managers and floor walkers handle questions and resistance.
Roles and responsibilities
Role | Responsibility |
Sponsor | Approves the business message and ensures it aligns with the case for change. |
Change manager | Defines adoption objective, audience, timing, resistance considerations, and measurement. |
Communications/design lead | Creates concise, brand-aligned, plain-language visuals. |
People managers | Reinforce the message, answer “what does this mean for me,” and escalate feedback. |
Signage owner/IT/facilities | Publishes, schedules, tests, and removes display content. |
Accessibility/HR/legal/employee relations | Reviews for accessibility, inclusion, sensitivity, and compliance risks. |
Change champions/adoption leads | Test message clarity and gather local feedback. |
Common mistakes to avoid
Using displays as the only channel. A display can create awareness, but it cannot coach, listen, negotiate meaning, or build skill.
Publishing too much text. If the message looks like an email on a screen, it will be ignored. UBC recommends brief digital signage, visual hierarchy, and a clear call to action [UBC Digital Signage]. (digitalsignage.ubc.ca)
Getting the phase wrong. Do not ask people to “get ready” before they know why the change matters. Do not keep awareness messages running after people need go-live instructions.
Ignoring local context. A headquarters message may not work on a night shift, shop floor, clinic, call center, or field depot.
Forgetting accessibility. Low contrast, small type, fast rotation, image-only content, and inaccessible landing pages exclude people and reduce comprehension [UMB Digital Displays; W3C, 2024]. (umaryland.edu)
Measures of success or adoption indicators
Measure both communication performance and adoption movement. Useful indicators include message recall, QR scans, landing-page visits, training sign-ups, attendance at manager briefings, number and type of questions raised, sentiment from pulse checks, support ticket themes, readiness survey results, go-live error rates, process compliance, and sustained use of the new behavior. Prosci recommends evaluating communication impact and adjusting based on response [Prosci, 2026]. (prosci.com)
Checklist for the change manager
The display has one adoption objective.
The message matches the current project phase.
The audience and location are specific.
The copy is short, plain, and action-oriented.
The design is readable from the actual viewing distance.
Contrast, font, display duration, QR code, and landing page have been tested.
Managers know the message before employees see it.
A feedback or support route is visible.
Start date, end date, owner, and removal plan are confirmed.
Measures are defined before publishing.
Optional reusable message outline
Headline: What is changing?
Why it matters: One short benefit or reason.
What I need to do: One action only.
When: Date or phase.
Where to learn more: QR code, short URL, manager, champion, or help desk.
Owner: Team or sponsor name.
Expiry date: Remove or replace by this date.
Example: “New expense system starts Aug. 5. Submit July expenses by Aug. 2. Scan for the 2-minute guide or ask Finance Support.”
References
Prosci. “5 Steps to Better Change Management Communication + Template.” Published March 31, 2024; updated May 21, 2026.
https://www.prosci.com/blog/change-management-communication
Gallup. “Proven Change Management Principles: How to Effectively Initiate It.” July 15, 2020.
https://www.gallup.com/workplace/315602/proven-change-management-principles-effectively-initiate.aspx
Project Management Institute. “The Essential Role of Communications.” PMI Pulse of the Profession In-Depth Report. May 2013.
https://www.pmi.org/-/media/pmi/documents/public/pdf/learning/thought-leadership/pulse/the-essential-role-of-communications.pdf
CIPD. “Employee voice.” April 6, 2026.
https://www.cipd.org/en/knowledge/factsheets/voice-factsheet/
CDC. “Plain Language Materials & Resources.” July 21, 2025.
https://www.cdc.gov/health-literacy/php/develop-materials/plain-language.html
University of British Columbia. “Section 3: Design Guidelines for Digital Signage.” No publication date shown.
https://digitalsignage.ubc.ca/current-clients/content-guidelines/design-guidelines-for-digital-signage/
University of Maryland, Baltimore. “Digital Displays.” No publication date shown; site copyright 2025–2026.
https://www.umaryland.edu/accessibility/creating-accessible-content/digital-displays/
World Wide Web Consortium. “Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.2.” W3C Recommendation, December 12, 2024.
https://www.w3.org/TR/WCAG22/