Interactive displays collect information from the public for agency analysis. Output from an interactive display is used to record preferences or to recognize and respond to specific partici pant concerns. It is also used to expand mailing list databases. Mostdisplays can store large amounts of data. If connected to a telephone line, the data may be downloaded by a central agency or operations center.
Displays offer agencies flexibility in controlling and directing where a message goes.
As with commercial video productions, specific audiences can be targeted. A program can be designed to appeal principally to adults who seldom go to public meetings or to parents of chil dren who delight in observing different modes of transportation. When presentation information is developed to appeal to that audience, the interactive feature of a touch screen adds a means of collecting reactions from the audience. Targeted marketing by local governments, according to Indiana Business Magazine, has the potential to increase an audience's retention of information by 50 percent. Software experts design and develop interactive displays.