Encouraging news from the Retail Digital Signage Industry
By Dale Smith
Director of Business Development
Peerless Industries, Inc.
Retail Digital Signage (RDS) projects are popping up everywhere in the retail landscape.. System owners, designers and integrators are excited and gearing up for what should be an ongoing surge in network installations and expansions. In some cases this means entirely new designs and in others it means rethinking screen placements, screen counts and screen sizes. This represents opportunity for all…display providers, mounting system manufacturers, integrators, consolidators, and content creators and managers.
Moving screens down from ceilings and walls and into the real action spots such as end caps and “action alley” pallet displays has provided real, measurable impacts on sales. Advertisers who place their faith and dollars in RDS networks, demand proof that this innovative way of spending ad dollars will truly provide “bang for the buck” in a fresh and exciting way. The call for measurable results is being answered by recent tests and pilot projects throughout the retail industry. The MediaTile Company, provider of turnkey narrowcast networks, announced that RAM Forest Products increased sales of deck accessories by more than 50 percent in Home Depot Canada stores last season. According to a news release, Home Depot Canada expects to achieve faster ROI using MediaTile's Digital Signage End-Cap TV solution.1 Ad-Week magazine for October 16, 2006 states that Wal-Mart is replacing in-store monitors with flat screen panels, which will be at eye level in the aisles and other key locations instead of hanging overhead. Tests show that awareness levels for ads are “significantly higher” when screens are at eye level, said Mike Hiatt, Director of Internal Media Networks at Wal-Mart.2 This speaks to the real opportunity for creative screen placement in retail spaces.
Challenges
Opportunity often comes disguised as challenges, and so we find the future of RDS systems. Creative system designers will answer the call from advertisers and retailers by creating solutions that provide real and helpful ways to impact shoppers and the shopping experience. Budgets that once included ten or twelve 42” or 50” displays placed prominently overhead, will be modified to include up to three or four times as many 15” to 20” screen placed strategically within the merchandised areas. As display prices plummet worldwide, this approach becomes more realistic from a cap-ex standpoint. Mounting solution providers are creating new and innovative means of integrating screen mounts with retail fixtures, thus bringing the ads and info closer to the products. This combination of more screens and better mounting solutions, creates a stronger call to action resulting in better metrics for all.
Screen Spotting
“Content is King” is the rallying cry at every RDS seminar and trade show. While it is true that great content is important to any successful RDS system, their Achilles heel is functionality, dependability, and serviceability – all of which are largely reliant upon screen location, or “screen spotting”. Public spaces, especially at retail, rarely, if ever, have consistent ceiling structures or wall construction, and often feature very dissimilar architecture. Moving screens down into the shopping space and onto end caps is challenging from a safety and durability aspect. As these are almost always public spaces, the safety, security and durability of the mounting device and hardware system must be carefully considered. Most RDS applications require the use of custom mounting and installation systems to ensure perfect screen spotting for a particular environment. These custom solutions must meet the engineering, seismic and program requirements of the project and the region. The mount and hardware suppliers must have the capability to create original prototypes in short time frames, meet ongoing design challenges with robust solutions, and ship large orders to meet critical lead time requirements. Choosing a mounting hardware supplier with expertise and experience in a variety of public spaces and with a history of success meeting design requirements and delivery schedules, is key to a successful network roll-out. One of the most critical decisions when putting together a project is deciding on supplier partners. In fact, each supplier partner on your project team must possess custom design capabilities since standard or “off the shelf” solutions, whether software or hardware, rarely work in these distinctive environments.
Remember this adage, “Effectiveness is a function of system design”. Design a robust, easily installed and maintained network featuring engaging, frequently refreshed content and your network owner and the advertisers will be delighted with you and with their RDS system.
1. Source : www.digitalsignagetoday.com Digital Signage News & Features
2. Source : Ad-Week “Wal-Mart takes it ads to a new level: The aisle” by Steve McClellan 10/16/06
Peerless Industries, Inc.
Dale Smith, Director of Business Development
As Director of Business Development for Peerless Industries, Dale Smith oversees national Digital Signage installations and programs for large-scale retail outlets. He is also responsible for establishing and managing strategic relationships throughout the Western United States.
Smith has more than 25 years of sales and management experience in the audiovisual and case goods distribution industry, having successfully held positions at the manufacturer, distributor and retailer levels. A qualified expert on Digital Signage, he has led merchandising, display and logistical efforts for major variety and home center chains such as Wal-Mart, K-Mart, Target, Rite Aid and more.
Additionally, Smith served as general manager for a high-end retailer of audiovisual products, where he was responsible for merchandising, advertising, inventory and key account sales. He was also sales manager for a national distributor of video accessory products and in charge of supplier relationships, program development and display solutions for retailers.
Smith is an active member of various audio/visual industry organizations, including CEDIA, CEA, ICIA, NSCA and VESA. He has earned numerous national sales achievement awards for excellence throughout his career.
