Reality Interactive’s very own, Craig Martin, will be co- presenting a session called, “ The Power of Interactive: From Drawing Crowds to Engaging Individuals,” on March 7th from 3 – 4 p.m. Craig will be talk about the following:

• What motivates an individual to take action on information presented in a touch screen deployment
• Insight into creating quality content for interactive environments implemented in retail & other common day-to-day locations
• Strategies for cost effective “roll-out” of interactive technologies to hundreds & thousands of pervasive locations

Take a sneak peek of session content, and in the meantime, take a look at the infographic below on how pervasive digital signage actually is in our everyday lives.

Digital Signage: It’s all around us [Infographic] compliments of DigitalSignageToday.com

Connectivity

What’s your overall plan for connectivity? Do your units need to be remotely connected?  Will you work with an existing network? If so, gain the correct permissions and proxies and verify the connection works prior to going out into the field.

Gaining access to existing “hostile” store networks can be a fruitless endeavor, so I recommend you have viable alternatives. We’ve had great success with the use of a high gain antenna and a cell phone modem which virtually eliminates your reliance on in-store systems. Remember, test everything!

Power

Power is essential for kiosk units, but 120 volt receptacles can be elusive in retail and big box stores. Contact your install locations beforehand and take a site survey to make sure you’ll have access to the power you need. Bring plenty of extension cords and ensure the power is clean (e.g. no voltage fluctuations from large pieces of equipment turning on and off on the same circuit).

Shipping/Receiving

Who is going to receive the units? Use caution when shipping units to a big-box retailer, we’ve found that display units can get lost in the back room or simply disappear. Consider shipping the units to local or regional representatives rather than directly to the store.

Field Services Support & Help Desk

Many stores won’t let you install while they are open for business, so choose installation and support staff that will be willing to work during off-hours. Also, plan for extra help desk staff for the duration of the deployment as issues may arise at any point.

Removal of Materials

Often, pre-existing materials need to be removed to make room for your unit. Where do these go? Whose responsibility are they?

Think It Through

Deployment of a digital merchandising project is a complex effort with many moving parts that need to be seamlessly coordinated. Every part of the process should be thought through, tested and documented prior to “feet hitting the street.”

Some automotive advertisers, seeking to maximize their reach by engaging viewers, facilitated a channel for post-ad conversation. Honda, in their Ferris Bueller’s Day Off-esque ad, directed viewers to leaplist.honda.com and encouraged them to create their own leap list and participate in a contest to win a CR-V.

BMW leveraged two 30 second spots on the day of the game, “The Big Grab” and “The Close Call,” while airing four additional spots on YouTube. They promoted the new BMW 3 series with connected drive and directed viewers to bmwusa.com/allnew3.²

Meanwhile, Audi evoked the power of a song bird by promoting the twitter hash tag #SoLongVampires in their ad, Vampire Party. Audi’s Andy White gives us a real-time look at the impact on their traffic, in this video. Similarly, here’s the tweet deck for hash tag #superbowl during the day of the game.

Altimeter Group, a research-based advisory firm, reported that more than two thirds promoted cross-channel, 57% included a website or micro-site while only 16% included some form of social media. However, 49% of ads which directed a viewer online, directed to the company’s corporate url while only 7% introduced a Twitter hash tag.³

Whether it’s getting your audience to bridge the gap between the TV screen and social media, or from the shopping cart to check out, you’ll need quality applications and quality content to make that happen. You’ll also need a team that’s dedicated to the entire process from start to finish. Including social media, there are a number of other tools you can employ to engage and educate your consumer audience with your brand’s information. Connect with us to learn more about how interactive or mobile applications can help your target audience become tweet-happy brand supporters.

1 “Super Bowl Ad Roundup: Your One-Stop Location for Every Automotive Ad,” from MotorTrend.com.
² “BMW Gets in on the 2012 Super Bowl Ad Action,” from Edmunds Inside Line.
³ “Five Trends: How Brands Intergrate Social, Mobile, and Web into 2012 Super Bowl Advertisements,”
from Altimetergroup.com.

Our company recently showcased our PepsiCo application at the National Retail Federation’s “Big Show.” But, before we could show off the app that was originally created for Microsoft Surface version 1, it had to be ported over to version 2, for the new Samsung SUR40 table. This presented my first opportunity to experience Microsoft Surface development for version 2.

Microsoft provides a conversion utility that can be run against version 1 applications which does a sweep of the existing code and changes and flags differences for the new SDK.  As a developer for many years, I was a bit skeptical of the effectiveness of the tool. To my surprise, the tool does a decent job of making the necessary adjustments and calls out the major differences.  After going through the automatic conversion process, the next step was to get the “new” code to compile.

Pepsi Co app on Samsung SUR40

While working through the task, I realized it was not a conversion of a Surface application built on version 1 to version 2. It was a task in converting the application to conform to the newly integrated Windows 7 touch technology newly integrated with the Surface technologies.

Surface “contacts” are now called “touches” blending the language of surface into the Windows 7 environment. Additionally, another significant change is that manipulations are no longer processes that work on objects, but have been migrated to be functions within the UI elements. The application compiled successfully after addressing these two factors along with some additional minor tweaking.

The next step was to adjust the layout of the application.  The resolution of a Surface 1 application is not only smaller, but also a different aspect ratio than the new Surface 2. This impacted what I will call the stage of the application or background. The interactive objects used in the original application went unchanged as a result of the update.

Generally speaking, the conversion went fairly well with the biggest effort being the adjustment to the manipulations to the UI element level. In addition, developers should be aware that there are some changes to the application icon dimensions and the XML configuration file when running on a physical Surface unit.

I would say that when developing or converting applications for Surface 2, try not to reference version 1 too much, but rather, embrace the new Windows 7 touch environment. It’s not just Microsoft Surface, it’s also Windows 7.

However, having been at both CES and NRF, one of the observations I’m most excited about is that the economy is definitely picking up. Based on the significant increase in numbers of exhibitors and attendees from 2009 to 2012, it is clear that companies are again exploring technology and have the desire to invest in digital merchandising solutions.

With that being said, I’d be remiss if I didn’t share some of the things I’ve been keeping my eye on.  This year the transparent LCD products are moving from concept to production and RFID is being implemented in more creative ways.  Both of these technologies have the ability to impact the consumer experience in retail.

Transparent LCDs

Transparent LCD technology is becoming more and more prevalent as a viable option for customer-facing digital merchandising initiatives. Samsung seems to have the lead in this space with one of the clearest and advanced solutions on the market.  One of the concepts I’ve seen in the past involved attaching the transparent LCD to the inside of a beverage refrigerator glass door.  Perching an implementation like this at the front of the checkout aisle, is a prime spot to display eye-catching content and to get the consumers attention on a product.  If implemented properly, it’s sure to be able to drive up brand awareness and increase sales.

RFID

There are many opportunities within the digital merchandising realm to leverage the power of RFID tagging. Perhaps, in ways that have not been previously thought of.  Reality Interactive has implemented RFID reading for projects before (Wave and Win contest) but since then the technology has advanced in its capabilities and reduced in cost.  Not only can RFID tagging be used for active scanning and inventory purposes, but also consumer interaction with merchandise or displays.

At NRF, while exhibiting our Microsoft Surface 2.0 application on the new SUR40. We started to conceptualize different options for integrating RFID location-based interactivity. During lunch, we sat next an individual who happened to be deep into the development of RFID technology and directed us to UPM‘s booth showcasing the work of their partner inMotion.  They were demonstrating a similar concept based on the movement of the RFID tag on a product  the display would change to more relevant content.  This definitely got the creative juices flowing. Enjoy the video below while I’m off to get some sleep!

Courtesy of Washington Post : see photo gallery of CES 2012

The overall development process, from concept to pilot, may only take 10-14 weeks, but the decisions that are made at the beginning of the process can be the most crucial. These decisions will determine how you’ll cut costs, save time, and reduce the amount of headaches you’ll have when you get to deployment.

Your deployment process should be thoroughly planned “upstream,” meaning during the manufacturing process, or by developing an easy to use installation “Wizard.”  Field installation should be swift, simple and obvious. Make sure to provide step-by-step, detailed, and specific guidelines and procedures.  The installer should not have to improvise or make decisions on your behalf.

The Kiosk is a “Toaster”

For many kiosk deployments, it is highly likely that there is no commonality among kiosks in the field. The installation process may vary. There may be different drivers, BIOS settings, and even hardware. All the units in a kiosk roll out should be identical, to the fullest extent possible. Think of them as toasters rather than remote PCs, each having the same hardware, the same wiring, the same software, etc.  Multiple field configurations can increase costs and support efforts. Additionally, it can make it more likely that you will have problems over the life of the program.

Don’t Think of Units as PC’s

Plain and simple: kiosks are not desktop environments. You don’t want people to make changes on individual units. If all the units are identical it makes troubleshooting and remote management substantially more efficient.  No one should be allowed “into” the PC to be making one-off changes. This applies to both the initial installation and ongoing management. It takes discipline, but with this philosophy there is either a problem on all the field units, or it’s a hardware problem on one specific unit. There is no in-between. If you abide by this practical advice, you will save time and money and increase your field uptime.

What to Install in the Field

Our “best practice” for deployment includes the testing of all parts and functionality of units before they are shipped. The manufacturing process should include QC, test, and setup of units before they are sent out for installation. We have witnessed many projects where final set up and testing was left to the field installer. Just think about it, if you have created a process that requires installers to assemble the units in the field, you will have increased costs and increased variability. Each installer will put things together differently, which will lead to more problems down the line.

You should have an idea in mind of what your unit is going to look like in the field and see to it that the manufacturing and installation processes makes that happen. Make sure you test the entire system prior to deployment. Test the speakers. Test the parts. Test everything!

Infographic courtesy of Sortable.com.


Today’s consumers are empowered unlike ever before when making purchasing decisions. Savvy marketers know that they have limited control over the results of a Google search or a barcode scan in an Amazon marketplace app. Forward-thinkers know they do have an opportunity to influence in the aisle, at the point-of-sale or at other daily decision points.

Interactive at Multiple & Many Locations
Interacting with touch screen technology has been transformative in our daily lives. I bet there are a few implementations that you take for granted in your day-to-day. In fact, the most successful kiosk implementation in history is the Automated Teller Machine (ATM).

Some implementations like kiosks at airline check-in or immigration are embraced by the public. Others, like self-check out at the grocery store have mixed reviews and are not universally accepted. Nevertheless, touch screen interactivity is woven into the fabric of our daily experiences. Pioneering implementations like the ATM have opened the gate to acclimate numerous sections of the consumer populace to using technology when they are seeking assistance or knowledge. They’ve helped to foster the opportunity and the willingness in the consumer to rely on technology to assist them in daily decision-making.

Driving the Individual to Act: Connecting with a Real Need
For marketers, the key is bringing the power of interactive touch points in line with the brand experience where it’s needed most;  The Point of Decision. The Point of Decision is that place, typically right at the shelf where products are stored and merchandised. This is today’s battle ground. Television and other mass market mediums are generating demand and driving consumers to the stores, but the facts are, according to the Point of Purchasing Advertising Institute, that 7 out of 10 buying decisions are made IN STORE.

Marketers can’t rely solely on traditional methods to communicate their message. Packaging and POP displays are no longer enough to draw a consumer to an item on shelf and convince them to buy your product over your competitors’. However, you’ve got a captive audience within the aisle of a retail store. The consumer is there for a reason (usually) and willing to engage with your product or brand if given the chance. But, once they’re engaged with your touch screen implementation in aisle or on an end cap, what about it is going to impact their behavior? The quality of your content will make all the difference and you’ll want to make sure it’s cast to meet their specific needs.

Your audience is captive, your location is set, and now, what’s going to be on the screen? You’ve got to start with an excellent user interface. It takes a little know-how about human psychology and knowledge about ideal positioning of design and content to create a great user experience that moves consumers to purchase. What is it that you are offering the consumer that they aren’t going to get from their mobile device? Are you going to give them a brief interactive tour of your product line, are you going to tell them about what’s on sale or personally assist them to find the perfect product? You need to give the consumer something they can’t get elsewhere.  Are you going to save them time, save them money, or make their life better? If not, you’re not going to attract or connect with the consumer– no matter what you’re selling or where your unit is.

Technology & Expertise for Roll Out
Once you understand the impact you can have, next is implementing a real solution. What is the right technology to support your user experience? What is the right deployment strategy? How and when do you update?  Whether your project is an in-store or multi-branch deployment in the banking sector, you’ll need cost-effective answers to these and other questions as you roll-out to hundreds or thousands of locations. Most importantly you’ll need a team that’s dedicated to the life-span of the program. A skilled, experienced team can be the difference between success and failure of a digital merchandising program. The costs and stakes are high and there is no room for amateurs.

You want to improve the lives of consumers by giving them the convenience and crucial information they need in their everyday lives. With touch screen interactivity, you can harness the power of technology that’s already so pervasive in our daily lives. With a little expertise and tested strategies, you can implement a reliable solution that makes bottom line driving impact.

You can learn more on how to leverage the impact of daily touch points strategically in a session at Digital Signage Expo (DSE) titled “The Power of Interactive: From Drawing Crowds to Engaging Individuals.“

This article was also featured in Signage Solutions Magazine Online.

Compliments of RetailCustomerExperience.com.

The selection of the ideal enclosure supplier is a crucial step. You’ll want to consider the goal of your program and the relative strengths and weaknesses of different providers. Many providers have a Point-of-Purchase (POP) heritage and the design of kiosk and digital merchandising enclosures are part of a larger POP display capability.

Traditional POP displays do not contain electronic components. Those who approach enclosure design strategy from a POP heritage are well-informed of the competing interests of the sponsoring brand, the retailer, and the consumer – this can be a real advantage in retail settings. Other suppliers are dedicated to a kiosk unit-centric approach and solely on projects which include electronic components. Each style of enclosure provider can deliver quality results, but you may realize that one style suits your need better than the other.

Regulation & Industry Best Practice
The American with Disabilities Act (ADA) requirements ensure that kiosk implementations are easily accessible by all persons. ADA regulation is a fact of life in the kiosk business. Your enclosure manufacturer should be well-versed in the measurement and spec requirements for compliance.

There is a saying that’s very appropriate to kiosk design, “Professionals only focus on the details, amateurs don’t even know they exist.” Designing enclosures with large-scale electronics is a very different process than designing for standard POP fixtures. Component access, wire routing and heat are all issues that need an experienced design team to consider. Is your provider familiar with the ventilation requirements your unit will have? Will it need a fan or will it function properly with passive ventilation? A common beginner’s mistake is to design the unit without proper thought given to the risk of overheating. Successful design is all about the details.

Most kiosk units are in the field for a minimum of three years, and experienced professionals design the unit with the long-term in mind. Experts will make provisions for easy component changes and select materials that will last throughout the lifespan of the program.

Ability to Work Hand-in-Glove with Other Providers
Finally, a good fixture/enclosure manufacturer will work hand-in-glove with your software provider during the entire project. As mentioned in my earlier posts, you’ll want to find a qualified team that has experience working well together and is led by one key vendor.

When picking your providers, work with them to design your program with the end in mind. Before considering a roll-out, make sure you build a prototype and then pilot it. You will gain valuable knowledge throughout that process that you’ll apply if you choose to push out thousands of units to numerous locations.

Previous posts in this series:

Essential Elements of a Successful Kiosk Solution Implementation: What to Ask Before You Begin

Essential Elements of a Successful Kiosk Solution Implementation: What Should You Ask Your Hardware Vendors?

Essential Elements of a Successful Kiosk Solution Implementation: Aspects of Quality Software