Digital Signage; another video wall installation

We recently had the good fortune of working on an amazing project for Eclipse Bank in Louisville, KY. They really took the use of digital media to it's maximum and it was neat to see them use not only our technology but many others throughout the branch. I am most proud of the video wall installation we did with them. Attached is a picture. Enjoy!

Digital Signage: You have to fit in fun sometimes..

Yes, I'm behind on my blog posts. Yes, I know I've neglected it. To those that have visited over last few weeks looking for an update to my promised experience article, I apologize. But it is still coming!!! For now I'll post some quick thoughts on a recent project we did at Captive Indoor Media that has direct correlation to experience although when we did it I had no intention to wrap it into the direction of my blog but here goes....

In my humble opinion, experience is something that extends beyond what your customer feels when he/she walks into your branch or store. If your employees haven't adopted your vision for the experience, you may as well pack it in. Experience starts internally!

At Captive Indoor Media, I am not only consumed with our product offering but how my employees feel about working here and then consequently how that feeling extends to our customer base. Hopefully it is positive on both fronts. It takes work to achieve this.

I've had the good fortune to work for both good companies and bad over my professional life. When I reflect back, I can see how my experience with each employer affected my interaction with customers and I try to use that to my advantage as I run my business today. The one thing that seems to strike me as most relevant when I reflect on past positions is the fact that when my mood was positive towards my employer, my customers attitude was more likely to be positive towards me. They were more likely to forgive not only my personal mistakes but that of the company I worked for and that makes life easier.

With that in mind, we did a really fun creative team building exercise in the office over the last couple of weeks. Follow the link listed below to see it in action. We filmed the entire thing and then sped it up by 4000% so it only takes 3 minutes to watch. I'd like to tell you more but the link is all you need to see what we did.

Yes, I promise I'll finish the experience article although I hope you will agree that this is a decent start although a bit off the initial path.

Enjoy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tQUvUVVBD08

Digital Signage: Experience Counts

Last week I was in Seattle for the MAC (Marketing Association of Credit Unions) Conference. The conference draws around 150 professional marketers from within the Credit Union industry and is always interesting. If you are involved in the industry and have never attended, I encourage you to do so.



During the conference I spent much of my time interacting with other vendors and of course customers. The one topic which continued to repeat itself during these conversations was "Experience". "You have to give people a unique experience," said one. "The branch experience is what will set you apart" said another. Ok, fine but what is the definition of experience? Not one person repeated the definition that another had given me. Interesting.



I think about things as they relate to marketing in a retail space. And make no mistake, a branch is a store. If you don't think that it is, I suggest you take a closer look at what the high growth brands are doing. The most visible brand in the financial industry today is Umpqua Bank. If Umpqua Bank doesn't scream retail store at you, I don't know what will. Heck they even call the branch a store. Take notice.



Ok, so what is "experience" in a retail branch envirionment? I guess that depends greatly on who you speak with so I guess I'll add my definiton to the mix. But before I do, give me a few lines to set it up.

From my perspective I feel marketers today need to do their best to understand technology as it applies to the marketing realm. It is no longer good enough to say to a technology vendor that "IT takes care of that". If you find yourself saying things like that often, you are falling behind. Today's technology can get you closer to your customer and allow for better and more immersive communication. But you as the marketer must recognize the benefits of available technology as they apply to your marketing initiatives. In short, you need to know enough to be dangerous with technology as it becomes prevalent in the marketplace.

OK, so what is my definition right? I believe experience as it applies to a customer in a retail environment is the ability to fully immerse them in a brand from the minute they walk in the door until 5 minutes after they have left. That means giving them interesting interactive displays (check out this link from Infinity for an example) along with informative personal interaction in a unique setting (see Umpqua Bank) and backing it up with great service. If you do that customes will be wowed by your store and keep thinking about you for several minutes after they have left your store. They will also be more likely to talk about you to their friends. That is experience.

I'm going to do some more digging on this subject and post some follow up articles over the next couple of weeks. Be patient with me though. I'll be traveling quite heavily so posts might be sporadic.

Digital Signage: Microsoft Scratches The Surface

Say what you want about Bill Gates and his army in the Northwest. Call them evil, call them monopolists, call them whatever you want but be sure you recognize the significance of a product called Surface that was released last week. Surface will change the way digital signage is used in retail environments.
My view of digital signage is warped. I live it during the day and dream about it all night long. This I admit. I am wildly enthusiastic about the ever growing applications for digital signage and I’m constantly finding new ways to utilize the technology. With that said, I know, without a shadow of a doubt, that digital signage is less about technology than it is about the consumer experience the technology can create for individuals.
Surface appears to do what our industry has been championing for years but somehow falling short. That is to present a fully immersive retail experience and take the customer through the entire purchase experience in an entertaining, unique and informative way. I have yet to see the Surface product myself so maybe they have an element of spin associated with their pitch as well. I will be interested to get my hands on this product and you can be sure I’ll post my findings here when the time comes.

Digital Signage: LCD vs Plasma

I came across a great article in Self Service World about the use of LCD vs Plasma in digital signage applications. It does a good job of briefly explaining the differences between the technologies as well as outlining what industry folks have to say. You can find that article here.

Digital Signage: More on the video wall

As promised, I'm posting pictures of the video wall installation we did for the Louisville Convention and Visitors Bureau. We will be releasing this product to the masses in a month or so. In the meantime, enjoy the pictures and if you are ever in Louisville, you can find this installation at 4th and Jefferson in downtown Louisville, KY!