How technology has transformed shop windows into interactive shopping catalogues

BRAND ACTIVITY

Dec 9th 2011, 12:44

Since its inception in 2007, One Digital Media’s digital in-store solutions have enabled brands to interact with their customers in ways that were unthinkable before.

One of its recent showcases is its new digital store concept for 8.ta, Telkom’s mobile brand, which they developed in close cooperation with 8.ta’s store designers.

Store windows were transformed into so-called whispering windows that play sound as customers approach the window. By touching the interactive window screen, they can compare products, or enter their details and a sales assistant will call them back to address any queries. The technology thus enables 24/7 shopping, even when the store is closed.

When customers enter the store, a large prominent video wall behind the counter immediately catches shoppers’ attention, showing 8.ta’s latest commercials and handset deals. The video wall comprises of nine 46 INCH screens tiled closely together, forming one virtually seamless large screen. The screens allow for synchronised content across tiles for an unmatched visual impact.

In addition, customers can learn more about the products on offer via interactive touch tables, with touch screens ‘integrated’ in free-standing tables throughout the store. The table touch screens detail all the handsets available in store, including related contract prices, prepaid prices and phone specifications. The touch screens also enable customers to compare different models of handsets, thereby allowing for a more informed choice when purchasing a cell phone.

Moreover, the so-called ‘pick-and watch’ solution lets customers find out more about the offering by simply picking up a specific mobile handset, with the related deal information being displayed on a large connected screen.

All interaction data is captured in a central database and shared with the related brands. This is valuable information for marketers, as it can give them insight into customers’ product preferences and preferred product combinations in a particular location. This customer intelligence in turn can be effectively used to optimise the in-store offering and the content on the screens.

“We allow the brands we work with to make their in-store campaigns more contextually relevant, as they can effectively target their content to particular regions, stores, consumer demographics, or even day times”, says Lilian Plomp, marketing strategist at One Digital Media. “Combine this with the fact that the content on any of the screens can be changed remotely at the touch of a button, and it will become clear that this medium can result in substantial efficiencies for our clients, making real-time marketing a reality.”

As the medium is evolving at an enormous pace, a lot more digital innovations can be expected to change the in-store retail game in the near future. Just watch this space change!Click here for more information on One Digital Media