by Matt Deaton, Marketing Director, Codigo
Have you ever had to take a product out of the box, while still in the store, to better know what it looks like? 100 to 1 odds says that we all have at least once.
Retail stores have looked to digital signage displays to promote their products and help to educate their customers on how something looks, works, or even compares to other like-products. But, non-integrated digital signage basically runs a loop of content which can only be manually tailored to target audiences. This means that content must be pre-selected and may not always be as targeted as marketers may need. On the other hand, digital signage integrated with a POS system can automatically decide what’s the best content to display based on the individual customer.
A new device called the D-Lab Hook uses a trigger mechanism to display content based on the product selected. This device allows marketers to really hone their messages by displaying relevant product information to the right person, at the right time.
What a great tool for marketers, but I think it’s just the beginning of something amazing. The capabilities to send targeted messages and count the number of times a customer interacts with a product are priceless. But, the possibilities are what really excite me. The D-Lab Hook is exactly that, a hook. So, what if a customer picks up a product then places it on a different hook?
The next time a customer picks up that product, the content displayed on the screen would be incorrect and the data collected would be flawed. So, I think it’s a great technology but it’s only the beginning. Let’s take a look at possibilities the D-Lab Hook presents to future retail marketers.
The hook causes limitations. A wireless transmitter would produce the same results but with a lot more flexibility. Customers could pick up a product from anywhere in the store and, with Near Field Communication, the closest screen could display the targeted message. Since the wireless transmitter would be synced by bar code, there would be no more skewed data due to products placed in the wrong places. Next, enhance the digital signage. Digital signage is a great way for a marketer to get their message across, but today it takes more than a simple message. Retailers must engage their customers in a two-way conversation. Therefore, why not enhance the digital signage with a kiosk solution allowing customers that pick up products to interact with them. The kiosks could ask if the customer would prefer to see other similar products, post it to social media sites (get their friend’s advice), use a QR code to alert the customer of any sales promotions, or simply place an order online.
What’s your opinion on the D-Lab Hook? Will it be a popular tool for retail marketers? Does it add to the customer experience? How do you see this technology How do you see this technology evolving? Please share your thoughts with us.
Matt Deaton, Marketing Director, Codigo: In his role as Marketing Director, he oversees all marketing aspects of the company such as content development, advertising placement, strategy implementation, and process management. Mr. Deaton started with the company in 2008 and since has had his hand in Client Relations, Sales, and Marketing. He holds a Bachelor Degree in Business Administration from the University of Louisville with a concentration on Marketing and Sales. In addition to his work at Codigo, Matt also does some work for the GCS Ideas Corporation and his own venture, Sky Marketing.
Codigo is about bringing innovative media solutions to market so theiir customers can make a positive impact on the retail behavior of consumers in their stores. Though their history is based in the financial industry, specifically community banks and credit unions, they’ve also been involved in projects for major hotel chains, nationwide quick-service restaurants, colleges campuses, and healthcare facilities.
Watch The D-Lab Hook Video
