It’s no secret that auto dealerships need digital signage—and that their needs can be both outside as well as inside the dealership.
The power of display is its ability to share information is a consistent, understandable methodology (that a potential customer can even control if a touchscreen is involved.) That's why customers for BMW Approved Used Cars in the UK are now able to engage more closely with authorised dealer product offerings thanks to a combo of interactive screens and Touch247 interactive software being offered by Flipside Group and their AV arm, Visionpoint Technologies Ltd.
Let’s take Vines Group’s authorised dealerships in Guildford, UK as an example.
With the low winter sun blinding the dealer’s heavily glazed façade, Visionpoint proposed a high bright 46” Sunlight display from Screen New Technologies (from Germany and distributed in the UK by Paradigm AV.)
Visionpoint directors sought a high bright LCD display that would respond as the surrounding sunlight increased. The 46” Screen NT Sunlight system does that … the brighter the surrounding light, the brighter the picture.The principle is based on harnessing the strength of the sun, and automatically brightening the picture via an inbuilt reflective system behind the crystals, in accordance with lighting levels.
“There is no other car dealer I know who has this product,” says Dealer Principal Mark Hollands, who was responsible for commissioning the system at Vines Guildford.
The 46” low-maintenance transflective display (LCD backlight), was installed on Unicol mounts, and operates wirelessly. It boasts high brightness (2000nit), and is warranted for longer than standard LCD displays since it is properly cooled to allow exposure to direct sunlight.
This high bright screen is a complete one box solution; it doesn’t require lamp replacement and works very well even in challenging light conditions. The unit is air-cooled, UV protected and temperature regulated. Processing is via high spec’d media players and the customer interactive element is made possible by using a Visual Planet Capacitive Interactive Foil affixed to the window [also supplied by Paradigm].
This, combined with Visionpoint’s Touch247 software and the fact that the system is run via a complete stand-alone 3G wireless infrastructure, allows Vines to work independently from the BMW IT network yet still mirror the stock offered on the dealer website.
The software is intuitive, allowing customers to navigate to where they want to within four clicks, depending on criteria — price, type of car, mileage etc. They can leave their details if they so wish, allowing the dealership to engage directly with the customer on an opt-in basis.
The Touch 247 software also enables Vines to add elements such as screen savers, send SMS data — and of course allow Vines to promote anything they choose. “For instance we can add offers, promote opening hours or introduce members of the team, associations with other businesses (such as local health clubs), utilisation with other partners, or make it available for advertising,” says Alan Hopkins.
Photo: The interactive touch screens at Vines, Guildford: Sunlight Readable (in external window) and NEC 46” interactive display which operates inside the showroom.
Go Visionpoint Technologies Limited
Go Screen-NT Sunlight Technology
Go Paradigm