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The evolution of digital signage window displays

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A window display is a great canvas for Digital Signage. With a big window looking out to those passing by your shop or restaurant, you have a direct line to potential customers. However, until relatively recently the Digital Signage industry was not taking full advantage of this space. One look at our website and you can see our range of ‘High Brightness’ products is growing at a rapid pace. In this blog I’m going to look at the evolution of Digital Signage Window Displays.

Before we manufactured High Brightness solutions, conventional brightness Digital Signage screens like our Android Advertising Displays or Android Freestanding Digital Posters would have been used in windows. As great as these screens are, this is not really what they are designed for. When placing a screen into a window a whole host of challenges arise that a screen needs to be equipped for. The key issues were the brightness level of the screen competing with the sun, as well as the temperature regulation of the display itself. There was also the fact that these displays featured a tempered glass front meaning when they were installed into window displays there were two layers of glass, creating addition reflections. It was clear to us that a purpose built solution was needed for this market.

As the screens were for use in window displays they needed to be able to cope with the increased temperatures from prolonged exposure to direct sunlight. The screen needed a temperature control system to regulate the heat of the screen to keep the LCD panel running at the optimum temperature. Compared to other solutions on the market the High Brightness Monitors were a cost effective solution that we saw was missing from the marketplace. Customers loved having our award winning all-in-one Digital Signage software solution bundled with the new High Brightness hardware.

Not every window display is the same so just having one solution for all doesn’t make sense right? When mounted into a south facing window display the brightness of the High Brightness Professional Monitor was not sufficient to counteract the reflections and distortions the direct sunlight can bring. The ‘Ultra High Brightness Monitor‘ launched is the premium solution for this problem. With a brightness of 2,500cd/m2 the display is ten times brighter than that of a domestic television. A side-effect of an LCD panel being exposed to direct sunlight is that temporary blackening defect can occur on the panel when it overheats.

The Ultra High Brightness Monitor uses a special panel that can withstand surface temperatures up to 100°C with no blackening defects occurring. A freestanding version of this product was launched to create a true all-in-one Digital Signage window display.
The latest evolution came with the recent launch of the Hanging Double-Sided Window Displays. We saw from the market that some customers wanted to have screens facing their windows and inside at the same time. Solutions on the market would have been costly, involving buying two screens and mounting them together and often looking bulky. That is what makes the Hanging Double-Sided Window Displays even more extraordinary is that they are slimmer than even the single sided High Brightness Displays. The compromise for this is that the outer facing side has a brightness of 2500cd/m2 while the inside is 700cd/m2.

There are multiple challenges that you face when placing a Digital Signage screen inside a window display. From the brightness of the screen to how to the display regulates its temperature to how the screen is mounted; so a wide range of solutions is needed. That is why the breadth of solutions has evolved so quickly and will continue to do so. As I said before not every window display is the same so by having a range of considered solutions means we can meet the developing requirements the market needs.

Click here to learn more about window facing display.

Using digital signage to drive retail traffic

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Practically every non-luxury retailer has been known to high brightness sunlight readable display posters in their shopfront windows spruiking price discounts, special offers or inventory sales in the past, many of which continue to do so today.
Currently, retailers are beginning to use sunlight readable window facing display storefront digital signage to drive retail traffic in its varying forms. Utilizing digital displays helps to achieve the same strategies and goals as traditional advertising methods, but uses far simpler and more flexible methods to do so. We’re seeing retailers – big and small – installing lcd screens into stores to achieve specific goals like improving customer experience, increasing foot traffic, boosting sales and better all-round branding.

Why You Should Take Things Digital

While traditional methods like posters and lightboxes may seem inexpensive in the short term compared to digital displays, many retailers find the opposite in the long run. With key factors like reduced material and operational costs, higher impact content, change-out speed and expanded inventory driving the storefront transformation at a diminishing cost over time.

Reduced Material and Operating Costs

By installing digital signage in a retail setting, businesses can look forward to reduced costs in both resources and operational wages. Think shipping expenses for promotional materials, man-hours devoted to hanging posters and inspections/updates from marketing and regional management. All of these costs can be reduced significantly with the introduction of digital signage into a retail setting.

Higher Impact Content

Traditionally, retailers using print needed to keep the messaging short, crisp and to the point with only the one opportunity to display a promotion on any given advertising board. With digital displays, retailers are able to add video and motion graphics, cycling through multiple benefits, price offers and calls to action with the ability to still keep the messaging clear and simple as opposed to fitting everything onto the one board.

Change-Out Speed

Sticking a poster onto the shopfront window might only take a minute, but the planning and coordination behind those promotions can take weeks. Any artwork for the posters goes through the whole creative process, then to pre-press and print and finally shipped off to all stores within the retail chain. This whole process requires a high level of project management and production coordination and also needs to be checked regularly for compliance – to make sure all retailers are using the material as intended.

Utilising digital signage, any artwork that has been created can be scheduled, targeted and distributed as new marketing content to all retailers in a few minutes. Getting retailers to comply to the promotion 100% shouldn’t be an issue as all content would be served from a shared network to digital displays. With smarter internal inventory systems it’s even possible to automate digital displays to update products and offers according to stock levels for example.

Expanded Inventory

Digital signage gives retail storefronts the ability to sell as many products as they want and display as many messaging as needed, all on the one display. This means they can promote larger chunks of their inventory, choosing specific campaigns to target niche audiences. Think food operators being able to change their messaging on any given display from breakfast, to lunch and then dinner specials instead of showing poster signage for all 3 menus at all hours.

If your business has any retail storefront still using the more traditional advertising methods, using digital signage to drive retail traffic could work to reduce your running costs in the long term, and revolutionise your outbound messaging.

For an analysis on how digital display could improve your retail offering, speak to one of the experts at Fengshi today.

Click here to learn more about the digital signage.