If you spend time in any public-facing environment — from restaurants and hotels to office lobbies and conference venues — you’re probably accustomed to seeing displays. Old-fashioned displays used to be static and applicable to everyone. It was rare to see customization. The latest technology, smart displays, has the potential to turn this old premise on its head. Instead of the customer having to personalize their own experience, the display can do the work for them. Here are a few ways that smart displays become functional tools for businesses that also achieve key design goals.
Customizable Functions
The beauty of a smart display is that it can do so much more than just display. LED signage solutions allow businesses and organizations to customize the function of each device. In a hotel lobby, a display might scroll through wayfinding information, local recommendations, or conference schedules. Restaurants can showcase rotating visuals of signature dishes or chef’s specials throughout the day. Event spaces and trade show booths can integrate augmented reality elements to help attendees explore offerings or view product demos. Integration with smart shelving and other technology can help retailers gather data on engagement, inventory, and more.
Dynamic Designs
Keeping the same design for months (or even minutes) can contribute to boredom and disengagement. With a smart display, the device is not locked into a particular design at any one time. It is easy to customize or change at a touch. If a restaurant or café offers low-light hours for guests with sensory sensitivities, the brightness and color temperature of the display, along with the volume of any playback, are easy to adjust in moments or on a schedule. Hotels and offices can tailor signage to shift throughout the day — from a morning welcome message to mid-day announcements to evening event information. Even exterior wall LED signs, which can look like updated poster installations, can rotate visuals seasonally or by audience.
Branding Cohesion
Consistent omnichannel branding is a key element of positive brand recognition, whether someone is visiting a corporate office, dining at a restaurant, or attending a company-sponsored event. When customers struggle to familiarize themselves with a brand due to inconsistent brand elements — between in-store and website, or between franchises — they may feel less engaged with the brand. By comparison, consistent branding across all platforms can increase revenue by up to 23%.
With smart displays, businesses can spend less money and effort trying to build brand cohesion. The content and visuals shown across signage — from lobby screens to digital menus to trade show walls — can coordinate perfectly with the organization’s online presence, ensuring a seamless experience.
Personalization at a Touch
These days, customers expect personalized attention in the form of order records, recommendations, and more. A McKinsey study showed that more than three in four consumers get frustrated when a business’s data collection does not lead to a personalized customer experience. If your company offers personalized experiences online, but a one-size-fits-all approach in the store, you may need to upgrade.
Smart displays have become the function of the future for any in-store buying, from restaurants to retail. Hotel guests can tap a screen in the lobby to call up their reservation, request amenities, or explore local attractions. Office visitors can check in, notify their host, or view meeting room availability. Event attendees can interact with booth displays for customized product information or session recommendations.
Multichannel Engagement
While most customers will express some preference for a specific channel they use to get information about their favorite brands, the average consumer relies on a combination. For example, an attendee might look on a company’s social accounts to find out about the latest events, then head to that event to learn more.
The use of smart displays makes it easy to integrate these elements into a cohesive brand experience that feels legitimate through any means. A customer can scan a QR code to get linked immediately to a company’s socials or request more information about a service. If that call to action on the signage changes for the next event, no need to reprint, you just upload the new design.
Evergreen Content and Visuals
The information in advertisements, content, and visuals changes over time. The integration of smart displays into store designs allows the information to remain evergreen. The concept of evergreen content and visuals evokes a sense of timelessness, where what you say and show are always relevant. By using a smart display, you don’t have to feel boxed into a desig. Businesses can effortlessly update designs, color schemes, and messaging to reflect seasonal themes, special events, or changing customer needs without recreating physical signage.
Seamless Integration
The Internet of Things allows you to create a custom design that works seamlessly with the rest of your technology. Connecting a smart display to your business Wi-Fi and smart hub, you can turn it on and off, adjust color temperature or volume, and change programs at a touch. This integration may include a hotel’s property-management system, an office’s visitor-management hub, or the scheduling tools used by a conference center. Upgrading the technology can increase the speed and accuracy of each device, so that they work better for the customer as a whole.
Complexity Without Clutter
Many businesses rely on limited square footage especially restaurants, event booths, and office lobbies. You might be attempting to achieve many goals, such as introducing consumers to your brand, showcasing products and services, customizing the brand experience, and allowing customers to make a purchase. The use of smart displays can allow you to provide this level of complexity without adding clutter to a limited area. That way, your customers have plenty of room to look around and get more information, without worrying that they will trip over a display or run into a rack.
Maintaining a brand requires the kind of consistency that is harder to achieve without the latest technology. Whether in a hotel, restaurant, office building, or event venue, visitors expect you to do big things with their information, even when they walk into your location. With the integration of smart displays, you can create an attractive design that meets customer needs and works perfectly with your brand and technology.
