A system is made of different components that work together as one. A system is required if there is a need to complete a complex operation. In the human body for instance is composed of many types of systems such as the circulatory system, digestive system etc. The components are the organs that work together in unison to perform a complicated task. When it comes to a digital signage system, one can also see different components working together to provide a solution to a marketing problem. It is the need to inform, and persuade the highest number of people possible, so that they will buy a particular product or service.
The usual components found in this system are the computer hardware, the computer software, and the monitor or device where the audiovisual messages are projected or allowed to play on a continuous cycle, 24 hours a day and 7 days a week if so required. The goal of the system is to inform the target market about a particular product and to provide them the type of messages that will help them make the decision to purchase the product. It is a highly persuasive message based on their needs. The message is also made persuasive because the customer is made to realize that they are getting more than they paid for.
A digital signage system therefore requires computer software that will enable the advertisers to know and communicate the needs of the target market. This software has some form of artificial intelligence and created in a way that it works in real time and able to process information in the blink of an eye. With regards to the computer hardware component of the system, its utility is found in its durability when placed in areas where it can be seen by the highest number of people. Its utility is also found in its capability to display messages that can be easily understood by potential customers whether they are inside or outside the store’s premises.
Software for Digital Signage
A digital signage system can be as simple as a computer linked to a monitor or TV screen that in turn can display the audiovisual message contained in the said computer equipment. It can even be simplified further into an audiovisual message that is stored as a common video file and then allowed to play in a continuous loop. But in a highly competitive world of marketing and sales, much more is required. There is a need to have computer software that is suited for the marketing and advertising needs of a particular company or business organization.
One of the best examples of highly sophisticated computer software that promises to blow the competition out of the water is created by an IT company called Odysii. This information technology firm provides the following marketing advantages to its customers:
- Marketing Intelligence;
- On-Site Marketing;
- Integrated Inventory.
When it comes to marketing intelligence Odysii promises to deliver a system that anticipates the needs of customers and display relevant messages that will increase sales. This is made possible by a concept called on-site marketing. In this concept, the digital signage solutions inform the customers that are inside the store and offer them products that are not easy to sell but marketed in such a way that will entice the customer to consider the product or service. For budget-conscious customers the on-site marketing system will offer them products on sale and products that are near their expiration date are being sold at very low prices so customers who require that particular product will not hesitate to purchase it immediately.
Digital Signage Solutions
Digital signage is the modern way of doing advertising. Traditional forms of advertising are already considered obsolete in the 21st century, thanks to the rapid advancements in information technology. In the Digital Age people in the industrialized world can access information from other sources and they are no longer dependent on TV, radio, and print. Thus, it has become increasingly difficult to tie up advertising into TV shows, radio programs, and newspapers. This is because people have access to TV shows, movies, and news without having to sit in front of a TV screen, listen to the radio or read a national daily. There is therefore a need for a system that can deliver advertising content in the same manner.
There is now a need to communicate to potential customers wherever and whenever they have time to glance or listen to an infomercial. This means that advertisers will have to provide a mechanism that can display infomercials and at the same time it must be installed in public areas with high-volume traffic. Aside from outdoor advertising, there is also a need to have the same system installed inside business establishments. Based on these requirements it is no longer possible to use traditional means of advertising.
Thus there is a need for cutting-edge technology that will communicate with customers on the go, especially when they are within the store’s premises – the most important location for advertisers because it is where all roads should lead, the place where they must purchase the product. Odysii succeeds where others fail because they are offering a digital signage system that uses predefined marketing strategies that integrates advertising content as well as the company’s inventory. Thus, the system will never make the mistake of offering a product that is out of stock.
Marketing Intelligence
It is no longer enough to rely on traditional marketing strategies where advertisers pay a fortune to be able to use the airwaves and various forms of mass media. In the age of the Internet and the emergence of sophisticated wireless devices such as mobile phones and laptops, there is a need for a system of delivering advertising content that is not only uniquely suited to the target market but also able to interact with customers. Odysii is an IT firm that produces computer software able to integrate predefined marketing strategies as well as the company’s inventory that enables marketing personnel to make an offer that is so hard to refuse.
In one hotel that uses the Odysii digital signage system, there is now an efficient way of informing guests with regards to the availability of vacant rooms. So if a guest is needing a suite but was not able to be accommodated due to room shortages, the same person can be informed of the availability of a newly vacated suite. This will enable this particular guest to upgrade his or her accommodations. This will make customers happy while at the same time make more money for the hotel. One should also note the significant increase in the efficiency of the firm’s operations.
The secret success is the state-of-the-art software developed by Odysii that enables the marketing managers to use predefined strategies. For example, in the case of Blockbuster Video, the goal is to consistently hit their sales quota all year round. This means that customers must keep on renting videos continuously. Thus, Blockbuster Video in collaboration with Odysii, created software that takes into consideration demographics and the consumption pattern of their clientele. Using digital signages strategically placed in many parts of the store, Blockbuster Video can display available videos that customers will more likely choose to rent.
Solutions for digital signage
Digital signages are modern solutions to modern marketing problems. This is the age of instant messaging systems and online marketing. People have no time to sit down and patiently wait for the 30 second TV commercials to end. It is common to find devices that will help viewers remove the TV ads included in every TV show so that they could enjoy watching their favorite soaps or sports channel without having to endure the endless parade of commercials. The same is true when it comes to newspapers; people are now adept to skim through the news headlines using online news and never bother to spend a second longer reading the contents of print advertising.
While technology is making 21st-century life move at blitzkrieg speed, there is still a need for entrepreneurs to continually find a way to communicate to their target market. In other words, there is a need to get that message across and digital signage systems, with their portability and customer-specific advertising content, are the perfect solution to get in touch with highly mobile and extremely busy clientele. Odysii’s digital signage solutions can be placed in areas with high-volume traffic and in places where the target audience has nothing else to do but wait.
In bus stops, subway stations, airports, and other places where there is a great deal of downtime, strategically placed digital signages will encourage potential customers to spend a few of their precious time reading the messages flashed on video monitors. Furthermore, digital signages can be controlled wirelessly and can be pre-programmed to show a particular ad during a particular timeframe. For instance, a product can be displayed prominently at times when it is most needed. A display of a breakfast value meal during the early morning rush can influence a potential customer to make a detour to a popular fast-food chain to order some food before proceeding to work.
On-Site Marketing
The Odysii brand is geared towards improving on-site marketing strategies. It is a well-known fact that customers can come inside a store to simply do window shopping or to purchase one specific product and yet at the end of their visit it is common to see a few carrying something that is not found in their shopping list. This is because purchase decisions are made inside the establishment. They can be persuaded to buy through smart arrangements of items and the ability to display products that make them attractive to customers. They can also be persuaded to bring out their wallets and make a purchase through a system that interacts with customers on a personal level.
This does not mean to say that Odysii had some kind of a powerful robot powered by artificial intelligence and ability to think and behave like a human salesperson. Odysii is far from developing such highly sophisticated machines that can only be found in sci-fi movies. But they have something similar, a computer system able to consolidate the company’s database as well as the business strategies of the firms to come up with an infomercial that is customer and store specific. The system can make real-time calculations as to the products that are available and how to market these products as a single unit or bundled with other items to entice customers with the offer of more savings or more value for their money.
According to Odysii their digital signage software has features labeled as Match & Go; SmartShelf; Fitting Room, In-Store and Window; and Price Checker. This means that LCD screens can be installed in the store’s window, fitting rooms, cashier, and other strategic places where the customer can have access to the necessary information that will lead to more sales. The information displayed on these screens increases the level of awareness of the customer with regards to the availability of products that he or she may need at home, the school, or the office.
In-Store Marketing
For hundreds of years, shopping is a very simple process where customers enter a store and then proceed to the shelf or wherever the products are displayed, choose a product, examine it, or fit it inside a fitting room and then finalize the transaction by paying at the cashier. But in the highly competitive world of the 21st century, an entrepreneur can no longer rely on traditional methods such as the sprucing up of their store’s window display area. There is a need for an interactive system that can keep pace with modern technology as well as the growing sophistication of buyers.
Odysii, the company that specializes in digital signage solutions is offering an integrated system wherein a specially designed computer software can access the store’s database, able to make sense of inventory levels, prices, expiration dates, new stocks, etc. The system can consolidate everything together and then using predefined strategies can make calculations in real-time and then communicates interactively with customers. This begins at the display window and this process ends at the cashier where another LCD screen is projecting messages based on the items purchased.
So if the customer decides to enter the store, an LCD screen will bombard him or her with messages concerning special offers calculated based on availability of products and the time of year, whether it is Christmas, Valentine’s Day, or Mother’s Day. The messages can change in an instant and when the customer decides to purchase an item, the moment the cashier encodes the information into the computer, the integrated system can make quick calculations to make a last-ditch effort of selling one more item that can complement what was purchased a while ago. This is intended for impulse buyers who will never be able to resist a good offer.
Works Cited
Odysii. “Marketing Intelligence.” 2009. Web.