Musical equipment retailer Yamaha has introduced digital signage into its stores that allow customers to call up the information they need via their smartphone in a bid to bring a bit of the online world to the store.
Signagelive, a global suppliers of cloud based digital signage technology, and Mindbomb, a multidisciplinary design and creative services agency, have worked together with Yamaha to develop the interactive digital signage network.
Yamaha wanted to further enhance the retail experience for consumers and requested Mindbomb – one of its certified suppliers – to explore a number of. These included the deployment a companywide digital signage network and the development a purpose-built web application for Smartphones that would allow consumers to interact with in-store promotions and browse different music genres simply using their Smartphone’s web browser, thus increasing consumer engagement and improving overall sales.
Mindbomb subsequently developed proof of concept interactive digital signage application with a conventional provider but chose Signagelive as the preferred digital signage platform provider for the actual project because of its cloud-based capabilities, its cross platform software, its reputation in the market and its extensive technical expertise.
Signagelive has incorporated Mindbomb’s purpose-built web service and Smartphone interface – Screenfinity – into its core technology platform, giving Yamaha Music a centralised digital signage network with interactive functionality and providing consumers with a seamless retail experience.
Yamaha Music is using its Signagelive-powered digital signage network to promote and support product launch events as well as artist appearances and features in stores across Europe. Using Signagelive’s cloud-based CMS to remotely deploy and schedule content updates, Yamaha can quickly and cost effectively generate campaign content that would have otherwise been logistically impossible or cost prohibitive with traditional media.
The Signagelive powered network can also be used to provide Yamaha staff with out of hours and on demand staff training facilities. Using Signagelive’s advanced scheduling tools, training material can be created, scheduled and distributed on a local, regional or national basis, depending on requirements.
“The benefits to Yamaha have been many,” says a European Director of Yamaha’s Pro Music Division. “Particular highlights, however, have been for store staff to use the digital signage network as a closing tool as well as for B2B training and awareness. Where the benefit significantly lifts is the ability to dynamically address consumers while in store and give them access to extra information at their leisure via their personal control should they require it.”
To date the digital signage network (comprising more than 25 instore screens installed within Yamaha branded-spaces) has been deployed by a number of Yamaha’s Music’s larger retail partners in the UK, Germany, France, Spain, Italy and Scandinavia.
“The Yamaha retail application demonstrates the true flexibility of our digital signage platform,” comments Jason Cremins, CEO of Signagelive. “Our cloud-based software (written in HTML5) has enabled Mindbomb to incorporate interactive functionality onto Yamaha’s digital signage network without needing to replace already installed displays, thus maximizing Yamaha’s investment and taking its digital marketing capabilities to the next level.”
Yamaha joins a growing raft of brands – usually higher end brands with more niche retail propositions – in exploring digital signage. Walkbase an in-store analytics and marketing provider and Samsung, the leading manufacturer of electronics and digital displays have formed a joint proposition to provide in-store analytics to retailers using Samsung digital screens. The partnership was announced this week at a UK launch event held at the Finnish Ambassador’s Residence with big-brand retailers including Ted Baker and Dune and Walkbase customers in attendance. Expect more of this in 2016 as the web and the high street combine.
