Making real connections

How to REALLY connect with customers at the moment of truth (and drive sales)

In the battle for customer attention, marketing teams have focused on digital campaigns, with investments in traditional in-store displays losing out. However, with volatile economic conditions, consumer spending is being cut back.

With consumers being more conscious with spending, digital may no longer be the key shopper moment of truth, as consumers shift their behaviour to derisk purchases and reduce online impulse buys. Yes, it will still be important for price-sensitive consumers looking for choice and value - online is often used to find the cheapest deal. But many will turn to in-store shopping to physically inspect products before purchasing, reducing the risk of dissatisfaction.

It’s no longer enough for brands to just put products on shelves and hope for the best. We need to be smarter, more strategic, and more focused on leveraging multi-channel marketing strategies to cut through the noise and effectively reach customers at their crucial moment of truth when shopping.

Physical Retail Environments Present a Unique Opportunity to Stand Out

As the online world becomes increasingly cluttered with ads, physical in-store marketing is seeing a resurgence. In fact, it turns out that eye-catching displays in stores can capture way more “active attention” than digital channels - and there is data that backs this up.

Recent research from QMS and Amplified Intellifence found that Out-Of-Home advertising gets nearly six times more attention than digital. Why? Because when we’re out and about, we’re less likely to be on our phones. You are more likely to be paying attention to your surroundings. In comparison, we’re much more likely to get distracted online, thumb-scrolling until we see the content we want, rather than paying attention to ads.

This means POS moments are golden opportunities to make a real impact and influence purchasing decisions.

Even better: many of the benefits of the online world - think personalisation, customer insight and dynamic creatives - are coming to physical in-store campaigns.

So how do we make the most of the technological advancements and create in-store experiences that don’t just get seen but stand out, sell more and waste less?

Getting to know your customers (Like, really know them)

What’s made online advertising so appealing for many marketers is the amount of data and insight they can gather about their customers to optimise campaigns. Well, this data is now available in a store near you.

New AV display technology solutions make it possible to capture consumer data in a GDPR compliant way. Giving you actionable insights into how consumers actually behave in store. Imagine being able to answer questions that directly impact your bottom line:

Which displays are really driving conversions, and which are falling flat?

• How can we optimise product placement to maximise sales per square foot?
• Can we personalise promotions to increase basket size and customer lifetime value?
• How are consumers interacting with displays and moving around stores?

Using this anonymised metadata, brands can better understand audience behaviour to optimise engagement and improve the overall customer experience. Helping brands make data-driven decisions that drive better business outcomes.

All achieved through digital displays at the point of sale - a crucial moment of truth in the shopping experience. Bringing the benefits of online advertising to the physical in-store world.

Now, imagine if you applied that to a large proportion of your POS campaigns - the power and insight it would give you could really change the game. But only if you can create captivating experiences that engage and convert.

Making it personal (and dynamic)

Here is where things can get really exciting. Not only do you have an audience paying more active attention to your displays, you also have the opportunity to personalise your message. Almost having a one-on-one conversation with them.

How?

By using those data insights in real-time to create POS experiences that feel personal and relevant to each customer. That’s the power of digital displays and connecting them to a content management system that intelligently displays relevant content based on viewer profiles and real-time conditions (like the weather).

That means, by leveraging digital display solutions and ethical data capture systems, brands could trigger messaging that promotes specific products to different demographics or showcase weather-appropriate items in real-time.  Helping guide customers not just to any product, but the right product, driving increased basket value.

How does it work IRL?

One of our retail customers wanted to get a detailed understanding of their existing customer base and their missed opportunities from foot traffic passing around their store locations, but not currently visiting their outlets.

We implemented a GDPR compliant 360 degree data capture system, utilising outward and inward-facing cameras to analyse footfall and potential customer demographics, including group size, age, gender and eye-tracking data on displays. The solution also incorporated multiple heatmap-based BDI camera systems to monitor customer flow within the store, interactions with displays and dwell times. This data enables comparisons across stores, as well as by time of day and demographic profiles.

The results?

Data captured from the outward-facing cameras revealed that many target customer demographics were passing by the stores without entering. Based on these insights, the store plans to install ultra-high-brightness in-window screens across all their stores to showcase their deals and products better, aiming to attract greater attention and drive increased footfall from passing members of the public.

Data captured by inward-facing cameras showed higher interaction with featured stands, including header screens and shelf-long shelf-edge screens. This means the store can ensure priority products are now placed on shelves with these solutions in mind, helping improve customer purchasing.

Furthermore, heat mapping revealed that customers were spending considerable time queuing at the tills to complete their purchases. Based on this insight, internal screens are being installed behind the counter to entertain queuing customers. These screens will help reduce perceived waiting times and customer complaints, while also enhancing customer loyalty and increasing spending by promoting additional value services and products. The supplied audience monitoring systems continue to track the effectiveness of these new solutions.

This just goes to show how the right tech and digital display solutions can transform POS campaigns from static promotional materials into dynamic, interactive sales drivers. Capturing consumer attention and helping brands stand out from congested shelves.

Standing out at the Point of Sale

At the end of the day, it's all about creating those meaningful connections with customers, right there where it matters most: at the point of sale. By embracing data, prioritising attention, and using innovative tech, we can craft retail experiences that are engaging, effective, and deliver measurable results – increased sales, improved ROI, and stronger customer loyalty. It's about moving beyond just selling products and creating those "wow" moments that build lasting customer relationships and a thriving bottom line.