Last week I wrote about seeing blank in retail environments, and that brands most likely don’t enjoy seeing (or lack thereof) how their MDF or Co-op funds are spent. We have all been places where a screen is not turned on.
And in every case, that is not the desired purpose.
I can do that at home. Sometimes I do.
But how do we fix the problem? With my history of running a network and consulting with companies to run theirs, I have a few thoughts on the problem and the solutions.
WHY THIS HAPPENS
We need to understand the source of the problem. I’m confident in telling you that it is not the technology. This stuff goes through a few rounds of piloting and testing before it rolls out to all the locations. By that time, most of the bugs have been fixed. When there are issues, it’s easy to respond with adding some sort of monitoring system that watches devices for power, playback, audio, etc., or to install some security features such as removing power and volume buttons on the screen panel. But in most cases that just covers the symptoms.
The retailer (or venue) usually owns the repair and maintenance of the system as part of their store operation. This is part of what the brand pays for when it goes into the venue.
These devices still need to be set up and operated by humans. Whether intentional or not, a malfunctioning device can often be attributed to user error.
"Here you go, the new store uniform. Wear it with pride."
So how do we ensure these TVs are on? I have four solutions I have used in the past that have worked pretty well.
TEACH-OUT
Whether it’s the CEO, the store manager, or the teenage part-time employee, teach them how to operate the device and take care of it. Rarely is anything as easy as “install and just turn it on!” Give knowledge to everyone that has any interaction with the unit. And then encourage them to watch the program, regularly, and address any situations that arise.
During a test project with the in-store network at Best Buy in 2009, I went to a store one day to monitor the program. The manager approached me and said that an endcap TV wasn’t working. I asked her if anyone had done anything to try and figure out the source of the problem. She said they looked in the main communications room (where all the store’s necessary operating technology is stored) and could not find a problem; everything was hooked up just fine. So I looked behind the TV. It was unplugged.
IF THEY BUILD IT…
For all the knowledge we think we have about a venue, no one knows it better than the people who work there. If you wanted to know everything you could about a high school, who would you ask? The principal? I would ask the janitor. If I wanted to know about a store, I would ask the employee, not the manager.
The eyes and ears of the institution.
Often these devices go through a process where the instructions for building the device, particularly an endcap or self-standing POP display, are written by companies that do this for a living, or by the corporate employees who signed the deal. Rarely are these done by actual store employees. It makes strong sense to have it constructed by those closest to it every day.
You can read more about my thoughts on creating employee engagement with in-store networks here.
WHO YOU GONNA CALL?
Provide a direct phone number to the person(s) responsible for the function of device. The number is not to retail corporate headquarters or the brand, it is to the company that built it, the company that knows how it works. Often you will read instructions that provide a service number associated with the retailer. This is a waste of time. Give them a number for someone that can fix the device before the apocalypse in 2012.
There goes all that ad rev.
SHARE BACK WHAT YOU KNOW
The venue can share back with the brand the status of devices and the progress of repair and maintenance. This, along with the content itself, is an affidavit that every effort is made to ensure the systems are working. No brand will fault a venue for occasional downtime, it happens. This rapport builds trust between the brand and the venue, and it works. Brands pay top dollar for exposure and should be treated with professional courtesy. It’s amazing how often this does not happen.
By no means is this an exhaustive list, but it’s a start. And here’s the best part: These methods are low-cost and easy to implement. Every retail store has some sort of team meeting before the store opens for the day. That’s a good time to talk about this. If a third party is contracted to install a POP with digital signage, they should have the authority to teach the managers and employees as well.
By helping the retailers be better at executing digital signage in the store, the brands will be more responsive to deploying it.
The cliché handshake image to connote partnership. When did we stop hugging?
