VMSD - April 2016 - (Page 16)

NEXT STORE By Brian Dyches, Contributing Writer Springing Forward with Digital Case Studies Spring is that proverbial time when the retail year is already well underway, and the hues of the season are permeating visual merchandising and in-store communications. It's hard not to love this time of year, as Mother Nature delivers a fresh backdrop to customers' expectations of the vibrant seasons ahead; the mind is primed for "new." We've also just wrapped up the annual Digital Signage Expo (DSE) and GlobalShop trade shows in Las Vegas, and the buzz around the latest digital tools is still dancing around our minds. Even with spring's fresh energy upon us, upper management is still looking outward to gauge who's doing what, and how they'll showcase the season both traditionally and digitally. So utilizing and building a library of case studies will ensure your digital program is the freshest one around. CASE-BY-CASE BASIS Great digital deployments are inspirational: They prove that store design, agencies and IT can actually come together to deliver a powerful environment for customers. I recall a recent trip to New 16 APRIL 2016 | vmsd.com York, where I'm always thinking, "This is the place, if any, to create best-practice examples." A digital Forever 21 billboard - more than five years later later - still captivates thousands of consumers walking through Times Square. The interactive billboard has an amazing capacity to persuade shoppers to unintentionally turn their backs on the commercial businesses to face the signage. Quite brilliant, this concept demonstrates the power of extending a brand beyond the lease line with an innovative digital strategy. I'm frequently asked about external examples, and this is really a prime example, even ahead of the annual holiday windows in the Big Apple. I was told by the project's architect at Wildbytes (New York) the story of the first-ever large-scale interactive billboard in Times Square, and how it multiplied the amount of time people spent at the billboards by more than 20 times, on average. The project featured giant imagery of fashion models wearing Forever 21 apparel and interacting with the crowds of passersby in unexpected ways, like grabbing and kissing them, turning them into digital frogs, or taking virtual Polaroid pictures of them that are then displayed on the screen. The content is kinetic and can be quickly updated every season with new models, clothes and interactions. That means each season is "fresh" and prepared for the ever-changing weather conditions that impact retail in the city. After all, what retailer wants to showcase winter coats on a 65-degree day? F r anc e sc o Fe r r ari n i / shu tt er s to c k.c om Building a library of digital experiences breathes new life into retail strategy. http://www.shutterstock.com http://www.vmsd.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of VMSD - April 2016

VMSD - April 2016
Contents
From the Editor
VMSD Editorial Advisory Board
The Goods
Next Store
Ones to Watch
Seoul Searching
Tuned Up
Going to Market
Mannequins: For Fun and Profit
Showroom
Ad Index
Checking Out

VMSD - April 2016