VMSD - December 2017 - 17

tainly seen their share of innovation. Wendy's (Dublin,
Ohio) and Burger King (Miami) were among the first to
fully adopt digital menu boards, while others like Tim
Hortons (Oakville, Canada), McDonald's (Oak Brook,
Ill.) and Dunkin' Donuts (Canton, Mass.) are moving in
the same direction. (Speed of implementation can be
slow, as the cost of global rollouts across the franchise
world is significant.) Burger King has also launched a
mobile app that allows the customer to place an order
from the drive-through lane to expedite their visit.
Using the drive-through as a bridge to mobile ordering
and payment technologies will speed transaction time
and boost customer experience.

DRIVE-THROUGH OMNICHANNEL
nother part of the QSR experience that is seeing strong incremental growth is in the drivethrough. In a recent study, Samsung (Seoul,
South Korea) commissioned Forrester Consulting (Cambridge, Mass.) to investigate the ROI of investing in outdoor digital menu boards. The study found
that there are more than 12 billion drive-through visits
annually, and The NPD Group (Port Washington, N.Y.)
estimates that 50 to 70 percent of fast-food sales occur
in the drive-through. That's in an industry that does
approximately $200 billion in annual sales via some
240,000 locations. Simply adding a digital component
to the drive-through experience can boost sales by up
to 8 percent, according to Digital Signage Today.
During a recent visit to my local Chick-fil-A
(Atlanta), I saw firsthand the long queue outside compared to inside. As I looked closer, I realized just how
much the drive-through lane had evolved, allowing for
bigger SUVs and even adding a double lane to simultaneously accommodate more customers.
Our community should pay careful attention to this
key place as we consider visuals (digital and otherwise),
materials and brand messages. Menu boards have cer-

REWARDING LOYALTY
The Internet of Things (IoT) is also driving the use of
digital strategies at retail. When tied to back-of-house
replenishment systems, it is the most productive platform: Imagine scanning your loyalty card and being
immediately asked if you want to place a repeat order.
QSR is, after all, about quick service, isn't it? Moving
volume through efficiently yields the profit margins
necessary to keep fresh food fresh.
Those of us who frequent Starbucks (Seattle) have
no doubt used the mobile app for ordering. This option
has had a big impact on the brand's in-store experience,
leading the coffee giant to begin testing a mobile-only
order and pay location at its Seattle headquarters.
Brands willing to devote resources to making the customer experience as painless and efficient as possible
will surely reap the rewards in the form of loyalty.
LOOKING AHEAD
A 2016 survey from the National Restaurant Association (Washington, D.C.) reports that 37 percent of operators view the ordering process as the key focus area for
the next five years. Self-ordering at digital kiosks will
gain prominence, bringing about the need for more UX
designers to blend design intent with otherwise nondescript hardware.
The "next store" continues its trek forward with
implementation across all channels of customer engagement. For so long our industry has done a great job
bringing new life to brands with design excellence. Today
and for the future, however, that means in-house UX and
content designers will further align with us, the store
designers, to deliver a full scope for our clientele. 
Brian is a partner at the digital agency
REX (Beverly Hills, Calif.) and CorbisGlobal
(Manhattan Beach, Calif.). Follow him on
Twitter @briandyches.

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