Assignment # 2

Dynamic Digital Signage - Influencing POS Behavior

Kasavana, M. (2007, October 1). Dynamic Digital Signage - Influencing POS Behavior. Hospitality Upgrade.

This article discusses foodservice technology, in particular Dynamic Digital Signage, better known as DDS. This type of technology is most easily found in fast food restaurants and is used to advertise to the customer. The business perspective of the DDS is to influence customer behavior by advertising specials and other menu items on a multiple screens, usually five or six. This technology is not used to convince customers to come to your restuarant, rather than influencing the customer to buy a specific item. This is beneficial to the business to promote upselling and higher revenues. This is also an excellent way to get the customers attention with easy to read and colorful information, and is a good way to get a customers attention if they do not keep up with other media. Restaurant owners and managers have ways to see if the DDS is effective in their restaurant. Three techniques are used to determine how much the DDS affected customer behavior. These are POS correlation, event-based couponing, and net impression tracking. These are useful to see how much sales are increasing and how effective the DDS form of advertising is. DDS can be considered better than television or radio advertising because a consumer can simply change the channel or tune out any advertisements they are not interested in, but when in a restaurant it is always on, and always changing, directly influencing customers.


Response:
Dynamic Digital Signage is a great way to advertise and influence customers decisions. I feel that the only places this type of advertising would be beneficial would be fast food places and bars with multiple televisions. I have definately noticed this type of advertising in McDonald's, and I think they began advertising this way years ago, in store. Also, a bar with many televisions such as a sports bar could have one or two televisions that are used specifically to promote specials and high priced menu items to bring these menu items to the customers attention. Even though it seems like a small aspect of the business and advertising, it can definitely make a large difference. Not everybody watches television or listens to the radio, so this is a way to reach all guests. For a small restaurant that is just getting started, this would probably not be the best way to advertise or spend money, but for corporations such as Applebee's and Ruby Tuesday's I think this would be a great way to pinpoint specific menu items. Dynamic Digital Signage is also a good advertising tool because it can be changed frequently within the restaurant to keep up with specials and other changes, while television and radio advertising is no longer under the company's control. Overall, I think this way of marketing is creative and can reach all guests, no matter what age, and I would definitely use this tool if I owned a restaurant.