Technology: Next generation iconic screens engage shoppers

VMO has just launched its latest flagship project which incorporates the most up-to-date and advanced screens ever; it’s the company's largest capex investment in a single retail asset. World Square is the venue, in the heart of downtown Sydney.

Next generation iconic screens engage shoppers

ANTHONY DEEBLE Chief Commercial Officer The HOYTS Group A cting on its belief that the shopping experience plays a critical part in customer buying behaviour, HOYTS owned Val Morgan Outdoor (VMO) has invested heavily in creating the largest, 100% digital pathto-purchase network in Australia. Now, VMO has unveiled its jewel in the crown – a suite of seven newly installed, large format iconic LED screens in Sydney’s World Square – one of Australia’s busiest retail and commuter precincts that’s renowned for its annual footfall of some 29 million visits during a regular trading year.

The world-class, next generation screens will see on average 2.4 million consumer visits in a typical month engaging consumers with live, dynamic content. Using best-in-market technology, World Square shoppers will now find themselves among the ultimate immersive experience in the form of curved internal LED screens and a hero screen that spans eight metres by two metres that can be seen from Sydney’s busy George Street. Designed for attention, the screens are up to five times greater in quality alone than most digital LED shopping centre screens and have been positioned to maximise audience impact, offering advertisers and retailers a premium opportunity to reach customers who are already within the retail environment and are in close proximity to their products.

With some form of advertising screens now standard in major shopping centres, VMO contends that it’s not just about the size or number of screens deployed. It is also about the screen quality, screen intelligence, considered positioning and the value proposition they bring to each individual consumer’s shopping experience.

Screens that have the capacity to rise above any clutter and deliver clear lines of sight, by being placed above thoroughfares, in main walkways, escalators and on the retail path-topurchase, are the most recalled by shoppers. This has all been factored into the strategic placement of the World Square screens, capturing traffic flow through major entry and exit points as well as escalators leading to key retailers, all of which offer the best possible points to connect with shoppers in the right moment and engage them to take action.

Adding to the modern retail experience, a wide range of engaging content that is relevant, entertaining, and informs and inspires, will seamlessly connect screens and brands to audiences at a deeper level, further enhancing the premium nature of the World Square shopping environment.

As consumer attention increasingly becomes a key measure of advertising success, the outdoor advertising industry has seen an evolution of digital screen capabilities.

VMO has now taken this to a new level with next generation digital LED screens with real intelligence, crystal clear resolution (five times that of existing LED formats) and, importantly, greater meaningful data capabilities.

With data being key to successful retail advertising, the company recently launched DART R&F, which fuses VMO’s real-time audience measurement platform,

DART, with accredited third-party consumer data and machine learning to determine hourly audiences down to a unique screen level.

This further builds on VMO’s ability to measure the number of consumers whom are viewing content – based on their age, gender, when they viewed and how many viewed – thereby providing more insights and analytics of real-time audience viewing habits.

Now, DART R&F provides gamechanging technology for advertisers and retailers alike, by not only providing the most robust audience reach measurement but also offering the best possible ways to target shoppers on the path-to-purchase. This provides valuable audience and traffic movement information to better inform shopper insights that can lead to improved overall retailer placement and help attract retailer brands whom seek greater shopper intel.

Audiences are constantly being measured so that advertisers can be specific with targeting and delivering contextually relevant ads or optimise their campaigns’ ROI screen by screen.

As VMO’s largest capex investment across a single retail asset, these truly intelligent, next generation screens not only deliver the perfect space for an immersive consumer experience but also offer state-of-the-art opportunities to engage shoppers with impact.

Despite the challenges of 2020, VMO is investing in new iconic large LED digital formats with premium placements and integrating best-inmarket new technology to enhance the advertiser and audience experience. This in turn will give brands access to the best locations, while also delivering consumer engagement opportunities at scale. SCN