Digital tricks

Digital tricks
Cellular South's first concept store grabs attention with floating digital displays

By Jessie Bove, Associate Editor
June 01, 2008

Greg Campbell Photography Inc.

With the proliferation of locations across the country, it's not hard to see why sometimes cell phone providers can fall prey to the "if you've seen one, then you've seen them all" syndrome for their stores. But that's hardly the case for Ridgeland, Miss.-based Cellular South's first concept store, which boasts the latest in digital signage displays to set itself apart from the competition. "It was important for us to incorporate the latest technologies and visual display techniques in our first CellularSouth.com concept store," says Jim Richmond, director of corporate communications for Cellular South.

To kick off the grand opening of its concept store in Ridgeland, Cellular South teamed up with Bellevue, Wash.-based Intava Corp. to replicate the online shopping experience in a retail setting. One of the most innovative displays in the store is a 5-ft. rotating translucent phone—an image projected onto holographic film—which is adhered to a large panel of glass, with full-motion video elements. "The Intava system showcases Cellular South products in an entirely new way," explains Troy Carroll, CEO of Intava. "This visual element draws attention to top handsets in a high-impact way that traditional signage cannot."

In addition to the giant phone projection, 40 dynamic product information screens, or "Digital Fact Tags," are displayed throughout the store.The 7-in., high-resolution, touchscreen Digital Fact Tags show up-to-date information on each Cellular South handset, including photos, features, pricing and promotions. The digital signage system can be managed remotely using the scalable Sphira platform, allowing screens and projections to be updated with new product data, images, video and messages in minutes. "The 40 Digital Fact Tags also draw attention to the handsets they represent, but more importantly, they enable the future introduction of interactive product information experiences," Carroll says. "Imagine shoppers not only viewing basic handset information, but also requesting a video tour of a handset's major features or seeing suggestions for complementary accessories." Intava led creative direction for the translucent phone display and Digital Fact Tags, selected hardware for both the projection system and Digital Fact Tags, and managed on-site installation and store employee training.

Most people think of interactive experiences and digital signage as two separate things, and for the most part, they're correct, Carroll says. "While digital signage solutions are usually unable to support interactive experiences, the reverse is not true," he points out. "A platform [such as this] that can deliver rich interactive experiences can also perform the much simpler tasks of playing video loops and displaying static content, which are the mainstay of digital signs. Forward-thinking retailers should invest in technology platforms that support both digital signage and interactive experiences, enabling flexibility for future needs."