Decorating for the holidays is one way that restaurants and retailers often boost the customer experience, but decorating can be expensive and time-consuming. It takes a lot of effort to unload them, put them up in noticeable places and then put them away once the holiday is finished. Valentine’s Day, for example, just wrapped up, but now retailers have to ramp up for Easter and St. Patrick’s Day.

The good news, however, is that digital signage can help simplify this process by projecting decorations directly onto displays, windows, walls and other surfaces via a projector. AtmosFx is one company that provides the service, and in honor Valentine’s Day, it designed the “My Valentine” decoration, which featured candy hearts, roses, Cupid and other decorations at 1080p both horizontally and vertically.

“Our digital decorations come as high definition mp4 files and can easily be projected or played on monitors, TV, or even digital signs,” Michael Gills, senior marketing and community manager for AtmosFx, said in an interview.  “AtmosFX creates digital decorations which are high resolution animations that are customized for different holidays and different uses from projecting spooky ghosts in your window to animating your pumpkins as a live Jack-O-Lanterns to creating 3d characters such as Santa Claus, a singing witch, or scary specters.”

A spokesperson for The Nutty Squirrel Gelato, a gelato shop based in Washington, said holiday decorations can become quite expensive and corny if not implemented correctly but avoids those issues with the AtmosFX offerings.

“The simply implemented system creates a destination effect for people to visit and enjoy. It is much more than a basic props and decoration pieces. Systematically progressing scenes draw everyone and keeps them engaged,” the spokesperson said in an interview.

Although AtmosFX is primarily a consumer product, the company also sells commercial licenses for retailers. Gills believes the platform can help retailers build up their brand with their customers.

“Customers love holidays and love to be surprised and delighted. Showing seasonal ‘spirit’ for a storefront, helps connect customers to a brand. Through adding in a celebratory or startling special effect, you humanize your business and make it a fun experience for your customers,” Gills said.

AtmosFx provides one season licenses for the digital decorations starting at $200, although it also provides more extensive packages for franchises and large businesses.

This tool fits into a greater benefit of digital signage: the ability to save time while meeting customers in the moment.

With static signs or even poorly managed digital signage, it can be difficult to reach distracted customers. Not to mention it is difficult to keep it updated.

Retailers need to always consider four things when choosing a digital signage tool:

  • How will it improve customer experience?
  • Do we have the resources for it?
  • How much time is saved with this tool?
  • How can we take advantage of special times of the year?

By keeping these in mind, your store will be ready for any season.

Image via AtmosFX

Post by Bradley Cooper