Successfully installed two superb multi-touch screens at Precious Foods & Bioorganic Cafe at TECOM, Dubai. The store is fully operational now, so are the screens installed by us. Precious Foods is an organic hypermarket, featuring an array of healthy foods and products. The project was done in collaboration with Adventrix, for whom we work as a Digital Media partner.
The app features a multi-touch interface, with the main menu showing all categories of products available in the store. Once a category is tapped, it shows a sub-menu of all products and recipes related to that category. The customer can choose a product to get more information on it, its features, benefits. They can see a recipe and even email it to themselves or friends.
All the content is managed by a web-based CMS, which the Admin of the store can control.
There was a time when advertisements on TV were watched with all the attention because nothing could be done to make them go away. There used to be limited channels, and while switching channels did become an option, the ads couldn’t be ignored completely. Now, things are different. With the option to record ads on Digital Video Recorders or high-definition set top boxes offered by different cable providers, ads are merely forwarded. Though television advertising still largely impacts consumer behaviour, it is quickly being taken over by other communication media. So while your anti-aging cream could target a few women, the real impact comes from having a reach wider than television.
What do you think can be wider than having the ad go right into the home of the consumer? Perhaps an option that cannot be fast forwarded in a place where they will have to watch it?
The answer is digital signage. Displayed in public places such as crowded streets, elevators, airports, or simply receptions of big hotels, digital signage uses multimedia content that is displayed on LCD or computer screens. Digital signage is the equivalent of the television ad, except that it reaches out to people on their way to somewhere, and can be updated quicker by means of a good network connection.
While digital signage is often seen as an alternative to paper signage, it can easily replace the old-school television ad as any type of content can be displayed on it. What makes it better then is the creativity invested in coming up with content that will actually have an impact on a passer-by. The dynamism of the content in place of static content will definitely attract attention, but it ought to be enough to make the consumer stop and read/listen to what is being displayed on the screen.
Digital signage is intended to communicate with users, but the challenge lies in the fact that we are all surrounded by a multitude of screens everywhere we go. It becomes easy for us to block out information that is not relevant to our needs. So to attract attention, location and content are the most important factors. Consider that your audience will be unique each time, because the reach is so much wider now. It will be made up of a varied demographic, so the quality of content has to be extraordinarily high.
Demographics can be targeted by venue, and that is important research that should be taken care of when investing in digital signage content. Putting up screens, say at a business hotel will target an entirely different demographic than that you see in a mall, which is so unique and so varied. The technology that makes up digital signage is only second to the type and quality of content that you choose to showcase through it.
Digital signage can be used where a product or service is being sold, to explain more about the product. It can be used as a billboard to attract consumers on the go, by providing them brief information about a brand or to improve brand value. And it can be used in areas where people are merely waiting for something or to reach somwhere; for instance, in a taxi, a lobby, or an elevator. During this period, the consumer will be able to view and absorb more information and longer messages.
For a business to wholly benefit from digital signage, it is important to implement the entire package—hardware, software, analytics, and content—from one source that is aware of how to operate the technology that makes it effective. In the UAE, PearlQuest can offer you this complete service. We provide the hardware, the software, and the content that makes your investment in digital signage worth every penny. We conduct in-depth research and create strategy that will result in compelling content for your audience. One call to us can make your decision to implement digital signage worthwhile.
Every year, analysts forecast the trends that will change the way entrepreneurs, start-ups, as well as well-established brands drive business. While the Internet has been a huge contributor to this change, 2014 is believed to be the year it will legitimately flourish and alter how we conduct business, make purchases, and transform our overall lifestyle.
2013 saw several ways in which the internet affected entrepreneurial mindset and consumer mentality. In keeping with these radical changes, 2014 is expected to be the year where this trend will almost be set in stone and will make business more efficient and productive. No chances can be taken; to keep up with the competition, the Internet must be embraced in all its glory, and this is particularly true for small businesses and start-ups. What were the trends in 2013 that make 2014 the year of the Internet?
Mobile Traffic to Websites Increased Tremendously
The number of smartphone users increased, which altered the functionality of the Internet for them. Surfing, purchasing, transacting, all shifted to mobile devices and changed the way people use the internet; which meant that the next big thing would be changing website functionality to appeal to the mobile user. So …
Websites became Responsive
One website that catered to the desktop user, the laptop user, the tablet user, and the smartphone user was the norm in the business. 2013 was called the year of responsive design by Mashable.
The App Market Flourished
‘There’s an app for that.’ Apple’s leading catchphrase for its iPhone 3G model could not be truer for 2013, and this trend is only expected to reach greater heights in 2014. Apps will not remain restricted to the general consumer. Even businesses are developing apps for internal use to enhance employer-employee communication, and to drastically improve employee efficiency.
Internet Ads Were Massive Revenue Drivers
We have all seen ads as a part of every website we visit, but in 2013, ads seeped through social media platforms to ensure that even in our spare time, we made purchasing decisions or ignored those ads completely. One of the biggest trendsetters was Facebook, followed by its purchase of Instagram which it soon commercialized by introducing ads on the image-sharing platform.’
Content Became More Original, Less Spammy
With Google’s Panda and Penguin updates and very regular tweaks in its algorithms, the focus shifted from mediocre content to high-quality content for a rich user experience. This is not limited to the written word. Videos, images, infographics; all of these boomed in 2013 and 2014 is the year more methods of content sharing—augmented reality for example—will be explored to enrich how a user views it.
The Sharks Acquired the Little Fish
Yahoo purchased Tumblr, Facebook acquired Instagram, and more recently, Facebook has also acquired Whatsapp, a leading ad-free chat messenger that connects people all over the world. Internet giants are taking over the Internet and altering our communication patterns, our ability to absorb information, and slowly, even the way in which we function in our daily lives.
All these trends, as big as they are, are only going to get bigger in the upcoming years. And this is big for businesses world over, regardless of whether you are a startup or a flourishing one. While an online presence is mandatory (though research reveals that still only 40% of business owners have a website), to truly one-up the competition, constant evolution and a keen eye on changing Internet trends is crucial.
To give your business in the UAE the online presence it needs, get in touch with us at PearlQuest. We are constantly working on methods to enhance consumer engagement with businesses, and can help you connect with your audience through the internet in a viable method that provides an enriched user experience. From responsive web design to augmented reality applications, PearlQuest can enable you to stay ahead and change the way you communicate with your target market.
We installed an Interactive Floor system at Pullman Hotel, Deira City Center in Dubai. The interaction effect was customized as a combination of two effects. The water effect – ripples forming as people move over the projection and floating Pullman symbols that also react to footsteps.
The installation was quite complicated, as there were no ways to drill or install trusses at site. A temporary small truss was held with counterweights to make sure the projection remains steady.
Interactive Floor system at Pullman Hotel, Deira City Center in Dubai.
Do you want a similar installation for your event? PearlQuest can provide Multi-touch screens with interfaces developed as per your theme, Interactive Walls, Interactive Floors and any ideas brought to life.
An extremely ambitious effort by us, the site features many aspects which make it off-beat. Though this Blog and the main site are a part of it, the intro page [pearlquest.ae] is made to give an extra-edge to the company.
Made using the Parallax Framework in jquery and a lot of CSS3 features, we would really like to know how you find it. The Parallax plugin used here (Jarallax) is not responsive, thus mobile users will be redirected to this site.
Lastly, thanks loads to the various people who have helped in this project and they have been mentioned in the credits page.
Happy New Year 2013 and Dubai does it again! Not only was it a treat for the hundreds of thousands gathered near the Dubai Mall fountains, but the pyrotechnics this year were the most stunning ever.
Most had come to see how they meticulously install these mind-blowing, electrically initiated (I assume), beautiful fireworks probably on every 10th floor of the Burj Khalifa. The real surprise element this time was dedicated to the audiences present at the Dubai Mall fountain area and the Soul Al Bahar. Outstanding projection systems engulfing each surface surrounded the fountains with some exorbitantly outstanding visuals.
Dubai Mall 2013 new year show
To add to the flair, there were dancers and performers in sync with the visuals in such brilliant harmony. This tandem lasted for enough time before the first display of fireworks was seen. What was really applaudable, was the content developed for this occasion – truly world class. It started with some abstract vectorized shapes in really high-definition, which progressed into some really nice artwork. The best part was when they unleashed the true ‘spirit of the union’ by displaying flags of the most relevant countries whose citizens reside in the UAE. This really did the thing, made each person very happy.
I wonder what was the projection system used here, but it was probably the best in the world. They didn’t just have the main screens, they had installed transparent screens at each corner (as shown in the pic above), to really elevate the effect for the public.
Burj Khalifa Fireworks 2013 New Year
When the fireworks started, it was like summoning the whole city for a new beginning. I wonder where they get these fireworks from? They look as if they have been engineered for extravagance.
“If I knew that I was going to this thirsty today I would’ve drunk even more last night”. This quote may be applicable to the thirsty, but not those who are hungry for technology.
Aurus IT Solutions from India have developed something quite exciting for the denizens of pubs – Alcohol Stock Exchange. A fun app making waves in Mumbai, where lounge bar owners can transform their traditional transaction system into something never thought before.
As we all know some brands of alcohol have more demand than others. Alcohol Stock Exchange thus allows the concept of ‘dynamic pricing’. Prices increase as more customers order the same drink and decrease as the orders reduce. This creates a stock exchange environment with prices are calculated as per demand and supply!
Just like the real stock market, the Alcohol Stock exchange is designed to pull tetotallers, loyalists and people who just want to have fun into bars and lounges. Unlike every other bar and lounge which provides music and drink, this app goes a step further – each customer is guaranteed a unique experience. This brings in more revenue by bringing in customers at odd hours, allows increase in sales of alcohol of the bar owner’s choice, increases the pub’s brand value and brings in many more benefits.
Complete installation and deployment is available for the Gulf by Confluence, UAE. Custom iPad application development is also undertaken.
How many people actually look at screens? Well, research shows that digital signage (in form of basic screens, video walls, digital posters etc.) increases the probability of a sale by 30% and eyeballs by 10%. Now there are no actual quantitative research reports which I’ve come across, but it’ll be great if you could share links.
The question is: how to increase the consumer engagement using digital signage? One of the best answers to this is: Interaction. We have to, for a moment remove our marketing and technology hats and put on ‘consumer psychology headgear’. Wisconsin School of Business has published a whole chapter on Sensory Factors and Consumer Behavior. Let me highlight some parts of the book which correlate with interactive display technologies.
Authors Joann Peck of University of Wisconsin and Terry L. Childers University of Kentucky write that,
Our judgments about a store, its products, and even its personnel, are driven in part by the smells we encounter (our olfactory system), the things we hear (our auditory system), the objects we come into physical contact with (our tactile system), our taste experiences (the gustatory system), and what we see (the visual system).
So if screens are interactive, we not only capture the visual system but also the tactile system.
The sense of touch, or haptics (touch with the hands) has historically been the least studied sense in marketing. Perhaps the rise of online and catalog shopping, and an inability to physically examine products prior to purchase has spurred this area of research. The primary categories of touch and haptic research include the differences in product attributes that encourage touch, individual differences in the motivation to touch, and situational influences that encourage touch. Finally, one research study examined the interaction between vision and touch and the elongation bias.
What we can possibly deduce from this is that when a display is just put up in a retail environment, it acts as an aid to the overall marketing goals. But to actually utilize a display , it may be made interactive. With a touch glass interface or gesture recognition and tailored content like interactive catalogs, consumers are likely to interact more and actually buy products since it is at the last instance of their purchase decision.
Another major area in need of future research is the need to move from a more “sense by sense”
perspective to investigations of the multi-sensory integration of sensory inputs. As Calvert, Spence,
and Stein (2004, p. xi) note, “here can be no doubt that our senses are designed to function in concert and that our brains are organized to use the information they derive from their various sensory channels cooperatively in order to enhance the probability that objects and event will be detected rapidly, identiifed correctly, and responded to appropriately” (emphasis added). Ernst, Bulthof , and Newell (2003; cited in Newell 2004) found that bimodal recognition was enhanced by 10% versus learning that occurred either visually or haptically.
Digital signage companies and integrators should convince their clients to incorporate touch overlays and gesture control. We are providing prospects and enthusiastic clients with innovative solutions in touch, gesture and all forms of interactive media. Many more companies are trying to promote such projects in the GCC.
Touchmagix technology available by Multitech AV from Dubai
Coming back to senses, I loved the conclusion of the chapter from the book:
IN CONCLUSION, TO MAKE A FULL TURN; IF IT TASTES, SMELLS, SOUNDS, AND FEELS LIKE
A Duck, then it Must Be A …. (Duck)”. “Perhaps,” would seem to be the best answer. Sensory stimuli can aid in our processing of information and sometimes can bias and mislead us in forming our impressions. This fascinating contradiction, however, makes the study of sensory factors in consumer behavior challenging and all the more rewarding as we further our investigations of how consumers make sense of their world.
Orion has introduced a 55″ MLCD screen with just 5.5mm seam gap at a much lesser price than plasma. The OLM 5550 is a great option for FF&E contractors and interior designers, as they were finding it hard to always fit the 40,42 and 46″ configurations. The OLM 5550 has a frame of 1026mm x 580mm, which gives a far better choice to the fit-out designers as less number of screens are needed to fit a significant area. And all this costs lesser than you’d otherwise pay for.
The 5550 is an Ultra Thin Bezel Multi LCD; a breathtaking technology with Full HD and Ultra Narrow Bezel (5.5mm), the OLM-5550 will pioneer the multi-display market with seamless tiled display experience and vivid images. Being equipped with eco-friendly DIRECT LED BLU, the 55” FHD multi display consumes less power than conventional CCFL BLU model.
Some additional specifications are as follows:
Luminance of White: 700 cd/m²
Contrast Ratio: 3,500:1
Number of pixels: 1920(H) x 1080(V)
Input: DVI-D x 1, PC x 1, Video x 1, RS-232C x 1, LAN x 1, Service x 1
Terminal Output: DVI-D x 1, PC x 1, Video x 1, RS-232C x 1
Multivision: Yes (Daisy chain)
Bezel (Seam Gap): 5.5 mm
Max Multivision Layer (W x H): 10 x 10 (15×15 Option)
Built in temperature sensor: Yes
Built in light sensor: Optional
OSD Languages: English / Korean / Japanese / Spanish / Italian / German / French / Russian / Chinese
Additional hardware (like TV tuner, ports): On request
The official distributor of the 5550 for GCC countries is Multitech AV LLC from Dubai
Every year, analysts forecast the trends that will change the way entrepreneurs, start-ups, as well as well-established brands drive business. While the Internet has been a huge contributor to this change, 2014 is believed to be the year it will legitimately flourish and alter how we conduct business, make purchases, and transform our overall lifestyle.
