With over 70% of all customer purchasing decisions being influenced in the store, more dynamic in-store advertising solutions are constantly being sought. One retailer that has taken an innovative approach to this is Virgin. It’s implemented a fully interactive digital marketing solution to spur customer interest and drive store traffic.

To date, digital signage in retail has, in the main, consisted of screens situated at the checkout displaying images and information as customers queue to make purchases. However Virgin Entertainment Group, which operates the global Virgin Megastores franchise, has taken the signage concept to a new level through a project with Epson USA and GestureTek, a world leader in interactive technologies.

The application utilises Epson’s PowerLite projection technology combined with software from GestureTek to deliver a dynamic, customised, interactive floor display. Implemented at the Times Square New York and Hollywood & Highland stores, the solution projects imagery of a swimming baby from the iconic sleeve of Nirvana’s album, ‘Nevermind’, a key seller for the Virgin Megastore chain. The image becomes animated when shoppers come into contact with it, creating a full body interactive customer experience combining movement, sight and sound.

“Customers respond warmly to interactive initiatives as long as they are relevant, fun, simple, and different,” said Dave Alder, Chief Marketing Officer for Virgin Entertainment Group, North America. “We have employed the Epson / GestureTek interactive projection solution to achieve all four.”

First released in 1991, the Nirvana album was re-packaged in DVD format recently. Virgin wanted to make a real impact with this release and recognised the potential digital signage held in spurring interest, excitement, and, ultimately sales.

Another of Virgin’s objectives with the application was to drive business throughout the store. As customers move along with the baby’s image, they are being led towards under-visited areas where sales could benefit from a boost.

According to Alder, it’s been very successful and created quite a “talking point”. Virgin customers have been intrigued. “It’s rare today to find an entertainment store that actually entertains its customers. Unlike many other entertainment retailers, we work hard to add value to the shopping experience by adding a true sense of fun. The digital signage marketing initiative is a significant part of this experience”

With digital marketing the possibilities are endless. The application, for example, gives retailers the ability to display “hanging signs” throughout the store and change them dynamically, project fashions onto mannequins and other objects, project full-motion video onto window displays and create digital menu boards. By reaching consumers while they shop with relevant marketing messages and visually engaging displays, retailers can drive sales of targeted merchandise, minimise markdowns, and build brand loyalty – while ultimately reducing in-store marketing and merchandising costs.

“Retailers now have a compelling new avenue for in-store advertising,” said Bill Leckonby, GestureTek’s CEO. “It elevates in-store advertising to a new level, and retailers like Virgin have the potential for a very healthy return on investment.” Virgin’s Alder concluded: “It certainly helps to set us apart and enables us to live up to the expectation of Virgin as a creative brand experience.”