The English Court digitizes its signage

Inves has supplied the shopping centers of El Corte Inglés digital signage devices customized to the last detail for the issuance of own advertising and brands sold in the establishments themselves.

Help and guide customers in their tours of the interior of the center and guide them in the search for departments and dependencies, Communicate and remind visitors of ongoing commercial campaigns, Etc, All this solved so far with static elements, are just part of the reasons why El Corte Inglés, Always attentive to technological developments that can help in your commercial activity, has launched the implementation of these advertising and dynamic information devices.

El Corte Inglés has implemented digital signage solutions in its shopping centers, after completion of titration studies, in order to take advantage of the advantages offered by this type of devices and cover the aforementioned aspects in addition to creating advertising circuits to offer brands of the products for sale, that until now had been made with conventional static signage.

Qualitative advantages:

The benefits identified in the use of digital technology versus static panels are clear:

-Removing paper items, methacrylates, Vinyl, Etc. What, as single-use components, after the expiry of the validity period, must be removed, discarded and replaced by new ones.

-Elimination of the complex logistics of printing and distribution of these elements that involve high current costs.

-Elimination of manual assembly and disassembly tasks, that must be done at night interfering with daily merchandise replenishment activities and that are also costly.

-Content flexibility, that can be modified at no cost other than that of their creation.

-Immediacy and simultaneity in your presentation: Once the decision to be displayed has been made, they can be sent instantly and at the same time to all affected display devices..

-Dynamism. A static panel always displays the same image for as long as it remains exposed. In a digital one you can vary the content by time slots as small or large as you want. Allowing, For example, change the language of the texts on the same image, or play videos or moving images, impossible in static.

-Attraction to better capture attention. The notoriety and effectiveness of digital screens together with the dynamism of the contents improve consumer perception.

-Substitution of expenses for investment, which can be amortized depending on the expected return on investment period.

-Improvement of the corporate image, Transmitting quality and modernity, according to the perception that customers have of the company.

Integral parts:

Leaving aside the activity of content creation that, in any case, It is common to static signage and is, therefore, already resolved, For the implementation of the digital project, the following components are required:

· Repository (server) where the contents to be distributed for presentation are stored.

· Content Management Application, that will allow you to organize them, Combine, program them in time matrix grids and devices, and distribute them to breeding points, along with the indications of schedules and permanence. At the same time, This application allows you to exercise control over the devices to verify that they work as intended.

· Display devices, consisting of screens of different technologies and sizes and panels of LED modules for large dimensions (walls, Facades).

· Players, personal computers of industrial type that are generally integrated into the display screens and that are responsible for receiving the contents, that have been sent to you by the management application, So what, thanks to a playback program, They are responsible for displaying them on the screen according to the indications of schedules and duration.

· Communication network to connect content repository servers, with the player computers integrated into the display screens. Network can be established with physical media (fiber optic cable) or wireless (Wi-Fi or 3G modems).

The projects

Los “mupis”

The first phase of the implementation of the digital implementation focused on the installation of semi-outdoor screens, "mupis", on the outside of the main access doors of the most important shopping centers. With them a first advertising circuit was configured, managed by In-Store Media, in order to be offered as digital advertising support to the brands of the products marketed in El Corte Inglés.

It started with 46" screens, developed and manufactured by Inves, the technological brand of the ECI group, at its Tres Cantos plant (Madrid), consisting of a cabinet with protective glass and ventilation elements to evacuate the heat generated. They have an integrated specialized player, with 3G modem for communication.

Later screens of larger sizes were developed, 55" and 65", and solutions were incorporated to place inside shop windows overlooking the main entrance, that were equipped with special support elements, also with 3G modem, for communication, with integrated players.

The "directories"

Another distinct phase has been the development of digital directories.. Its purpose is to show the organization of the plants and the location of the departments, but they are also used to present promotional campaigns and as an advertising circuit.

Also manufactured by Inves, These are different indoor screens, of dimensions, Characteristics and aesthetic customizations according to the location and the contents to be presented:

· 43" horizontal super widescreen displays (Aspect Ratio 16×5), para las que se ha dispuesto un mueble integrador que recoge dos pantallas opuestas (one for each side) and a player that serves both. A telescopic tubular support allows the cabinet to be hung from the ceiling. They are arranged along the corridors and at the exits of stairs. Its main function is the orientation of customers in their tours of the plant.

· Vertical furniture resting on the floor (Totems), in various versions:

• Single 46" vertical display
• Two screens of 46 "type "videowall" vertically, single-sided and joined by its shorter side
• Two 46" vertical screens facing each other (one for each side), also with the built-in player.

The typical placement is inside the entrances and they show mainly the directories of the plants.

In this case, Player computers are specific developments adapted to very particular requirements that have been designed and manufactured entirely also by Inves. Communication, Here now it is by fiber optic cable, To connect to the internal network.

This is a project carried out by the group of information technology companies of El Corte Inglés, with installation and commissioning by Ruybesa.

The future

The implementation has begun coinciding with the remodeling of the ground floor of the building on the Paseo de la Castellana in Madrid, after the annexation to this center of the recently built Titania, has continued with the new center in Córdoba and will continue to take advantage of new openings and remodeling of centers.

Of course., A long-term project like this, will evolve with the incorporation of new technologies that appear. An example of this is the launch of a pilot project of "audience measurement" that, with the integration of the "Intel AIM Suite" solution, It will allow to determine the optimal dwell times of each image to achieve the best result and analyze the profiles and attitudes of customers who pass or stop in front of the display devices.

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