An empire of the senses

By Digital POP we mean all those modern technology solutions which use some kind of device to influence the buying process. Trade magazin and Magyar Telekom and its now Origo-owned affiliate M Factory are the pioneers of making shopping more mobile. Their Bluetooth totem connects to the mobile phones of customers, sending coupons, questionnaires, video footages or games. A new, spectacular way of advertising is 3D monitors; by using glasses and image can be seen from every angle. Coupons sent to mobile phones can replace traditional paper coupons. They are environmentally friendly, well measurable and personalised. From May a COOP store in Szolnok will test this type of promotion, within the framework of the T-City programme. Plasma displays can be placed in the retail space, at the entrance or at cash registers, on which TV programmes, advertisements or video footages are broadcasted from a central server. Its Multi Touch Screen version is perfect for presenting new products, informing about prize games or for additional creative solutions, e.g. printing out shopping lists or recipes. Kornél Huber, M Factory’s sales executive added that the company’ system offers content which is compatible with 95 percent of devices on the Hungarian market. A giant interactive display and Zsolt István Posta from Mobilia-Artica welcomed visitors. This monitor was connected to a computer and could perform the tasks of a hostess, print out coupons or emit sounds or scents. This display is available in different sizes, tailor-made to customers’ needs. By using these, content can be planned and modified quickly – not to mention that it can also be uploaded online. Mobilia-Artica’s managing director, István Kertész stressed that their company was selling visual communication, not displays. E-rail is a world premier developed in cooperation by CBA, Coca-Cola and Szintézis. On each shelf a display is mounted, on which a flash file for a Coca-Cola product runs. At the fruit-vegetable department of the Interspar store in Alle shopping centre Bizerba’s self-service, product-recognising scales attracted shoppers. Pál Tóth, Bizerba’s sales director demonstrated the use of the touchscreen. The company’s deli-, cheese- and meat-counter scales display advertisements and personal offers to customers, while on the shop assistant’s side product information and ingredients are listed, but recipes can also be printed. Laurel Kft. was present with cash registers by which mobile coupons can be validated. Educational manager Richard Járai told us that customers needed to be taught how to use these devices. The company developed a recipe kiosk too – shoppers can choose a recipe, the kiosk prepares a shopping list and sends it to the customers’ mobile via MMS. Hu-Mago Kft.’s main profile is manufacturing cooled and non-cooled store equipment, and repairing and cleaning shopping trolleys; for the latter they developed a multifunctional hygiene and information stand. Managing director Attila Horváth told us that it distributes antiseptic tissues, while on its monitor advertisements and promotions are displayed. Enikő Pusztai, POS Media Hungary Kft.’s marketing and PR manager told that Digital Shelf Stoppers and Digital Media Display were both part of their instore communication portfolio. These were able to grab the attention of customers with video footages and sounds. Manufacturing costs are low, they are efficient, modern and remote-controlled – accessible even via the Internet.