"Today you convince with whole product stagings".

is the owner of Media Solutions, a company specializing in digital signage and AV communication solutions. He is also a lecturer for multimedia techniques at various schools. Media Solutions has been at the forefront of the enormous developments in the digital media environment since 1993.MK As a lecturer in multimedia techniques and owner of Media Solutions, you have been active in the field of digital media for years. From your point of view and experience, what are the key success factors in visual communication?DANIEL REGLI The most diverse factors play an equally match-deciding role! Screen dimensioning and screen placement are certainly very important. But without appealing and product-appropriate content, even the best positioning at the POS is useless! It is becoming more and more important to offer the potential customer an emotional shopping experience with the help of interactive applications. Today, modern installations are not only convincing with simple screen installations, but much more with real product presentations: In addition to video content, combined installations with scents, holography, interactivity, light ambience and transparent display technology are used!MK How important is content for the success of a digital signage system? Is it still enough today that the sole technical possibility inspires or must the attention also be aroused and held by original content?REGLI Content is still the be-all and end-all of an efficient digital signage installation. Without the right content, even the most technically brilliant installation is just a pile of hardware. Attractively produced content, however, moves people, arouses emotions and generates buying impulses!MK So the development is moving away from pure information systems and towards forced activity of potential customers?REGLI Clearly yes! Today, the modern customer is familiar with all the multimedia waters! He knows and consumes daily lavishly produced contents in high definition and 3D, and also the multitouch "Swipe & Wipe" technology knows today every child from his smartphone. To be able to still arouse sustainable emotions and enthusiasm under these conditions, you have to reach quite deep into the bag of tricks. Excellent possibilities are offered, for example, by installations with interactive transparent display technology or smartphone-based remote control of the content.MK And how can an active interaction of the customer finally promote the consumption decision?REGLI By letting the customer decide which content he wants to access for which product. Today, no one wants to look at a long history before they finally get the information they want! The prerequisite, however, is that the content can be accessed intuitively and quickly by everyone.MK Is the impact, the success of the message increased by interactivity and can this result be shown measurably?REGLI Quite clearly twice yes! A well-implemented interactive signage installation will bring significantly more customers to the POS and the dwell time will also increase. But we live in extremely fast-moving times. What today is still the absolute multimedia non plus ultra to inspire visitors and customers is already after a few months snow of yesterday.MK Are there any new developments and trends in this area, such as coupling the digital signage system with smartphone capabilities, etc.?REGLI As already mentioned at the beginning, the trend from the point of view of Media Solutions is clearly moving away from the pure endless loop video presentation! We already realize product stagings for the POI/POS, in which we generate suitable, variable lighting scenes in addition to the video content, move exhibits, and offer the customer the opportunity to interact with the staging via smartphone. Nota bene, this also works after closing time through the shop window and without installing a special app!Author: Nadine Rydzyk