The medium often defines brand presence. In the age of advanced interactive technologies, dynamic digital displays offer distinct advantages over traditional static displays, especially when it comes to brand visibility, communications and experience. This is one of the reasons Bestseller India, which sells a range of popular fashion and lifestyle brands including Jack & Jones, Vero Moda, ONLY etc, chooses digital displays for its in-store and Out of Home communications. 

As Santosh Dubey, Chief Project Officer & Head of Distribution Business - Bestseller India, tellsRetail4Growth in an exclusive conversation, “If I had to choose between static and digital, I’d definitely choose digital. The quality that a digital screen gives cannot be found in a regular flex display.”

Obvious  advantages

Digital displays, as Santosh points out, offer obvious cost and other advantages. “Earlier we used to have easel stands for our communications and every time we had to change the communication for our seasonal offers and other information, it involved high cost in terms of printing, logistics, content change etc. And this had to be managed across 500 different locations too. So we needed to have an army of people to manage it. But now with digital displays, the content changes for all locations can be pushed from one centralised server and it goes live within seconds. Earlier, the brand communications had to be planned at least a month in advance. Now it has become so much more easy and much more efficient. We are saving huge costs incurred on printing. Besides, we are saving paper and quality is maintained too. Also, we are able to extend the product/brand communication to our social media channels and adding value to the brand narratives in terms of conveying information regarding celebrity endorsements of our brands, etc.” 

Post sale service - Biggest challenge 

But while opting for digital displays is one thing, getting the right post sale service is another, and this, according to Santosh, is one of the biggest issues that retailers face. “There are many digital screens available in India today, but most of these suppliers are just aggregators and get their products from China. Very few of them have their own R&D or manufacturing units. So while installation is easy for many of them, when it comes to warranty and post sales service, it is quite challenging.” 

He cites the example of magic mirrors. “Many went in for magic mirrors in stores because it was fun installing them. But after some time, they had to be removed and shoved to a corner because they realised the screens weren’t serving the purpose and they couldn’t find the right service support or solution for them.”  He adds, “So any supplier who cracks post sale service will be successful today.” 

Also, as Santosh points out, uniformity and consistency of product quality is also critical, and buyers need to be aware of the right quality parameters while choosing the display screens and solutions. 

Content integration is another key factor when it comes to digital display and communication. Speaking about this, Santosh shares, “It’s a brand’s call as to which content is played where and they should get it right for the digital display to serve its purpose. For example, you cannot have a video running at the entrance or in a public space like roads. It should be placed strategically ”

A fashion retail company that manages its entire store project in-house with the entire execution team, from carpenters to electricians, being in house, and which ensures a store can be made ready for roll-out in just a day’s time - a retailer of this kind would indeed take no chances when it comes to its digital displays. 

So for Bestseller India, which is planning nearly 200 shop-in-shops in the next six months, there is no doubt regarding the medium of choice when it comes to its in-store and out-of-home brand communications - digital and dynamic it is!