RETAIL

When we’re online—doing a search, reading an article, or simply scrolling social media—our feeds are filled with product offers and topics most likely to grab our attention. If you’re like me, you find that these hyper-personalized experiences are becoming more relevant, convenient, informative, and even entertaining.

Wouldn’t it be nice if our in-store experiences were the same way? We not only could more easily find items we might like or are looking for, but businesses would be able to gain more insights. When shopping center operators, retailers, and brands can visualize a shopper’s journey—from the parking lot to product purchases and everywhere in between—the door is wide open to new revenue opportunities.

With edge AI computer vision, the next wave of physical retail is expected to offer the same kinds of highly targeted customer interactions you find online, but in an anonymized way.

Businesses are discovering that their digital-signage displays can be more lucrative when they know their audience behavior and patterns better and match content based on a rich data set. One company making retail hyper-personalization marketing a reality is meldCX, a provider of AI and intelligent edge technologies and solutions.

“We have found many of our customers have a basic understanding of how shoppers look at screens and match the content to play at key target types in descriptive and predictive cycles,” says Joy Chua, Executive Vice President, Strategy and Development at meldCX. “What’s missing is the idea of automation across these two, as well as a proactive approach to be able to trigger content based on multiple factors.”

With #EdgeAI #ComputerVision, the next wave of physical #retail is expected to offer the same kinds of highly targeted customer interactions you find online, but in an anonymized way. meldCX via @insightdottech

Hyper-Personalization Marketing: Timing Is Everything

meldCX helps shopping malls and other venue operators further monetize their digital screens with COATRO (Content at the Right Opportunity), a module of its Viana vision analytics platform.

COATRO integrates seamlessly with existing signage systems, enabling them to dynamically trigger content based on a myriad of predefined factors such as demographics, vehicles, behavior patterns, product and zone engagement, journey profiling, and even clothing worn within the camera’s field of view.

The software supports multiple triggers per screen and aggregates data across multiple audiences or vehicle types to determine the most effective content approach, allowing for highly customized content delivery. Additionally, every advertisement is assessed against multiple attraction indicators to generate an effectiveness score, giving advertisers insights into how individual content is performing.

At the same time, Viana is trained using synthetic data, ensuring that any data collected is anonymous and secure. This power to understand shopper trends in such detail uncovers actionable insights for highly targeted marketing strategies and campaigns that increase conversion rates and ROI.

For example, one longtime meldCX customer—a shopping center network operator with multiple large venues—had clear business goals it wanted to achieve. The operator deployed COATRO to gain a deeper understanding of how its digital assets perform and use these insights to develop new revenue opportunities. From there the objective was to formulate a broader story across all venues.

The deployment includes use of cameras and screens both indoors and outdoors. The Viana COATRO platform provides far more insights than usual, including the number and types of cars that come into the center, vehicle traffic mapping in major intersections, and even which digital assets—such as ads—result in people turning into the parking lot. Inside the mall, the system measures where and how long people dwell, their attention time at a display, and the conversion ratio.

With this depth of data, the operator can provide trend metrics that advertisers want to see before funding signage-based marketing campaigns. “They can combine historical data collected from an aggregation of data points with our visual technology across anonymized individuals, vehicles, and targeted logos or products,” says Chua. “They’re able to use real-time information to have a clearer view on who’s actually looking at the screen and when.”

The project is part of a multi-step process the operator takes to deliver more information about how different centers perform to the broader group and apply that to their other buildings or centers—creating more growth opportunities going forward.

“COATRO today is playing a key role in making sure that conversion and attraction are in line with what both the business and the customer wants and needs,” says Chua.

Low-Code Platform Simplifies AI-Driven Personalization

Viana COATRO integrates five elements that work together as a single solution: an Intel^® processor-powered edge computing device, media player, camera or sensor, software license, and managed services.

As a low-code platform, users don’t have to be AI or machine vision experts to deploy the solution. In fact, meldCX designs its software for domain experts like marketing specialists or brand managers versus data analysts. In addition to COATRO, the Viana solution offers a range of use cases that can be combined to enhance the depth and breadth of the insights captured. All data is visualized as a comprehensive data story on the Viana dashboard.

meldCX works closely with Intel to deliver on a shared goal of making AI more accessible for customers. “This is especially close to our hearts because with COATRO we’re integrating AI to existing infrastructure for the first time in physical spaces,” says Chua. “Our technology enables seamless alignment of messaging between the physical and virtual, enhancing targeting strategies and customer experience in an ongoing improvement loop. And we are continuously working with Intel to make AI as small and compact as possible, yet powerful.”

Going Beyond Personalization in Retail

Hyper-personalization is not just for retail. Content at the right opportunity certainly applies to sporting and entertainment venues. Take the Olympic and Paralympic Games, for example. “When we see an Australian contingent wearing yellow and gold, the content triggered on the screen might be engaging information about Australian swimmers,” says Chua. “Then we could do the same at the aquatic center when we see red, white, and blue for the American team.”

Beyond these use cases—from advertising to entertainment—digital-signage displays and dynamic content have the potential for applications such as enhancing public safety and citywide experiences in a myriad of ways. It’s never been truer that a picture is worth a thousand words. 

Listen to our conversation on the power of omnichannel experiences with meldCX and Intel to dive deeper into how technology can transform physical spaces.

Edited by Christina Cardoza, Editorial Director for insight.tech.