The owners of a popular independent café were looking for ways to increase efficiency around their menu signage. At the same time, they were about to undergo an interior remodel. While the brother-sister duo was fond of their chalkboard-look menu signs, keeping the content up-to-date had become tedious, and the look would feel outdated when the interior refresh was complete. Both fans of the contemporary look of digital signage, the entrepreneurs were nonetheless wary about cost. They also didn’t want a system that would be difficult to learn and manage. They were skeptical that they would find digital signage in their price range that would also be reliable and look great.
The more technically minded of the two, the sister began exploring the world of digital signage. As she learned about its many uses, she began to see benefits beyond being cool-looking and enabling quick content changes for their menu board. For one thing, they could use digital content to help distract and entertain the increasingly long lines at the cafe. They could also use the signage to promote high-inventory, high-margin items. She also liked the idea of replacing their cluttered cork bulletin board with a digital sign to showcase the many local cultural events that friends and family members were involved in.
After getting up to speed on the basics of digital signage, the path forward was less clear. Google searches led her to companies clearly pushing their own agenda. She wanted independent advice on products from a range of suppliers – from someone experienced in the business of helping companies.
After listening to her goals, the AV engineer recommended that they only consider reputable brands, which could deliver the performance and reliability she wanted. While she knew from her research that she could find less expensive options, she agreed. She and her brother were too busy handling other aspects of the business (and their lives) to invest in anything other than a solid solution with a reliably long lifespan. Among the highly rated wellknown brands, ViewSonic professional-quality commercial displays had exceptional pricing. Select models were also guaranteed for use up to 24/7, so she was confident that they could handle their restaurant’s schedule for many years to come.
The AV consultant informed her that the ViewSonic brand was known for delivering displays with stunning images, which she saw for herself when she visited their showroom. The ViewSonic® CDE5512 55-inch display with 3840 x 2160 resolution was top on her list based on size and price. When she saw it in person, the display was bright and stunning. Text was crisp and legible while the images were clear and vibrant. Line-item lists like menus popped off the screen. Guaranteed to play multimedia from internal storage or a USB flash drive for up to 16 hours a day, seven days a week, this model was less costly than those with 24/7 playback – perfect for their needs. Additionally, the included myViewBoard® Manager software would allow them to remotely manage the displays. If for some reason they both had to be away at closing time, they could remotely power down the displays from their laptops.
Finally, before making a recommendation to her brother, she wanted to understand how they would get content onto the displays. She learned that there were two options. They could upload content onto a USB drive, which would then connect to the display. Or, they could purchase a one-time perpetual license for ViewSonic Signage Manager software, which would allow them to create and schedule playlists. After a walk-through of the software, this seemed like the way to go.
When she presented these ideas to her brother-business partner, his primary concern was that they create a content plan before committing to the investment. They realized that they would need to invest some time upfront, creating an assortment of template designs that could then be quickly updated as needed down the line.
Ultimately, they decided to purchase three ViewSonic CDE5512 55-inch displays. Two would replace the chalkboard menus. They would use the third to promote high-inventory and high margin items while including diverting content like live weather, sports, and music videos. To ensure that the content looked as good as the displays, they would hire a graphic design intern from the local college to create a menu of templates that reinforced their brand look and feel.
Several months after the remodel and display installation were complete, the duo reported that the signage has been exceptionally well-received by their customers. The regulars appreciated the modern new look and the fun digital programming. Patrons old and new began ordering more of the promoted items – helping reduce product outages and increasing sales of high-margin items. At this point they decided the time was right to install a fourth digital display in place of their traditional bulletin board.
