Inside the showroom of a high-end luxury brand, a shopper standing in front of a connected glass display is using his imagination to virtually experience every product in the store. Once limited to science fiction, today the next-gen digital signage is bedazzling consumers in every walk of life, from magic mirrors in retail outlets, interactive menu boards in restaurants, high-definition video walls in automobile showrooms and more. Paint and print have finally been overthrown by pixel and today digital signage has advanced to a point, where marketers are banking on it to convert opportunities into transactions. While it may have been a luxury upgrade a decade ago, digital experiences are now a must-have across industries as it brings dynamic content to the right audience at the right time and inspires action.

However, as digital signage emerges as a key entity in enhancing brand image and marketing strategy, most solution providers fall short when it comes to effectively implementing expansive rollouts as they are regionally focused or lack the resources to take on enterprise customers. Modern digital signage is much more than just purchasing video equipment and to achieve the desired results, organizations must adopt engaging content, updated on the fly combined with cutting-edge hardware and software implementations. On that note, Creative Realities CREX [OTCMKTS], an expert authority on end-to-end digital marketing and signage solutions is far better positioned than their competitors with a footprint in six locations across North America, inspiring state-of-the-art brand experiences for clients in the U.S. and globally. “We take care of a client’s entire continuum of signage needs, combined with best-in-class integrated offerings that include software development, installation of complex digital systems, seamless customer support, expert consultancy, and content management. Moreover, all this is delivered in a cost-effective, efficient, and timely manner,” states Rick Mills, CEO of Creative Realities.

Intelligent, Interactive, and Responsive

At the onset of every project, Creative Realities adopts a consultative approach by going to the root of customers’ challenges. A client’s business objectives as well as the vision for the environment are two critical questions that the company seeks to understand from the onset of an engagement.

“Instead of predetermining the journey with a one-size-fits-all model, we believe in collaboratively deciding the outcome a client wants to achieve,” says Mills. An appropriate solution strategy combined with turnkey services is then devised, in line with a client’s budget and project requirements. A client can either opt for all of the Creative Realities’ services or specific offerings according to their needs.

Mills credits a large part of the company’s competency to the team at Creative Realities, which comprises practice leaders that are adept in marketing technology and have over twenty-five years of experience and technical know-how in generating highly responsive, scalable, and customer-centric solutions. To that effect, Creative Realities is much more than a solutions provider for its customers; they are a trusted advisor and business partner.

"Instead of predetermining the journey with a one-size-fits-all model, we believe in collaboratively deciding the outcome a client wants to achieve"

Alongside quality white glove installations, Creative Realities delivers human-centered and thoughtfully architected brand experiences that are aligned with the needs of consumers. “We design, curate, manage traffic, and deliver any form of content via best in class CMS software solutions, tailored to the requirements of a single or multi-site network.” Currently, Creative Realities owns three content management systems and supports over five content management solutions, each covering unique features such as asset and campaign management, customer engagement measurement, data integration, and device health monitoring.

To stay at the top of their game, Creative Realities focuses on custom integrations. “Many customers today demand custom integrations into their data feed. We easily interface with a client’s existing databases to enhance their content and make it more relevant,” explains Mills. Complementing this service, the company also provides a reporting platform that helps measure detailed information on application usage, call-to-action measures, email and text messages, proof of play, and system performance.

The ingenuity of Creative Realities’ solution is highlighted through an omnichannel marketing technologies solution developed by the company that enabled an automobile manufacturer to enhance its dealership sales processes. The solution along with a single content management system helped the client deploy content across touch-screen kiosks, desktop web browsers, as well as tablets and smartphones.

Responsive Design at its Core

Governed by the belief that dynamic content must be underpinned by reliable software, Creative Realities takes full charge of all engineering and systems integration needs. From designing blueprints of systems architecture to on-site programming and ongoing network management, the company covers it all.

“We’ve created thousands of digital solutions that transform the consumer and shopper journey into intelligent, responsive, aware, and immersive experiences.” It’s noteworthy to mention that since the company is located eight miles from the UPS worldwide air hub, they can transport any materials or parts anywhere in the country within the next day, even when requests are received at untimely hours.

In the case of a prominent retail chain dedicated to delivering closet storage systems, Creative Realities created a digital platform that redefined their showroom environment. The client was on the lookout for an interactive signage that would scale personalized experiences. Bringing their requirements to life, Creative Realities designed an exquisite interactive tech table. “Think of it as a 50-inch high tech screen, which customers can leaf through and engage with dynamic visual representations of every possible configuration of a closet—from the look to finish and fixtures,” exclaims Mills. The project was such a success that Creative Realities is now helping the client implement similar digital signage solutions across all its chains in North America.

With over two decades of experience in the industry, Creative Realities has an upper hand in comparison to other solution providers as they have handled a broad expanse of clients from various sectors, starting from telecommunications, retail, luxury brands, foodservice, to travel and hospitality. For maximum client benefit, Creative Realities hosts and monitors technical support for its unique deployments. This is delivered through their network operation center and technical services team that ensure that all installations and services are expertly maintained. “What’s important to understand is that we are not an audio/visual integrator hired to just install signage solutions in business environments. We focus on high value-add for our customers and we will leave no stone unturned to meet their requirements,” adds Mills. Creative Realities even goes the extra mile and offers digital outdoor solutions that are perfectly engineered for its surroundings. In numerous instances, the company has planned and installed analog installations to drive transit advertising within the Out of Home media spectrum.

A True Solutions Partner

In the coming days, the company will focus on acquisitions to gain further scale and capability. Expansion plans internationally are also on the charts for 2019 and beyond. Moreover, with strong backing and support and a steady flow of capital, from a group of leading investors, the future growth possibilities are limitless for Creative Realities. Currently, the digital signage market valued at $19.61 billion is expected to reach $32.84 billion in 2023. In such a scenario, Creative Realities with is innovative technology and customer-centric approach is all poised to emerge as the go-to solution provider in the area of next-gen signage.