In-Store Digital Signs Connect Businesses With Customers Via LBS

Much of the focus around location-based services early on has been in the form of mobile applications like Foursquare and Twitter, but there is a new opportunity emerging for businesses to connect the mobile experience to digital signage and other marketing mediums as well.

One example of this is from ScreenScape, a Canadian company that has built a Foursquare widget into their digital signage content delivery system.

For Foursquare venues, the system can be used to display up-to-the-moment status reports: who is the mayor, what are the Foursquare specials, who is here now, total check-ins, and more. It takes the window-cling up a notch.  And in a Minority Report-like way, consumers who check-in can see themselves recognized as “present” in venue on screens in the business.

One business that is using the system is Tasti D-Lite.  The frozen yogurt chain not only displays Foursquare users, but has also integrated the check-in with their loyalty card program.

Another example is Bailey’s Taproom in Portland, Ore.  A local customer and .Net programmer developed a digital menu board unlike anything else I’ve seen (left). The board displays brewery and beer name, beer style and color, brewery location and even the approximate level of beer remaining in the keg. The menu will also let you know which of your Foursquare friends have checked in while you’re there and sends out a tweet as soon as they put a new beer on so you always know what’s on.

These two examples simply point to the fact that location-based marketing is about more than just mobile. At the LBMA, we like to talk about this as the intersection of people, places and media – regardless of the place or the medium. I suspect we will see much more of this type of integrated messaging that engages consumers and enables them to connect with the businesses they frequent.

Asif R. Khan is a veteran tech start-up, business development and marketing entrepreneur currently serving the community as founder and president of the Location Based Marketing Association (The LBMA). Weekly podcaster at This Week In Location Based Marketing every Monday. Can be found at @AsifRKhan @TheLBMA on Twitter.