Author: T.C. Torres, Senior Media Planner/Buyer

Manifestation of screened interactions

Screened interactions are popping up just about anywhere you can imagine. From fast food chains to high end retail stores, you can expect to have a more digitally enhanced shopping experience.

McDonald’s fast food chains in Europe have started implementing touch screen kiosks in place of humanoids to help take orders and money. “What’s next?” one might ask, computers to flip the hamburgers?

“It had to happen. Supermarkets have already started the shift in this direction, installing self-service tills so that their customers end up doing all the work.” — Giles Turnbull.

“The downsides? Hmm, touchscreen computers in a place stacked full of fried food. Sticky, greasy finger marks all over the screen. Ewww.” — Giles Turnbull.

Retailers are also jumping aboard the proverbial “touch screen” bandwagon.

“Retailers are placing interactive touch screens in and outside of stores to provide a more immersive and engaging experience.” JWT Intelligence.

The mass adoption of touch screens is escalating the number of digital screens with which consumers can potentially interact. Great! That’s just what we all need, another consumer touch point. These screens are not cheap and installation certainly isn’t free, which means that more and more of these units will begin to carry advertising to subsidize the cost. Our guess is that they will end up being a part of a digital network where you can purchase inventory in targeted locations like restaurants, retail stores and many others.

Note: Assistant Media Planner/Buyer Melody Loveday co-authored this article.