Learn From Our Mistakes So You Don’t Make Them, Too
Working with McDonald’s for over 40 years, in 2016 Coates completed a national rollout for McDonald’s Create Your Taste in Australia and New Zealand, and McDonald’s Experience Of The Future restaurants in China and Japan. Having worked with McDonald’s, Coates will now leverage the key information they gained from the digital drive thru, digital menu board and kiosk rollout as a platform for the U.S. market. In the upcoming panel discussion, “Learn from Our Mistakes so You Don't Make Then Too,” at Digital Signage Expo 2017, I will discuss Coates’ core findings and key factors of the business’ success. The highlights of the panel will include an in-depth look at a few standout topics.
Content Strategy
Content is king’ is one of the most common phrases used in marketing today; it is not content itself that drives success, but the strategy behind it. Coates has learned that the most fundamental question at the beginning of a relationship with a new client is “What is your content strategy for in-store merchandising?”
It's important to bear in mind that a considered strategy for relevant, targeted messaging is crucial for success and should never be overshadowed by the latest technology.
Client Orientated
After decades in the business, Coates has learned the key of success is expertly determining the right solution for the specific client, and how to readily deploy it. There is no one right approach to rolling out a project of scale, it’s a science of defining the brands top objectives for their market and how that environment will react. It's important to not just be any other supplier, but a transformative partner for your clients.
Test and Learn
Coates have found that the most effective and efficient deployments involved partnering with brands from the get go, and walking them through a digital journey. It can be overwhelming turning on all functionality at once, which is why Coates use a staged deployment approach, to measure the success of various content, location and product configurations. It's crucial to have a unit of experts in content, technology and strategy to ensure a well-developed and measured approach is used to analyze what works and what doesn’t.
Stay Hardware Agnostic
The cost of hardware procurement is significant, with brands having differing needs and requiring various price points. Staying hardware agnostic allows companies to offer the optimal solution no matter the size or scope of the job. Clients appreciate the choice and their loyalty reflects that.
This piece originally appeared on Modern Restaurant Management.
