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The Digital Signage Show: Inside Target's digital signage network

Target's interactive media team reveals some success factors of the company's Channel Red in-store digital media network.

November 10, 2009

Chris Borek of Target's interactive media team revealed some success factors of the company's Channel Red in-store digital media network yesterday at The Digital Signage Show in New York City.

The presentation was part of a panel session called "Creating the intelligent customer experience." Also contributing to the panel were Bradley Walker of Nanonation and Anthony Albanese of Outcast Media.

Borek said that most of the thought that goes into messaging for the network revolves around catering to the guests needs and "getting in their heads." He said the three purposes of the network are to "entertain, educate and merchandise." Education was critically important of the three, Borek said, because "90 percent of questions asked in Target stores begin with 'Where are the...' or 'Do you have...'"

Target operates its in-store network in 1,750 stores, which Borek says reaches 70 million viewers per month. The screens are typically housed in the electronics departments of those stores.

Borek said one of the further goals is to use the screens to motivate that audience to access Target on a multichannel level, prompting guests to opt into mobile interactions or access the company's Web site.

Borek concluded by offering the five key success factors for Channel Red:

Determine guest needs
Identify and get stakeholders on board
Align resources
Establish common research metrics
Provide a common guest experience

Bradley Walker echoed many of Borek's points when it came to identifying with the customer and generating a positive experience in a retail environment.

"The customer experience focuses on the consumer, ties to the brand, then delivers with the technology," Walker said. "Technology shouldn't be viewed as a widget or solution - it should be about the brand coming alive via that technology."

Walker also offered some key customer experience success factors:

Integrate environment and brand
Leverage content and workflow
Speak the language 
Provide functionality that is easy to maintain
Provide engagement opportunities on your customers' terms
Provide measurement back to stakeholders