Retail

How digital signage is driving transformation for a Virginia peanuts producer

The Whitley’s Peanut Factory switched out a changeable letter board for a Watchfire Sign’s LED sign and is reaping rewards from employee safety to enhanced marketing capabilities and increased brand awareness.

Photo: Watchfire Signs

May 8, 2026 by Judy Mottl — Editor: RetailCustomerExperience.com & DigitalSignageToday.com, Connect Media

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Whitley's Peanut Factory has been producing gourmet Virginia peanuts for four decades, since opening its first location in Gloucester, Virginia.

For most of those 40 years the location relied on a changeable letter board to catch the attention of traffic on Route 17.

Updating and managing the sign required an employee to grab a ladder and switch out letters – activity that posed safety issues to the employee. The sign also required constant upkeep. But most importantly it wasn't keeping pace with the business, according to Todd Smith, owner and president.

Keeping up with growth

Shortly after opening the first store in 1986 the company opened a second retail location in Williamsburg, Virginia and a new production facility in Hayes, Virginia. In 2017 it debuted a third retail store in Richmond and a second distribution in Gloucester County. The company cooks peanuts by hand and hand dips all its peanut clusters one at a time.

"Beyond the operational difficulties, it [the changeable letter board] just wasn't keeping pace with where we wanted to take the business. We're located on one of the busiest roads in the county, so visibility has always been an opportunity for us. We wanted something that could better represent who we are and do more for us from a marketing standpoint," Smith said in an email interview.

Smith grew up in his father's peanut shelling business. He, his brother and father founded Whiteley's Peanut factory while Smith was attending Virginia Tech. After graduation, in 1989, he became manager of the Williamsburg store.

Deploying a modern touch

The decision to replace the sign began germinating before COVID 19 hit in 2020.

The retailer had long wanted a new sign to increase visibility, drive more traffic to the store and build brand awareness.
Smith and company leaders knew of several digital signage installations in the county created by SignMedia Inc. featuring Watchfire technology and reached out to gain information.

SignMedia is a full-service sign manufacturer in Hampton, Virginia. It is one of the largest commercial sign manufacturers in Eastern Virginia.

Watchfire designs, engineers and manufactures LED signs and its products include indoor and outdoor LED displays, fixed-digit and virtual scoreboards, gas price signs and digital billboards.

"We had seen the product out in the field," said Smith.

SignMedia brought a demo truck to Smith so he could see the outdoor LED displays in person and compare different resolutions. Smith also drove around the county to see how the signs looked in real-world conditions.

"Once we saw the quality and clarity of the 6mm up close, it wasn't a hard decision," said Smith.

While the project strategy had been in play for more than a few years the actual sign installation took just days.

The company's sign was grandfathered in by zoning regulations and so the company was able to keep the tall height and footprint. New signs installed cannot be more than six feet due to new zoning regulations.

"The SignMedia team refurbished the sandblasted sign faces, upgraded the electrical to handle the new unit, and added new spotlighting as well. It also hand-carved four-foot three-dimensional peanuts for the top of the sign, which are their own kind of landmark now," said Smith.

The power of imagery

Not only is the Watchfire display brighter and more attention getting, but it's also given the retailer the flexibility to promote products, events and seasonable offerings instantly. It's also using it to promote community events and brand content.

"We're also incorporating video and high-resolution imagery, which really changes the dynamic. It's not just about reading a message anymore. People are drawn to it visually, and that's exactly what we were hoping for," said Smith. "We can even feature video content that brings our brand to life for everyone who drives by. That ability to change messaging quickly and use high-resolution imagery is a big deal for us. The goal is to capture that attention and get people in the door."

The company is managing the sign in house, using Watchfire's Ignite OPx content management platform.

"It's incredibly easy to use. We can create bright, eye-catching visuals, including video, and update the display instantly, no matter the weather. Our marketing manager, Pam Wasylson, handles the content and does a great job with it," said Smith.

While boosting visibility, driving traffic, and building brand awareness were primary objectives for the digital signage effort, a big goal was to do storytelling, according to Smith.

"Most importantly, it gives us a way to tell our story before customers even walk in the door — whether that's a new product, a holiday special, a community event or just showing people who we are. That's something the old sign could never really do," said Smith.

Challenges in play

While it was a huge benefit to use the initial sign's height and footprint there was the challenge of ensuring that the retailer didn't lose its sense of history, according to Jeff Green, president of SignMedia.

"A lot of times, especially with a business like Whitley's that has real history and a hometown feel, the challenge is helping them modernize without losing what makes them. There was actually some hesitation early on, as they weren't sure an electronic message center would fit with that small-town charm the brand is known for," he said in an email Interview.

"What really helped was showing how digital could enhance what they already had rather than disrupt it. Once they could see the technology in person and picture it alongside the existing sign elements, that concern went away pretty quickly."

The top complexity was integrating a new display into an existing structure that had been in place for decades.
SignMedia removed the old marquee, installed the Watchfire unit and then refurbished the sandblasted sign faces. Those sign faces were built by SignMedia three decades earlier, said Greene, and need some tender loving care.

"We repaired and repainted everything, upgraded the electrical to handle the new display, and installed new spotlighting for the sandblasted panels as well," said Greene
SignMedia also hand-carved four-and-a-half-foot 3D peanuts out of sign foam and mounted them at the top — they are visible from a mile away.

"By working within the existing permitted structure, they were able to keep the full height and visibility. We handle all the permitting in-house, so we do that legwork upfront and make sure customers aren't leaving anything on the table," said Green.

Top benefits of digital tech

As the Whitley's Peanut Factory digital sign installation illustrates the benefits of a digital sign compared to a changeable letter board are many.

"The most immediate ones are safety and efficiency. You're not sending someone up a ladder to change letters anymore, and you can update messaging instantly from anywhere," said Green.

But the bigger shift is really in what the sign can do for the retailer.

"With high-resolution images and video, you're capturing attention in a way a letter board just can't," said Green. "People gravitate toward visuals. It's not always even about reading the text, it's about what catches your eye. That's a completely different kind of marketing tool. It transforms signage from something static into an active part of how you communicate with your customers."

Tips, advice on digital signage

Smith said retailers looking to undertake a similar project should strive to see potential technology in play.

"The demo truck made a real difference for us. Being able to walk around the display, look at it from different angles, and compare resolutions side by side gave us a much clearer picture of what we were investing in. Driving around to see other local installations helped too," he said.

He also recommends investing in the best resolution option.

"It's a long-term investment, and the quality of the image matters more than you might think upfront. And finally, think about your content. The sign is only as effective as what you put on it, so having someone who can create strong visuals is just as important as the hardware itself," he said.

Positive customer feedback

Since Watchfire debuted its sign, the customer response has been overwhelmingly positive.

"Customers comment on it all the time, and the feedback has been great. It gives us a way to tell our story before customers even walk in the door, and we love that it captures the warmth and tradition of Whitley's in a fresh, modern way," said Smith.

About Judy Mottl

Judy Mottl is the editor of RetailCustomerExperience.com and DigitalSignageToday.com at Connect Media. She is an award-winning editor, reporter and blogger who has worked for top media for nearly four decades, including AOL, InformationWeek and Internet News, as well as for leading technology providers including HP. She’s written everything from breaking news to in-depth industry trends and reported on technology long before the internet arrived, including the debut of the first smartphone. When she's not sharing insights on digital signage deployments and trends in retail customer experience she's on the beach or watching the latest live murder trial.

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