News

International pharmacy retailer replaces static content with HD video walls in Lithuania, Estonia

June 1, 2016

BENU Pharmacies, part of the International PHOENIX Group, has implemented a digital signage solution powered by Signagelive as part of a companywide initiative to replace printed advertising with digital content to deliver a better retail experience and grow brand loyalty, according to a company press release.

Almost 800 pharmacies in several European countries, including Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia, are unified under the BENU brand.

The digital signage solution, which has been installed by Hansab UAB, a provider of technology solutions in the Baltic region, is being used to display promotional content on video walls and high-brightness window displays in shopping malls in Lithuania and Estonia. The digital signage solution is intended to differentiate the BENU brand from other pharmaceutical retailers by enabling it to display dynamic content that can be updated on-demand in direct response to market requirements and competitor activities, the release said. Installation began in the summer of 2015 and was completed in December of the same year.

The decision to replace printed advertising with a digital alternative formed part of a wider initiative to modernize the overall pharmacy retail experience by launching a new brand and refurbishing all existing stores. Apart from being expensive and time-consuming to implement, the pharmacy could only update its printed materials every three months because of the labor-intensive processes involved. The transition from printed advertising to digital signage is intended to give the BENU brand an ultramodern appeal and offers greater flexibility and saves time and resources by streamlining content updating processes, according to the release.

The digital signage solution comprises 3 x 55-inch LG video walls set up in a 2x2 configuration format and 1 x high-brightness window display installed in prime locations in large shopping malls to attract the attention of passers-by.

Content generated by the BENU brand is uploaded and stored on Signaglive's cloud-based digital signage platform, eliminating the need for onsite storage servers. Using Signagelive's management dashboard and CMS, season-specific content can be created and rolled out in real time to video walls located in different shopping malls. Additionally, the content can be modified or changed on-demand to reflect circumstances such as rival promotions, the release said.

"Signagelive and Hansab have enabled the BENU brand to run much slicker advertising campaigns," said Dovydas Stukas, head of digital signage and multimedia solutions group at HANSAB UAB. "Using Signagelive's powerful management CMS, BENU can generate content that reflects the time of year (sun cream in the summer, vitamin supplements in winter) or create a new campaign in direct response to competitor activities to maximize brand awareness opportunities."

Signagelive's platform ensures all information is rendered correctly and fully synchronised on the local area networks to display HD content on the individual video walls.

The newly implemented digital signage solution has enabled BENU Pharmacies to be self-sufficient in the running and management of its digital advertising. Hansab simply has to log onto the network periodically to make sure there are no connection issues and that the digital signage solution is performing optimally, according to the release.

"This installation gives us great exposure in the retail space and will serve as a springboard for other opportunities in the Baltic region," said Jason Cremins, CEO of Signagelive." We have completed a number of high-profile projects with Hansab over the last few months and they are an important go-forward partner for Signagelive as we take our business to the next level."

Hansab expects BENU pharmacies to extend its digital signage network over the coming months as it rolls out video walls in smaller shopping venues and installs displays behind all in-store checkouts to further enhance promotional activities, the release said.