‘Smart Technology’ Makes National Restaurant Show Debut, Booth 379
‘Backlit signage at the register is just so 1990s,’ CEO tells restaurant owners
EMBARGOED for release May 19, 2007
Contact: Thomas J. McFeeley, Environics Communications
For EK3 (203) 325-8772, x. 12
Chicago, IL – May 19, 2007 – EK3 Technologies Inc., a global leader in digital merchandising, announces the next generation of digital signage in the restaurant industry – narrowcasting. Taking traditional digital signage to the next level, narrowcasting utilizes data from a business to customize messages to a highly qualified audience – its existing customer base. EK3 will showcase the technology at the National Restaurant Show’s Booth 379 beginning today.
“Backlit signage at the register is just so 1990s,” said Nick Prigioniero, president and CEO of EK3. “The future of restaurant signage is narrowcasting – streaming video displays that reach individual users with customized messages just as they’re reaching for their wallet. Life moves at lightning speed today, and it’s time that restaurant marketing kept pace.”
EK3 designed its inPulse technology and software to not only attract, inform and entertain customers in restaurants, but also to influence consumer buying decisions. The flexible software helps strengthen customer relationships, builds brand awareness, and localizes messaging. It also takes digital signage to a “smarter” level to drive sales by using a variety of factors – such as inventory levels, local weather conditions, demographics and seasonal factors — to deliver the right marketing messages at exactly the right time.
“Consumers are sophisticated and smart with every dollar spent, but our latest software and technology has been proven to very positively influence their spending choices,” Prigioniero said. “Few industries are as prone to impulse decisions as eateries, restaurants and coffee houses, so we are not surprised to see crisply designed, smartly conceived in-store narrowcasting products already making an immediate impact in many locations and chains. We’re thrilled that we have not only the most attractive but the smartest narrowcasting solution on the market and we look forward to highlighting this powerful tool at the National Restaurant Show.”
EK3’s narrowcasting approach brings a sophisticated and contemporary approach to digital displays by providing measurable returns through customized distribution at “the last retail mile” at the point of sale. Particularly effective among younger customers, narrowcasting allows restaurant owners and managers to use various factors to steer critical buying decisions at the counter.
In addition to a direct impact on sales, EK3 inPulse products strengthen customer relationships with restaurants by:
§ Entertaining the customer;
§ Reducing perceived wait times;
§ Providing localized content or information;
§ Creating a more attractive environment and reducing countertop clutter and signage.
EK3 products allow customers to control and customize content on a location-by-location basis. EK3 provides complete network management and monitoring as well as automatic system and software updates. EK3 has installed digital display products in over 3,000 locations worldwide, including Tim Hortons and The Home Depot.
About EK3
Founded in 1998, EK3 is a leading global digital merchandizing company. Its narrowcasting products are driven by sophisticated software that choose and deliver marketing messages at the right time to the right location. EK3 provides complete end-to-end digital merchandising solutions for businesses. EK3 has one of the largest installation networks in North America, with over 3,000 locations worldwide. Headquartered in London, Ontario, EK3 provides worldwide installation, maintenance and support for its products.
