Reference
More turnover in system catering
Digital menu boards increase appetite
Germans love fast food. In the ranking of the largest system catering companies, chicken specialist Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) Germany even started its anniversary year 2018 with record sales. An additional 15 restaurants were opened in Germany in 2017 alone. In addition to further new branches in Austria, the company also entered the Swiss market. With over 20,000 restaurants, KFC is the second-largest restaurant chain in the world. www.kfc.de
Added value for the customer
Management Summary
The desire for quickly available and varied food outside the home not only boosts sales, but also opens up new opportunities for competitors. Even established chains such as KFC have to come up with new ideas to hold their own in the market and further increase the number of customers. Among other things, the chicken magnate is relying on new technologies and presentation options to stimulate customers' appetites and respond quickly to changing offers.
"We are more than satisfied with the result. Even at 50 years old, KFC is still a young, modern brand and should be perceived as such. The plan now is to gradually replace all indoor posters with digital options in order to be even more flexible. It is also conceivable that the outdoor installations will be replaced in the future: In the long term, we are also aiming to modernize this area - preferably with the same partners again."
Starting position
KFC changes the range of dishes and the menu more than six times a year. In addition, there are daily changing menu offers, specials and promotions. For its 50th anniversary, which the chain is celebrating in Germany in 2018, KFC is planning to address new, young target groups in addition to special promotional offers. The company also wants to respond even more specifically to the individual needs of its guests.
Requirements and goals
Traditionally, however, the product presentation took the form of rotating advertisements or interchangeable posters and menu cards. However, with more than 160 stores in Germany alone, changing posters and cards is time-consuming and expensive. This leaves little scope for drawing attention to promotions at short notice, changing the food on offer during the course of the day or appealing to existing customers and new target groups with targeted offers. The restaurant chain also requires a considerable lead time in terms of campaign planning, graphic implementation, production and logistics services. KFC therefore decided to integrate digital menu boards in collaboration with the advertising agency m&r Kreativ. After intensive consultation with the marketing specialists, the choice fell on solutions from NEC Display Solutions. "In contrast to the analog alternative, digital menu boards emphasize KFC's modern brand presence," says Lisa Probst, Head of IT at m&r Kreativ. "They enable a mix of flexible product presentations, infotainment and interaction with customers. This allows KFC to inform them even better and positively influence their purchasing behavior."
Solution
In collaboration with the system house IT-HAUS GmbH , professional large format displays from NEC were installed for the digital menu boards in the sales area. The MultiSync® P484 and MultiSync® P404 models with integrated Raspberry Pi3 compute modules were used. Thanks to the high brightness of 700 cd/m² and the anti-reflective coating of the screens, the food on offer is displayed superbly, even in bright ambient conditions. The modern and slim design blends in perfectly with the modern design of the stores. Recognition value is also guaranteed, as the high color fastness allows KFC's CI colors - white on bright red - to be displayed accurately. Another big plus for fast food restaurants: high-quality components ensure that the displays can be used in continuous operation. The user-friendly and intelligent management and maintenance function ensures central control of the displays and saves the company resources and time. Thanks to the OMi interface, the feed source for the screen content is already seamlessly integrated into the display. This simplifies the installation of the devices. At the same time, reliability during operation is increased as cabling between the feed source and display is no longer required. "A particular highlight are the display modules used by NEC, which are specially designed for 24/7 operation and whose content can be easily updated via the network," continues Probst.
Benefit
Together, NEC Display Solutions, m&r Kreativ and IT-HAUS GmbH are offering the fast food giant a full-service solution. Hardware and logistics as well as the coordination of other services such as power and network are covered in their entirety. In addition to on-site installation, the operation and maintenance of the software is taken care of and content is created and maintained. The result: customers are better informed with the new digital menu boards, the entire range of dishes can be displayed, adjusted and highlighted in real time. While lunchtime menus for quick snacks are prominent, the popular buckets or animated products whet visitors' appetites in the evening. In summer, guests are tempted by a cooling ice cream, in winter by a hot drink. Advertising measures can be targeted and flexibly broadcast as required.
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