A different take at peddling Colgate at the shelf-edge

December 16, 2010 by Dave Haynes

Having been somewhat less than enamored with whatever Colgate-Palmolive is doing in Canada with a shelf-edge merchandising screen that is all but invisible, it was interesting to see within a few hours  a very different shelf-edge digital display peddling toothpaste pretty effectively in the UK.

A company called I-Display has come out with a pretty clever battery-operated gadget called the iShelf, which is battery operated and designed to easily clamp on a shelf in front of merchandise and them move somewhere else. Using eight D-cell batteries, the unit is consumer activated and can therefore last more than three months in a store – the idea being that it only plays out media when requested, thereby saving juice.

From the release:

The i-Shelf comes with an attention grabbing flashing LED activation button that plays movie or JPEGS slideshow with audio and executes the job of a sales person when pressed. According to Ben Chanoch, VP of Sales and Marketing at iDisplay, “The iShelf Digital Signage Display is a low-cost, easy to operate shelf display that allows retailers to engage, inform and educate their consumers while they are in store. Its video content is easily uploaded via a USB stick and there is the added attraction of having replaceable static print that provides strong branding area for your graphics message.”

Designed to operate cable free and with the use of standard batteries, the iShelf Digital Signage Display fits conveniently into a multiple of shelving configurations in any retail environment especially that of supermarkets and grocery stores. Using its secure and adjustable mounting system the height and angle can be changed to ensure that customers never miss these digital signage sales personnel. This feature also has the added advantage of not taking up valuable merchandising space which can be a concern for supermarkets and grocery brands.

Eight D-cells needing regular replenishment worries me a little, as does the inability to really know when a screen is out of fuel. The batteries provide 25 hours or so of duty, but a couple of bored eight-year-olds could run that number down just for giggles.

I like the flexibility and the thought that went into a design that allows it to be re-skinned for different brands and campaigns by changing out a print label beside the screen. It passes my first big filter – and most people’s – in that shoppers would actually notice it.

Video from YouTube: