Project Profile: Interactive Totems In Italian BMW Showrooms

October 5, 2012 by Dave Haynes

BMW dealers in Italy have started using interactive stations on showroom floors to drive information about available financial services for the luxury cars.

The German automaker engaged Milan-based multimedia designer Excogitare and digital signage services provider friendlyway, who developed a totem-style freestanding display that functions as a brand marketing display but goes interactive when people step in front of it.

The totems replaced paper-based institutional point of sale material the Financial Services wing concluded was getting dated and lacking much appeal. The new totems combine interactive digital signage with the traditional paper brochure, which customers can take away with them.

Klaus Trox, CEO and founder of friendlyway, explains: “BMW FS asked for a ‘plug & play’ solution. So we pre installed our software in each totem. The dealer only had to connect the totem to a electrical socket and plug-in the internet cable.”

Alex Curti, Excogitare’s networks and communications engineer, adds: “The system is a mix of interactive and one-way communication content. When the totem is not being used, information is displayed as screen saver. But as soon as a person stands in front of the totem, it comes alive. The units come fitted with proximity sensors, which detects when a person is standing in front of it and reacts displaying a relevant interactive information page.”

The kiosks run on Windows 7 and friendlyway’s management platform, and so far about 100 of them are in place around that country.

“This system is a great example of how innovative companies can de-clutter the sales environment, modernise the look and feel at the point-of-sale, and enable point-of-sale communications to be updated remotely, instantly and frequently,” says Ewald Lechner, Excogitare’s CEO. “Buying a car is not an everyday event. We believe that introducing digital POS to showroom floors will further enhance the BMW customers’ shopping experience.”