Franklin Instore, Elo Team Up On Managed Services Offer For Digital Merchandising

December 18, 2024 by Dave Haynes

The retail merchandising agency Franklin Instore has teamed up with interactive display firm Elo on a new “Digital Merchandising EcoSYSTEM” that pairs more conventional point of purchase marketing efforts with interactive displays – running with the idea of a “make once-use many” set-up that allows for repeated rebranding, re-messaging and re-merchandising a set-up based on promotional calendars.

So, for example, an end-cap in a big box store that is promoting battery-driven power tools can be cut over – by changing static materials and digital files – to promote a beauty brand, with the pitch that a system-based approach takes out a lot of planning and cost. The static and digital, and the overall system, are designed to play nicely together.

From the PR:

The revolutionary Franklin Instore Digital Merchandising EcoSYSTEM allows brands and retailers to simultaneously create custom digital experiences + curated product assortments that repeatedly re-brand, re-message and re-merchandise around promotional calendars. Leveraging Elo’s trusted all-in-one touchscreens, this new EcoSYSTEM  is both a physical customer-facing platform and an integrated campaign development strategy.

As A Platform: The digital experience is intentionally nested within a visually merchandised, and thoughtfully branded, kiosk or endcap. Franklin’s managed digital services push site-specific promotions, clienteling offers, and content updates. Remote monitoring and analytic data ensure compliance.

As an Integrated Campaign Development Strategy: the EcoSYSTEM is a combination of parts, processes, technologies, UI wireframes, graphic templates and managed services, allowing brands and retailers to collaboratively create multi-year programs at scale that repeatedly refresh + remerchandise around promotional calendars.

“In our industry few ask what happens after the initial digital deployment, leading to a set it and forget it mentality” says Peter Hext, VP Instore Experience at Franklin Instore. “This is a BIG problem for brand marketers, IT, store operations and other stakeholders. Our approach, and this unique EcoSYSTEM , addresses this legacy problem for everyone.”

“Our all-in-one touchscreens and peripherals are built to last in the most demanding retail environments,” says Luke Wilwerding, VP of Sales at Elo. “The Franklin Instore platform, powered by their EcoSYSTEM , delivers a truly unparalleled experience with its striking designs, cutting-edge visual merchandising capabilities and dynamic interactive features.”

The pitch is “pilot in six weeks” instead of 4-6 months and I think the big key here is the pitch that this can all be a managed service – from graphic design to on-site work. That allows brands to stay out of reas where they have little experience. We have all seen in-store digital that’s ailing or dead, because the people who chose the hardware and software mix had little experience or insight about to use and what not to do.

Illinois-based Franklin Instore has a stand at NRF in New York in mid-January, as does Elo.