In May, Scala participated in the Women in Automotive conference in Colorado, a gathering that brought together leaders, innovators, and changemakers across the automotive sector. The three-day event was filled with opportunities to connect, collaborate, and explore the challenges and opportunities shaping the future of automotive.

What set the conference apart was its spirit of openness and collaboration. Conversations extended far beyond formal presentations, with attendees engaging in dialogue that encouraged problem-solving and shared innovation. From board dinners to intimate sessions, discussions ranged from customer experience and the car-buying process to the evolving role of technology in shaping both consumer and employee journeys.

Key Themes and Takeaways

The Power of Connection and Kindness

A central theme that resonated throughout the conference was the importance of authentic human connection. One keynote stressed the impact of small but meaningful acts of kindness—helping someone with no agenda, offering a genuine compliment, or celebrating an achievement. These simple gestures build trust, strengthen relationships, and pave the way for organic collaboration.

Data as a Driving Force

Another consistent message was the importance of data-driven decision-making. Understanding customers through behavioral insights—such as who is visiting the dealership, what they’re interested in, and even their media habits—enables dealerships to tailor experiences in ways that resonate. Guided by data, dealerships can anticipate customer needs, strengthen loyalty, and maximize engagement.

Bridging Online and In-Person Experiences

The automotive industry has made great strides in digital transformation, particularly in the online car-buying process. The next frontier is ensuring that the personalization customers experience online translates seamlessly into the dealership. Studies presented during the conference underscored why this is so critical:

• 75% of customers are willing to spend more with companies that deliver great experiences.

• 76% will stop doing business with a company after just one bad interaction.

• 92% of dealers see customer experience as an essential driver of success.

Dealerships that bridge this digital-to-physical divide stand to create a powerful competitive advantage.

Technology for a Better Customer Journey

Scala’s vision for the automotive space aligns with many of the opportunities discussed at the conference. Imagine a dealership that integrates sensor technology with its management system to recognize customers as soon as they arrive on the lot—instantly enabling a personalized greeting and tailored service.

With advanced data integration, Scala links advertising and consumer data at both macro and granular levels. Combined with machine learning and real-time insights, these solutions empower dealerships to deliver highly personalized experiences across every touchpoint, from online browsing to in-person consultations.

Storytelling That Connects

Another standout idea was the « Science of Storytelling » and the concept of Neuro Synchronization. Research shows that stories are 22 times more memorable than facts, and when told effectively, the neural activity of the storyteller and listener can synchronize. In the competitive car-buying market, using storytelling to build trust and foster loyalty can differentiate dealerships and strengthen customer relationships.

Cross-Industry Innovation

The automotive industry doesn’t exist in isolation. Many innovations shaping retail, hospitality, and quick-service restaurants also have powerful applications for dealerships. For instance, self-service kiosks used in restaurants to suggest menu add-ons can be adapted to guide car buyers through their options or service choices. As solutions advance in one sector, they create opportunities for others—helping to build a flexible, extendable technology foundation that benefits multiple industries.

Envisioning the Future of Automotive Experiences

Personalization was one of the most powerful recurring themes at the conference. For high-value purchases like cars, customers expect tailored recommendations, exclusive offerings, and unique services that reflect their individual preferences. Personalization extends beyond vehicle features to include the entire buying journey—from initial research online to the moment they drive off the lot.

The future of automotive retail lies in unifying digital tools with in-person service, guided by data, enabled by advanced technology, and elevated by authentic human connection. Scala, as part of the STRATACACHE family, is committed to helping dealerships create these seamless, personalized, and customer-centric experiences that meet the high expectations of today’s consumers.

Shoptalk Europe is proving itself a hub of interesting conversations, enthusiastic questions and innovative potential answers.  The momentum for the in-store experience is clear with many recognizing the opportunities presented by a shopper offer that includes bricks and mortar. Over 80 per cent of grocery sales are still made in-store so the potential benefits of assisting shoppers well in the aisles are immense. It’s no wonder that brands and retailers are keen to get the in-store elements just right.

User generated experiences (UGE) is a topic that has risen a few times in conversations and meetings already — customers engaging with an in-store experience to create a solution or find products that are truly personalized based on the information provided at the point of interaction and possibly also including loyalty data.

Pardon the awkward word play but this could be ‘UGE for brands. For one, it seems to signal a move away from brands acting as a mix of Psychic/Genie – granting the wishes of customers before they even knew what they desire. Convenience is still a priority but with UGE the experience is far more collaborative, with the data shared done so deliberately with a clear goal in mind. Secondly, the data that a brand can get from an effective UGE is valuable. Potentially more detailed than what can be gathered from sales data alone, UGE responses can better inform personalized promotions and loyalty rewards (more on loyalty in a later blog) as well as, when collated, potentially identify new market gaps and opportunities.

At Scala we pride ourselves on captivating in-store experiences that work hard for brands, retailers and the customers they serve. We’ve helped brands create compelling in-store user generated experiences for years. What’s especially exciting for me is the way that these experiences play a role as part of a retail media network. I think they demonstrate why in-store retail media is far more than just an out of home offering. I touched on the differences between a DOOH and a retail media network in my presentation yesterday (thank you to the 300 odd of you that came along). If you’d like to learn more and are fortunate enough to be in Barcelona, then swing by G30 or contact us.

In partnership with Retail Technology Show, Scala welcomed 200 attendees to a day devoted to in-store retail media networks.

Tailor your messaging to your customers using sensor-based technology and customer profile data to increase sales and engagement.

2024 kicked off in a big way in both the US and EMEA regions with two huge trade shows — National Retail Federation’s Big Show (NRF) and Integrated Systems Europe (ISE).

NRF is back in full swing and was busier than ever this year. Let’s hear what the Scala team members had to…

The Scala EMEA team is getting ready to take their smart digital and sensor-based solutions to ISE…

Recent customer insights around online shopping have revealed problems with the eCommerce journey… problems that brick-and-mortars can address. In this blog, Andrea Poley discusses a few simple tools retailers can use to attract online shoppers.

In 2022, we saw digital solutions and digital restaurant technology continue to become the customer satisfaction benchmark for Top 10 quick service restaurants and beyond. In terms of priming the purchase, one feature has been a standout: digital preview menu boards.

According to a 2021 study by QSR Magazine surveying 313 drive thru locations that were geographically balanced, 67.7% of Taco Bells, 60% of Burger Kings, and 65.6% of McDonald’s had a pre-sell menu board. These numbers have only continued to rise, despite the fact that preview menu boards are not absolutely necessary in a digital drive thru project. (“The 2021 QSR magazine Drive-Thru Study: Pre-sell Menuboard”, QSR Magazine). Digital preview menu boards are an investment in customer experience, allowing you to greet and inform customers, getting them ready as they approach the ordering point.

Top brands are implementing preview digital menu boards at scale because of the results. How do you predict and measure the results of a preview digital menu board? And how do we implement these solutions?

What is a Preview Menu Board?

A preview menu board is a tool used in the restaurant industry to showcase menu items in a place where they cannot be purchased immediately. The preview menu board is usually displayed in a prominent location, such as the front of the restaurant or as the first digital sign in a drive thru.

They are used to attract new customers, generate interest and encourage behaviors or modes of behavior, like trying new or high margin menu items, seasonal offerings or LTOs.

The preview menu board has always been a powerful way for quick service restaurants to influence customers. But to understand how they work, we need a psychological “primer.”

What it Means to Prime the Purchase

Indeed, it is all about priming. The preview menu board is the first point of contact in the drive thru. It’s not there to sell a sandwich; it is there to prime customers so that they are better prepared to engage with your business productively. This can lead to high margins, greater satisfaction and improved speed of the drive thru trip.

Priming is a powerful tool for influencing consumers in their purchasing decisions. By creating content that speaks to emotional needs and states, companies can prime attitudes toward particular products or services. Consumers primed with these attitudes and expectations make different purchase decisions than they do without priming. (“Enhancing consumer behavior with implementation intentions”, Gollwitzer, Bieleke and Sheeran).

Let’s say you want customers to buy the new seasonal meal deal — the soup, cookie and hot beverage bundle — that day. It’s relatively easy for your crew to make, it’s appealing to your customer base, and corporate wants to push sales of this deal. Priming customers with content that reminds them of the value of being economical, even tying that value directly to your brand, will increase the disposition of a customer. They will not only understand your brand as economical, but it also emphasizes economic choices.

Why are Digital Menu Boards so Good at Priming?

Without a digital menu board, priming is possible, but it is impossible to get right. You could set up a static board, but by the time you designed, printed, shipped and installed that content to your stores, it would be obsolete. Digital menu boards are key in the ability to take messages, promotions and ads and swap, test and swap again. Also, geographic disparities would also confound your efforts with complexity and lackluster results.

The Advantages of a Content Management System (CMS) for Digital Menu Board Optimization

Digital menu boards with a tech-forward Content Management System allow digital preview menu boards to deploy content according to any factor that you deem important. One common example is dayparting — promoting content according to the time of day. Coffee and breakfast connect more in the morning than in the afternoon and evening. Another example is weather. Why show the icy cold lemonade when it’s morning and 20 degrees F outside? The same is true of other emotional changes that occur due to circadian rhythms, customer segments and other externalities.

Reaching consumers on an emotional level requires content to meet them where they are. Your customers are also your audience throughout the entire ordering and pickup journey. Content that seems depersonalized and generic does not influence; it alienates. Digital menu boards give brands the technical means to deliver the right content at the right time, so that it has the desired impact near the point of sale.

Digital also allows brands to test the efficacy of their preview boards across the network. With the right data science team, you can deliver iterative tests that teach your organization how to prime customers with increasing efficacy. This is part of what makes digital menu boards so powerful. The flexibility to adapt images and messaging quickly and easily, based on real data, drives more customer centricity and strategic goals.

Why is Drive Thru an Ideal Location for Preview Menu Boards?

The drive thru is one of the most significant points in customer journeys where priming makes sense for the business and the customer.

1. The drive thru is cleanly segmented, allowing digital menu boards to fulfill discrete positions of the experience, while focusing attention on the preview.
2. The addition of a digital preview menu board adds Marketing real estate and delivers a larger overall presence. Flashy video and high definition imagery attract the attention of passersby, leading to greater brand awareness for existing customers, and when seen at the right moment, new customers.
3. Greet and welcome the customer while reducing perceived wait time, using the digital preview board to extend the service experience.

These three reasons ensure that preview menu boards will continue to rise in popularity with digital drive thru in the fastest growing quick service restaurants.

Exploring Preview Menu Boards for Your Business

A technology proud partner of 8 out of the top 10 quick service restaurants, STRATACACHE can help your business at any stage in your digital journey. No matter the scope or scale, we come with experience gained by the best, most iconic, innovative brands in the world, and we would love to help you jumpstart your next project.

In the wake of the recent takeover of UK convenience chain McColls by grocer Morrisons, there has been a lot of media coverage on the pressures faced by convenience retailers, as well as the potential opportunities for smaller retailers serving local shoppers.