Waiting for an Uber just got a whole lot more interesting for residents of Flamingo Point, a luxury condo complex in the South Beach section of Miami Beach. As part of a recent $300 million renovation, a massive digital mural now decorates a wall of the community’s parking garage, where people wait for their rides. Stretching 29 feet long and 7 feet tall, the high-end visual display scrolls through art, plays music and delivers engaging entertainment around the clock.
In our distracted and tech-heavy age, the unique and eye-catching display answers a question every business leader is asking: How do we set ourselves apart? With modern consumers constantly moving on to the next big thing, businesses need to work even harder to maintain existing customers and attract new ones. This is especially true for brick-and-mortar establishments that need to compete with the dynamism, personalization and novelty available online.
Creating an experience that pops
For Aimco, the Denver-based firm that manages Flamingo Point, standing out came down to delivering a bolder, more modern and more imaginative experience for residents. It was all about thinking creatively.
“Our goal was to create a safe, dedicated space that offers guests and residents the dynamism and excitement of design as well as live music and sound,” says Kelly Nagel, regional VP at Aimco. With a sizeable art budget built into the project, they enlisted designer Annhy Shim-Morel to lead the look and feel of the renovation.
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“Annhy had a vision for the huge video wall,” says Rob Warfield, southwest channel manager for Samsung, which Aimco enlisted to design and deliver the display. “People come down the elevator at the Flamingo, step outside and sit on benches to wait for their rides. She came to us and said, ‘How do we make that area pop?'”
Shim and the Samsung team went back and forth, considering every possibility from size options to indoor and outdoor displays. Warfield and his colleagues carefully explained product advantages and differences, ranging from pixel pitch to how the displays would react to the salt air and proximity to the ocean.
Navigating the installation with poise
After multiple design iterations, they landed on a proper solution. But that was only half the battle. The screen installation was tricky, too.
“This wasn’t your typical 5-by-10 sign sale to your average sign company,” says Warfield. “Because of the unique nature of the project, Samsung was much more involved in project management.” At one point, they couldn’t get the lift high enough to install the three-part display. And later, the surrounding bushes interfered with sign visibility.
“It took some creativity on how to install the video wall, given the height constraints,” Warfield adds. From handling logistics and hiring subtractors to designing workarounds, the Samsung team got the job done.
Nagel says about the results, “We have created a space that is unique, welcoming, well-lit and interesting for residents and visitors alike.”
Maintaining optimal performance
Once the sign was installed, it was time to create on-screen content. Samsung stayed involved to ensure everything was done right.
“We need to work closely with their content developer to ensure the content matched the aspect ratio of the display,” says Warfield. “This isn’t your standard 16:9 or 16:10 — it’s was an odd aspect ratio, so a big part of our project management and post-consulting services is about making sure the content doesn’t look stretched or shrunk.”
Maintenance was tricky, too. “In this case, given the environment and close proximity to the ocean, staying on top of the maintenance is critical,” explains Warfield.
With Samsung’s Network Operations Center, the display can be monitored remotely. Even though the product has been tested in an oceanfront environment, this setup ensures any technical issues that do crop up are addressed immediately by vetted Samsung maintenance technicians.
Unconventional thinking pays off
“The customer is extremely happy with the finished product,” says Warfield. “It just goes to show you that there’s so much more than cookie-cutter solutions out there. You can think beyond a 5-by-10 sign on a marquis advertising car wash specials.” The outside-the-box solution has certainly made a lasting impression on Flamingo Point.
“The display complements the space while serving as a living art piece for our residents,” said Nagel. “[It] adds color, dynamic sounds and moving pictures that help the building feel alive even in the late hours.”
Fortunately, in the quest to stand out, businesses are open to new ideas. And consumers expect to be dazzled by memorable experiences that surprise and delight. Taken together, it’s the perfect opportunity to introduce the next generation of high-end digital displays to an evolving marketplace that’s constantly seeking something beyond the ordinary — something you might even call art.
Discover Samsung’s diverse lineup of direct view LED displays — with an option to suit every use case and budget. And learn how to easily update and customize your digital signage content in this free, complete guide to content management systems.
