Philips Lighting Interactive Displays Shed Light on Bulbs

Philips Lighting has revamped its packaging and introduced two interactive displays to help educate consumers about the qualities of its lighting fixtures and bulbs. The two displays are a shelf-edge LED unit that's now rolling out and an interactive compact disk (CD-i) unit that will be available in January."Consumer education takes more than simply placing a brochure on a shelf," says Kerry Vachon, marketing manager for the Somerset, N.J.-based lighting company. "Incorporating cutting-edge technology into educational tools makes learning about home lighting more visual and fun for consumers."The CD-i station, using the theme "The Power of Light," combines a color television screen with video, music and narration. Using touch screens, it leads consumers through a variety of options. They include lighting terminology, specific products, how to decorate a room using lighting techniques and how different bulbs and fixtures can save money. Segments run between 20 seconds and 2 minutes. The graphics, videos and voice-overs were produced in-house in conjunction with Blanchard-Healy Inc., Blue Bell, Pa.A test unit has already been installed in the Home Depot Crossroads store in Quincy, Ill., which opened in July. That 160,000-square-foot store features products geared to the rural market, in addition to the typical building materials seen in most stores. The CD-i was built into a 4-foot-wide kiosk display that is the focus of an entire Philips lighting education center in the lighting department, according to a Philips spokeswoman. A second test unit, which can track which selections are most popular, began operation in other retail stores in mid-October.The second Philips interactive unit, the Earth Light Energy Savings Calculator, teaches consumers about the benefits of the company's Earth Light collection of compact fluorescents. The calculator, which features an LED display and touch pad, attaches to the shelf facing.Through a variety of multiple-choice questions, it asks customers about their lighting needs, fixtures and bulbs. It then suggests the proper compact fluorescent, indicates the amount of savings the customer can expect and calculates the total savings in all of the situations described.The system, created in conjunction with the Intermark division of HMG Inc., New York, has been produced in a run of 200 to date. A larger run of "a few thousand" is planned as demand warrants after the program is rolling, according to a company spokeswoman. The unit is targeted primarily to hardware and home center stores, but any retailer carrying the full line of Earth Lights qualifies to use it.New packaging encompasses the company's entire product line and is designed to help consumers easily find the most appropriate bulb for their situation. The new elements include simplified color coding by product type, icons that illustrate product applications, more emphasis on product benefits and bilingual panels.In addition to these programs, the company has introduced several literature pieces and additional P-O-P signage to ease the lighting-purchase process.

Philips Lighting Interactive Displays Shed Light on Bulbs

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