Experiential design is what it’s all about these days, as consumers crave more than just one-dimensional information from increasingly ubiquitous screens. 10net uses digital technology to achieve such designs, working across a number of segments such as restaurants, science museums, retail, convention centers, tire dealerships, spas and municipalities.
The company has had a busy few months growing beyond its core competencies through new partnerships. In July, 10net announced a partnership with Unified Brand, which also offers digital signage solutions.
Although the two companies may seem competitive on the surface, Tracy Grant, creative strategist at 10net, said they actually complement each other with an objective of expanding their respective market reach. This is critical in a time when the digital signage market is rapidly expanding.
“We are playing to strengths here – this way the customer gets the best of everything,” Grant said. “Unified creates customized brand channels, which is more than simply relevant content. The partnership will allow us to truly customize to meet our customers’ needs.”
Less than two months later, 10net announced another partnership – this time with point-of-sale provider King Business Services Corp. Grant said 10net sought out this partnership to provide a better, more well-rounded solution for potential customers.
“We each offer something the other doesn’t. It makes sense to team up to provide a better service,” she said.
With the King partnership, 10net should be able to further its footprint in restaurant and retail industries.
“We provide menu boards and managed services to large chains like Triple O’s, and this partnership will create a more robust offering,” Grant said. “This partnership will bring a full customer experience from mobile ordering to showcasing relevant items that are in stock.”
Grant said partnerships with POS companies are becoming more common for digital signage companies.
“It is all about the customer experience, which is all tied together from one loyalty-based application,” she said.
In fact, partnerships in general are how many companies approach the rapidly-changing market. Larger companies, for example, are taking one specific expertise and maximizing it to automate and work with other teams, Grant explains.
“We are really good at managed services, for example. King Corp. is really good at POS systems and Unified Brand is really good at creative customized content channels,” she said.
Smaller companies especially need to band together to make waves in this ever-evolving, fast-paced industry.
“If we don’t, the big guns absorb us and it is often the customers that suffer,” Grant said. “A lot of the time it is the smaller companies that are providing what the large conglomerates can’t – excellent and personalized service. Our goal is to serve as the trusted advisor.”
