In recent months, the foodservice industry has changed at an unprecedented pace, leaving restaurant leaders to contend with new health and safety guidelines, supply chain interruptions, and consumer demands. Not only do challenges add to the stress of daily operations, but they also make it harder for brands to keep up with marketing. Now, when clear communication between brands and guests about menu availability, operating hours, and procedures is more important than ever, getting the right message out at the right time is crucial.
“When do restaurant leaders have time to change messaging on signage, and who do they call if they need to adjust a price or if they run out of ingredients and have to change the menu?” asks Sara Grofcsik, director of sales for QSR and C-stores at Samsung. “How do you keep drive-thru menus updated when they are a huge portion of your revenue during the pandemic? These are some of the questions restaurant leaders are asking themselves, and often, there isn’t an easy answer.”
However, upgrading to the right content management ecosystem can help restaurants handle the host of rapid changes they face today. Though the brand is known for its electronic devices, Samsung’s MagicINFO content management solutions are scalable to meet the needs of restaurants, no matter the size of the brand.
For example, smaller chains just rolling out digital signage can use MagicINFO as a basic content management solution without paying for content creation services they may not need yet.
“Smaller brands may not need an agency-type approach to designing and updating their content,” Grofcsik says. “But if you’re just dipping your toe into digital content, every Samsung screen comes with a license for the basic MagicINFO Lite package at no added cost so you can build your menuboard step-by-step.”
Other brands may need the upgraded Remote Management Solution, which allows staff to monitor content across the chain without needing to be on site, whether a brand has only one location, thousands spread across the country, or is made up of franchise groups that have their own content.
“This license gives restaurants the ability to actually see what’s displayed on screens, not just an administrative panel, from anywhere,” Grofcsik says. “They don’t have to be sitting back of house, so if they are operating with a skeleton crew due to the pandemic, someone in a remote office or working from home can make changes to every store’s menuboard or signage.”
With additional licenses,mid-sized or larger chains can further customize their content management experience from there. Some may need upgraded AI offerings that can automatically customize menu offerings according to weather or other factors, while still other chains might benefit from totally turning over content deployment to the Samsung team—a service available under ProService.
Finally, for brands that want to invest in a white glove service, Samsung will even manage and monitor devices for them, sending out a technician to fix any issues that may arise so that equipment downtime doesn’t impact business.
“Under the ProService agreement, we can load everything remotely for a chain, and with White Glove Service, we can also remotely monitor devices and make service calls,” Grofcsik says. “If we determine there is an issue with a panel, we can send a technician out to replace it within 24 hours, weekends and holidays included, and make sure everything is configured correctly so downtime is minimal.”
However, some brands may be happy with current content management systems and only want to add on new features. Grofcsik says for those restaurants, Samsung’s content management services don’t have to fully replace existing content management systems. “We can work with many industry partners so MagicINFO can be used to enhance whatever systems restaurants already use.”
Regardless of the level of support a restaurant needs or the size of the brand, Samsung’s unique placement in the market as both manufacturer and content creator makes the company a one-stop shop for anything restaurants may need.
“We own 95.4 percent of the market and know what works and what a good installation looks like,” Grofcsik says. “We’ve done all of this for many years and can customize any process to help restaurants achieve peak performance, no matter what it is that they need.”
To learn more about content management solutions, visit the Samsung website.
By Peggy Carouthers
