Happy Group Updates Digital Signage in 29 Locations across Bulgaria with Managed Service

Bulgaria’s leading restaurant and hospitality group has implemented a second generation digital signage system using Harris Digital Out-Of-Home technology. Happy Bar & Grill, and its sister brands Happy Sushi and Captain Cook, now benefit from full HD multi-zone content and messaging tailored to each restaurant, supplied as a managed service by specialist provider Digital Generation.

The group has 29 restaurants across eight cities in Bulgaria. Each brand and location has a different character, with requirements for a core service of music videos, entertainment clips and promotional material tailored for each location. In addition, Happy Group specified the ability for local insertion of content when required.

“We reviewed the requirements, and knew that only the InfoCaster™ system could deliver all the functionality required in HD quality,” said Georgi Dobrev, executive manager of service provider Digital Generation. “We create and schedule the content at our offices in Varna using InfoCaster Creator and InfoCaster Manager, which means all that is needed at each restaurant is an InfoCaster Player.”

The InfoCaster Player at each location stores tailored content, inserts live content such as TV feeds and accepts downloaded schedules from Digital Generation. This means it runs completely automatically, and the restaurant staff need not be diverted from their normal roles. The integration of InfoCaster Manager means that, from its central office, Digital Generation can deliver content tailored to each restaurant, and even to multiple zones within a restaurant, ensuring that the programming precisely matches the customer profile of each venue.

To allow for special events, the InfoCaster Players installed at each location include DVB-T television tuners. Individual restaurant managers can choose to show live TV if desired, for example if a local sports team was playing. In live television mode the InfoCaster Player provides branding and messaging for the restaurant. The manager also has the ability to trigger special events stored in the players, such as a “happy birthday” routine, with the name of the guest in the graphics and automatic dimming of lights.

“The Happy Group recognizes that good, targeted and fun video content adds to the appeal of their restaurants and builds the brand through promotions and advertising,” said Dobrev. “But their specialization is in running restaurants, so they needed a partner that would provide a complete managed service from content creation to the individual screens. In turn, we at Digital Generation wanted a software and hardware solution from a single vendor that minimizes the need for integration and set-up, allowing us to get the service on air quickly and maintain it reliably. Harris Digital Out-of-Home provides that one-stop-shop in digital signage, and InfoCaster is the key to the success of this project.”

“This is a great example of the way that trusted partnerships build value all along the line,” said Denise MacDonell, director and general manager for Harris Digital Out-of-Home. “The restaurant group wanted a digital out-of-home experience without the extra operational overhead of managing something away from its core expertise. Digital Generation could design and run the system but wanted a turnkey solution that they knew was simply plug and play, and InfoCaster provides the platform. Result: Everyone is happy with a successful solution that meets their business needs.”

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About Harris Broadcast
Harris Broadcast develops uniquely integrated digital media solutions that streamline the entire content workflow from live production to transmission. The company’s tools and technologies fit seamlessly into any media operation, enabling customers to easily and profitably create compelling content for delivery over multiple distribution platforms. With a presence in key locations around the world, Harris Broadcast supports media customers in more than 130 countries. Additional information is available at www.harrisbroadcast.com.