The digital media sector in the GCC region witnessed solid growth in the first quarter, posting a 18 per cent jump in sales compared to the last quarter, said an industry expert.

The growth is mainly driven by the strong ROI of digital signage solutions, according to Advanced Interactive Media Solutions (AIMS), a market leader in digital signage solutions in Gulf region.

"We are now witnessing a growing number of companies realising strong ROI with digital signage solutions, creating new and exciting possibilities for business growth and innovation," remarked Ahmed El Ridi, chief executive officer of AIMS, UAE.

According to him, AIMS had recently completed the installation of its first digital menu boards at the latest location of Taco Bell in the Shaab area of Kuwait.

This comes as as part of the global strategy of YUM International, which owns the restaurant brand Taco Bell, to have digital menus across their quick service restaurants (QSR) brands.

According to El Ridi, more installations were underway at key Taco Bell branches in Kuwait.

AIMS was commissioned by Kout Food Group, the franchisee of Taco Bell in Kuwait, to install Scala solution that allows menus and related promotions to be updated instantly using High Definition content to run on 42-inch LCD screens installed in the restaurant.

AIMS, said El Ridi, had always been the main driver of growing the digital signage business in the region, underscoring the increasing adoption of digital menu boards and digital signage solutions in the hospitality and QSR segment.

"The content is being managed and controlled by Kout Food Group IT personnel, using Scala content manager, enabling quick and easy updates as often as needed and schedule offerings based on time of the day, special event, occasion and season of the year," he noted.

Tarek S. Saeb, marketing manager of Taco Bell, Kuwait, pointed out that these digital menu boards will provide a dynamic and interactive representation of its products.

"The new age of marketing is now digital and the menu boards will allow us to capitalize on various cutting edge aspects that are not possible with traditional print menu boards and we believe that the latest innovations will surely stand out against competition."

"Most importantly, we are a customer service oriented organization and we are confident that the application of these menu boards will positively add to the overall customer experience at our restaurants," he added.

On the growing trend, El Ridi said, "Interactive digital signage solutions provide a truly engaging and meaningful platform for business enterprises to communicate with their target audiences, delivering even greater value proposition for their products and further boosting their revenue potential." -TradeArabia News Service