Planar PS-Series Displays Create Effective On-Property Marketing

The operators of today's most successful casinos know the importance of innovative marketing to attract and maintain a growing base of loyal visitors and guests. Having seen Planar Systems' new generation of highly-affordable digital signage – the Planar® PS-Series™ - the management of Spirit Mountain Casino in Oregon began implementing the technology in early 2012, expanding on a Planar digital signage implementation that had begun approximately seven years earlier. Today, this technology, in total, is seen as a significant and innovative marketing asset.

"This technology is one of the most effective means we have for communicating with guests," said Greg Fritz, Spirit Mountain marketing manager. "The Planar displays are attractive and are the best way of reaching more people at once and grabbing their attention. That's a huge advantage for us."

Fritz said the Planar PS-Series displays are being used to present messaging across the entire property about promotions, prize contests, and upcoming events. "The displays create a really effective call to action. They get people to enter promotions at kiosks around the casino, and motivate them to try different games and also to come back to future events. So they're a powerful marketing tool for us on many levels."

Reliability of Planar PS-Series is a key differentiator

Spirit Mountain turned to Klasstech AVS of Beaverton, Oregon, for assistance in planning and installing the seven newest displays—a total of 25 Planar screens, including the new Planar PS-Series, are now installed on the property. A long-time system integration partner of Planar, Klasstech cites several Planar PS-Series features that make it particularly well-suited to the casino environment.

"The reliability of this product is second to none," said Jason Wade, Klasstech AVS, co-founder. "Casinos run 24/7 so their digital signage has to do so as well. The Planar PS-Series is designed to run all day, every day. It's the only brand we'll specify for casino properties."

Wade says the two Planar PS-Series models selected for Spirit Mountain – the PS4670, a 46" high bright LCD, and the PS5551, a 55" LCD – also have the image quality needed in a casino environment. "These are big, busy places with lots of sights and sounds to attract guests to various games, restaurants, bars and other areas of entertainment. The Planar PS-Series displays have the ability to stand out in this environment in a very impactful way," he said.

Image quality makes a dramatic impression

In the Summit View Lounge, guests watch sports programming and promotional content on the PS-Series displays that both feature thin bezels for a sleek, high-tech look. "Each display has full HD resolution, 500 nit brightness, and 4000:1 contrast ratio. Viewers see a picture that is almost life-like in its clarity and brightness – you can't take your eyes off it," Wade adds.

Klasstech AVS also installed individual displays at several locations in the gaming area to show sports programming, promote casino activities, and advertise upcoming events. And, in the quick-serve deli restaurant, a Planar PS-Series display serves as the menu board. "Wherever you view these displays, the effect is dramatic," said Spirit Mountain's Fritz. "It really makes an impression, and we think it helps create a memorable experience that keeps people coming back."

Display design reflects needs of systems integrators

From the integrator's perspective, Wade said the Planar PS-Series makes good business sense. "This is a top-quality product made for demanding applications. It was designed from the ground up as a commercial digital signage system, as opposed to other brands that often are little more than consumer-grade products. We know it will work as specified and we won't have customers calling us to complain about performance issues or failures."

Wade gives Planar kudos for several key design features. These include making the Planar PS-Series products ultra-thin and lightweight, and equipping them with industrial metal bezels. As a result, the displays fit unobtrusively into almost any environment, they can easily installed by a single technician, and their heat load is minimized to preserve display life.

"We also like the fact that Planar designed the Planar PS-Series with source inputs on the side of each unit," said Klasstech AVS's Wade. "This might seem minor in comparison to other features, but not having to reach behind each panel to make connections is a big time saver. It shows that Planar listens to its integrators and acts on their recommendations. Engineering decisions like this keep our costs down and allow us to serve our customers more effectively."