LOUISVILLE Ky. Chicken restaurant operator and franchisor KFC Corp., based here, this month will extend a five-unit test of digital menu board and signage systems to 24 additional locations in two unnamed cities, vendor Wireless Ronin Technologies Inc. said.
The expanded test follows initial trials of indoor and outdoor digital signage and menu board applications at KFC outlets in Louisville, Dallas and Houston that began in July 2007. Minneapolis-based Wireless Ronin said the latest tests will go beyond gauging the performance of hardware and the company's RoninCast software to ascertain how the technology and signage content impact sales and to gather customer feedback.
"Not only will digital menu boards create a new standard for in-store communication and experience for our customers, we hope that [they] will provide a cost effective way to communicate targeted menus by daypart and allow us to quickly make product and pricing changes," KFC chief marketing officer James O'Reilly said of results the chain would like to achieve through testing and deployment of dynamic signage.
KFC, a holding of Louisville-based Yum! Brands Inc., operates or franchises more than 14,000 restaurants in 80-plus countries.