Top 2024 Digital Trends Worth Recapping

This year marked several significant changes in how technology is being used to enrich human experiences, with retail, QSR, and entertainment sectors leading the charge. Creative Realities has been closely attuned to these changes throughout the year, covering the nuances and challenges of digital transformation across the experience of physical brick and mortar environments.

Here’s a comprehensive recap of the themes and trends that dominated our 2024.

“Retail as hospitality” – made possible through technology

In 2024, the intersection of technology and customer experience came into sharper focus within retail environments, with businesses adopting cutting-edge solutions to enhance engagement, streamline operations, and drive profitability.

Our favorite examples:

• Drive-Through 2.0: This year, advancements in QSR technology transformed the drive-through experience. Digital menu boards, AI-driven voice assistants, and seamless payment integrations made ordering quicker and more accurate. These innovations improved customer satisfaction and increased throughput for businesses.
• Retail media networks: Retailers are embracing in-store media networks as a revenue-generating opportunity. By integrating digital screens with data analytics, brands can deliver targeted advertisements directly to shoppers in real time. This allows businesses to monetize foot traffic and create immersive shopping environments like never before.
• CMS platform advancements: Content management systems became increasingly sophisticated, enabling retailers and hospitality businesses to manage and deploy content across multiple locations with ease. These platforms provided consistency in branding and allowed for localized messaging to cater to specific demographics.
  • As Jason Donnini, director of product management at CRI says,
    
    “Brands are getting more savvy [with] tracking the analytics of customer interaction,” says Jason. “They’re realizing that there’s a science behind personalization, a way to crack the code for customer satisfaction, in a sense. . . [a CMS] needs to be able to adapt to the different types of data (and handle several data streams) in order to be able to trigger the right content at the right time, for the right customer. Timing and context are everything and the right kind of CMS software will give you both.”

The focus on personalization and human centricity

Human-centricity was a defining theme in 2024, with businesses prioritizing meaningful connections over transactional interactions. This shift acknowledged that customers crave experiences that resonate on a personal level. Technology played a pivotal role in delivering those kinds of experiences.

Noteworthy trends:

• Personalization through retail media networks: Using customer data, retail media networks are delivering hyper-targeted content, such as personalized offers, product recommendations, and localized promotions. This level of personalization fosters a sense of connection, making customers feel valued and understood.
  
  
• Real-time translation tools: Globalization made real-time communication more important than ever. Tools like LetzChat enabled businesses to communicate with customers in their native languages, breaking down barriers and creating inclusive experiences. Whether in a retail setting or a hospitality venue, these tools ensured that language was no longer an obstacle to exceptional service.
  
  
• Guest experiences enhanced with IT: 2024 saw hotels and QSRs increasingly leveraging IT solutions to enhance guest experiences, from mobile check-ins to AI-driven concierge services that could predict and cater to individual preferences. These innovations simplify complex processes in a way that allows businesses to focus on creating memorable moments for their guests.
  
  
  • Freddy’s stands out as an excellent example of the way IT acts as an enabler of a great guest experience. Sean Thompson, VP of IT at at Freddy’s, had this to share on the topic:
    
    “[IT is] really the nucleus of success. Whether it's in retail, hospitality, or health services, it doesn't matter - if you are in the operational or marketing sides of those industries, you know that connections are everything. And I’m not just talking about connections in a feel-good, relational, more intangible sense: I’m talking about the infrastructure itself. If you don’t have a solid core infrastructure, you’re not going to be able to create the kinds of experiences that lead to those higher level, brand-building, loyalty-inducing connections that companies run on.

When your digital infrastructure is strong, not only will the connections between your devices function efficiently, you’ll also wind up leaving a consistently great impression on your guests as a result of having that sturdy basis.”

This emphasis on design for human connection demonstrated that technology’s true value lies in its ability to enhance the human experience, creating emotional connections that drive loyalty and satisfaction.

Bridging digital and physical spaces

The line between digital and physical spaces blurred in 2024, as businesses sought to create hybrid environments that offered the best of both worlds.

Highlights:

• Experiential design in malls: Once considered outdated, malls are making a strong comeback by embracing experiential design. By integrating digital signage, augmented reality (AR) experiences, and interactive displays, malls are becoming destinations where shopping is only one part of the equation. Customers can explore, engage, and immerse themselves in a brand’s story, creating a sense of community and excitement.
  
  
• Unforgettable retail experiences: In retail, the focus has shifted from merely selling products to creating experiences. For instance, digital signage is being used not just for advertising but also for storytelling, showcasing a product’s journey or the ethos of a brand. These elements add layers of meaning to the shopping experience, making it more memorable and impactful.
  
  
  • In our interview with Alicia Espositio, VP of Content for Retail TouchPoints, she noted,
    
    “Retail media entails much more today than simply advertising on a retailer’s website. When you look at the networks that are emerging today, you see a lot of advertising happening off site. There’s this idea now of even the physical store as being a media outlet. Brands are asking what the possible connecting points are between the physical space and all other digital channels. They’re trying to pinpoint how to make all that measurable and integrated, to ultimately create a cohesive storyline that’s able to articulate itself according to whatever context a customer is experiencing it in.”
    
    
• Blurring boundaries across industries: The integration of digital and physical spaces hasn’t been limited to retail. Hospitality venues, sports arenas, and entertainment centers have all adopted similar strategies to enhance their offerings. From smart hotel rooms that adapt to guest preferences to stadiums with real-time fan engagement tools, the possibilities are endless.

The power of community and culture in commerce

Commerce in 2024 was driven by a renewed focus on community and culture. Businesses recognized that fostering connections and celebrating shared values could transform customers into loyal advocates.

Key themes:

• Big Box stores embrace community: Retail giants are reimagining their spaces to include community-oriented elements, such as co-working areas, event spaces, and localized decor that reflect the culture of the surrounding area. Some are incorporating more in-store dining in order to entice shoppers to make a day of it. This approach increases foot traffic while also strengthening the emotional ties between the store and its customers.
  
  
• Fan engagement in sports and entertainment: The sports and entertainment industries leaned heavily into the "Four C’s" of fan engagement: connectivity, consistency, context, and culture. By using technology to create shared experiences, such as interactive games and live social media feeds, these industries deepened fan loyalty and created moments of collective joy.
  
  
• Cultural resonance in retail: Brands used technology to ensure their messaging was culturally relevant and inclusive. This ranged from showcasing diverse models in marketing campaigns to celebrating cultural festivals through in-store events and promotions.
  
  
  • Relatedly, “authenticity” is more than a buzzword for younger consumers, who tend to become loyal to brands who bring elements of humor and transparency into their branding. User-generated content also resonates with this demographic, who like to feel engaged with on a collaborative level when they’re making purchases.

Challenges and solutions in scaling technology

Scaling technology presented unique challenges in 2024, but CRI’s content offered valuable insights and practical advice to help businesses navigate this complex process.

• Navigating large-scale rollouts: Scaling technology across multiple locations required careful planning. Setting clear objectives, establishing a strong manufacturer-integrator relationship, keeping timelines straight and knowing what kind of content will be used are all part of a successful large-scale digital project.
  
  
• Empowering retail media networks: Retail media networks depend on robust tech stacks to operate efficiently. Our blog on the topic explored the necessity of choosing systems that could scale with the business, ensuring that data management, content delivery, and security needs were met without compromise.
  
  
• SOC compliance in IT: Security and compliance have always been of great importance, but now more than ever they are non-negotiable as businesses scale their digital infrastructure. Adopting SOC-compliant systems ensures that customer data remains secure, which is critical for maintaining trust in an era where data breaches are a constant threat.

Stadiums and arenas as immersive destinations

Stadium and arena environment are continuing to have a ‘moment’ and rise to relevance, offering lessons that could be applied across industries. Creative Realities highlighted how these sectors used technology to create unparalleled fan experiences.

• The Four C’s of fan engagement: As touched on above, connectivity, consistency, context, and culture guided decisions in sports and entertainment. From mobile device enrichment to immersive AR experiences, every touchpoint was designed to enhance the fan journey.
  
  
• Tech-driven engagement: Real-time data sharing, personalized content, and interactive experiences are bringing fans closer to the action than ever before. For instance, stadiums used apps to deliver instant replays, exclusive content, and even food delivery to seats, creating a truly connected experience.
  
  
• Retail parallels: Retailers took inspiration from these innovations, adopting similar strategies to engage their customers. Whether through loyalty programs, in-store events, or gamified shopping experiences, the lessons from sports and entertainment proved invaluable.

Closing thoughts

2024 was a transformative year for industries across the board, and Creative Realities kept its finger on the pulse of the exciting trends transforming the industry. From retail and QSR to sports and hospitality, the emphasis was on using technology not just as a tool but as a means to connect, inspire, and delight.

As we look ahead to 2025, one thing is clear: human connection, cultural resonance, and the seamless integration of digital and physical experiences will continue to shape and redefine the ways digital signage is transforming businesses across the world.