Westfield has expanded its in-store digital screen network into South Australia and West Australia, a move the shopping centre giant described as a “very big strategic step”.
The addition of the screens in Perth’s Westfield Carousel, Adelaide’s Westfield Marion as well as Westfield Penrith in Sydney represents an investment of “multiple of millions of dollars”, said Bill Burton, general manager of BrandSpace at Westfield.
“It is a game changer for us being able to deliver a national network for our clients and agency partners,” Burton told B&T.
Westfield now boasts 17 separate screens giving the company 29 faces across the network of 12 centres which currently carry the screens.
The new screens started rolling out from November 5 and, according to Burton, are now “absolutely filled to the hilt” with no vacancies until January 7.
Brands which have advertised on the national network include Motorolla, OPSM, Eftpos, Optus, Commonwealth Bank, Microsoft, Nikon, Intel and Lego among others.
Burton said Westfield’s year “has been strong but not loads of growth” due to tough media and ad conditions, but said the company will continue to invest heavily.
“We will deal with the market as it is now but our eye has to be on the medium term…and we will be ready with the best assets, in the best centres, talking to the best shoppers for our brand partners.”
Digital and interactive capabilities will also continue to be a focus for BrandSpace, Burton said: “To say we are obsessed with the digital shopper journey at the moment would be underplaying.”
“That is where all of our shoppers are – that is their natural home now so how do we make sure Westfield brand stays alive there and allow our brands to follow that journey.”