There are plenty of screens with moving pictures, but the Smart Advisor had to do more. It had to respond to customers and interact with them and the Samsung Smart TV, explain the features and provide personal purchasing advice. To achieve this, we put together a team of hardware specialists, programmers, interaction designers and AV experts. We created a three-pronged concept: Smart Adviser on the main screen, the Smart TV next to it, and a control panel in front of it with a Samsung Galaxy Tab. Cameras enable the Smart Adviser to ‘see’ whether there are customers there, after which it invites them to stand behind the control panel. Sensors in the panel register visitors’ location. The Smart Adviser welcomes them and asks them to select a subject on the Galaxy Tab. Then it lets visitors acquaint themselves in an interactive and playful way with all the Samsung Smart TV’s unique features.

Since the Samsung Smart Adviser was launched on 23 March 2013, it’s too soon to report any detailed results. However, feedback from both staff and customers in stores has been extremely positive. Samsung will implement the Smart Adviser in several more stores in the Netherlands and eventually in other countries as well.