H&R Block

H&R Block is a tax preparation company operating in Canada, the United States, and in Australia where it operates over 400 retail tax offices. They recognised the potential of using digital screens to take their retail communications to the next level.

After some early trials with digital screens via different partners, H&R Block started rolling out digital screens with digital signage at scale experts, datmedia.

National Director, Arvind Vasudevan had a clear vision of what H&R Block was trying to achieve.

“First and foremost, the screens are there for the clients. It all starts with that and that is why we have set the network up. From there, we have 3 main strategy elements to having digital screens in our offices.  The first is obviously to fit with the look and feel and new branding of our offices. 

“The second is more revenue driven which is all about information and education to existing clients both outside the office and inside through the external and internal screens. 

“And the third is an opportunity to draw new clients to our office who might be walking down the street happening to look at H&R Block and help them understand what we offer and use that as a way to entice them to our offices and provide a service for them ongoing.”

With this vision in mind, Arvind knew what he needed from a digital signage partner.

“Someone who is experienced, and has proven that the technology works, has the latest technology, has the flexibility to provide support options on a national scale, because we are a national business; and is very responsive to our specific needs and being able to tailor to them.

“We also needed a simple administration and back-end dashboard which we can then use to manage our content and screens through a cloud-based content management platform.”

H&R Block also had a clear content strategy it was ready to execute once the network and necessary technology were in place.

Arvind: “We quickly realised that we needed to move to the next phase which was about better engagement, more tailored content and clearer communication.

“It started with the kind of screens that we wanted that had the right luminosity to be seen through the front windows.  We also moved to datmedia’s Laqorr CMS that enabled us to have both video and audio playing at the same time when required. So having the right technology was important.

“The second part was then how it was able to be managed from an admin and marketing content perspective and having a simple way to upload videos and files through the dashboard so that we could then start creating that tailored content.”

After a successful pilot proving the technology, key stakeholders within the business were engaged to set the foundations for a comprehensive implementation process.

Arvind: “The first stakeholder is the office and the field operations team itself and I let them understand why we were doing this, why it’s important and to make sure they were on top of any maintenance or downtime issues with the screens.  Next, marketing, who designs the content and has control of the dashboard and admin panel that allows them to feed that content in and potentially tailor it for individual offices.

“Obviously, our IT and technology team which allows us to work closely with datmedia to identify what the needs are and to make sure we have the set up required which in this case is not a lot from the IT perspective but initially when we did the trial phase there was a requirement for that engagement.”

At that time, the project was handed to National Program Manager, Jamie Scicluna to start implementing the digital screen network into H&R Block offices.

Jamie: “With 400 locations nationally, consistency is the most important thing.  We want customers to have the same experience whichever location they walk into.”

In order to maximise the pace of the rollout within the available budget, H&R Block opted for datmedia’s As-a-Service option which delivers the screen packages, installation and onsite support as a capped monthly OPEX.

Jamie: “Having the ability to not tie up a whole heap of capital is super important because it actually allows us to set up more locations by spreading out the costs as a monthly recurring schedule.”

12 months into the program, the rollout and partnership is tracking well.

Jamie: “datmedia came to us with an experienced team, robust and user friendly technology and a thorough implementation plan which has removed the headaches and helped take our digital signage to the next level.  Their service commitment has been second to none and is frankly, the biggest positive to our relationship. 

“They have worked with our evolving equipment, national locations, payment structure requirements and refurbishment plans to ensure a smooth transition all round.  Nothing has been out of reach for their team.”

Arvind and Jamie sat down with our General Manager, Sam Dalzell to discuss their digital screens strategy. Watch their conversation in full below.