By Mic Wilborn
— January 23rd, 2026
At Ferguson, customer engagement doesn’t happen through a single channel—it happens when multiple channels work together to capture attention, build trust, and drive action.
That’s why digital signage sits alongside email, SMS, and push notifications within the Customer Engagement team led by Kelly Collera. And it’s this intentional, integrated approach that makes Kelly—after just one year leading the company’s digital signage program—the latest recipient of the Poppulo Impact Award.
Designing an Attention Infrastructure—From Inbox to In-Branch
Kelly brings more than two decades of experience in customer communications to Ferguson, where she oversees a portfolio of channels designed to operate as one cohesive system—each playing a distinct role in creating a better in-store experience that drives sales.
Under Kelly’s leadership, email, SMS, and push communications focus on driving customers to one of the 1,700 locations—alerting them of availability, promotions, services, and more. Digital signage then extends those communications in-store, creating a sense of arrival and continuity from the moment customers walk through the door.
Once customers arrive, signage becomes the channel that optimizes the visit. It’s the point-of-decision layer of Ferguson’s attention infrastructure—the moment where customers are primed to buy, trust is either reinforced or lost, and the experience either converts or stalls. As Kelly explains, “Our customers are already in a buying mindset when they walk into a branch. Digital signage is what helps seal the deal.”
One Brand, Many Audiences—All Requiring Trust
Adding complexity to Kelly’s role, Ferguson serves multiple customer groups, each with distinct expectations—and digital signage has to meet all of them, without compromise.
In showrooms, signage supports a high-end, curated experience. Large-format displays and video walls showcase beautiful imagery, create a sense of arrival, and even welcome customers by name for scheduled appointments. Here, the goal isn’t speed—it’s confidence, inspiration, and reassurance during higher-consideration purchases.
In trade locations, the dynamic shifts entirely. Plumbers, HVAC professionals, and waterworks teams are highly specialized audiences who expect precision. The wrong product image, terminology, or certification detail can undermine trust instantly. For these customers, signage plays a critical role in reinforcing credibility—and credibility is essential.
Across every environment, Kelly and her team treat trust as non-negotiable. Content is built to reflect a deep understanding of each customer segment, ensuring messaging resonates regardless of audience or location.
Regional Relevance Matters—Especially in a National Network
Beyond audience type, geography adds another layer of complexity. What resonates in the Northeast doesn’t necessarily work in the South or West. Heating products become relevant earlier in colder climates. Design styles that feel natural in one region can feel out of place in another.
Under Kelly’s leadership, Ferguson’s digital signage reflects these differences intentionally. Showroom imagery adapts to regional tastes. Product messaging rolls out based on local seasonality. The result is a national network that still feels local—helping each branch feel connected to the community it serves.
Localization at Scale—Powered by Poppulo
With a deep understanding of buyer behavior and engagement trends across channels, Kelly helped transform how content is managed across Ferguson’s signage network—unlocking more localized, relevant messaging at scale.
Today, more than 80 content contributors across the organization can publish content at the regional, district, or even individual branch level. With clear structure, training, and governance in place, teams can respond quickly to local events, promotions, and customer needs—without sacrificing consistency or quality.
This approach enables:
- Faster activation of relevant content
- Greater ownership at the local level
- Messaging that feels timely, specific, and authentic
And it allows the central team to stay focused on strategy, not content bottlenecks.
A High-Value Network at the Point of Decision
Across 715 locations and 1,170 active digital signage endpoints, Ferguson’s customer-facing screens give vendors a front-row seat to a highly curated audience that is already in an active buying mindset.
Customers entering a showroom or counter location aren’t just browsing—they’re making decisions. Industry research consistently shows the impact of digital signage in these moments: 1 in 3 consumers make an unplanned purchase after seeing a product on a digital display, and digital signage captures up to 400% more views than static signage.
For Ferguson, this makes digital signage a uniquely high-value media channel—placing product messaging directly into the physical customer journey to reinforce brand presence, influence consideration, and support conversion at the point of decision.
What makes the network even more impactful is that it’s intentionally dual-purpose. The same screens that influence purchasing decisions during business hours also serve as a critical communications channel for associates before and after branches are open to the public. Nearly 70% of associates surveyed say they learn about current programs and promotions from digital signage, while 78% report that they actively pay attention to on-screen content. For non-wired associates across branches, distribution centers, and warehouses, digital signage helps reach the 31% who primarily receive company information verbally, creating a more consistent and inclusive communications experience.
By treating digital signage as both a customer engagement engine and an associate communications channel, Kelly has ensured the network delivers impact wherever attention matters most.
Leadership That Drives Impact
Reflecting on digital signage within Ferguson’s broader customer engagement strategy, Kelly shared:
"All of our channels work together to get customers through the door—but digital signage is what completes the experience. It reinforces trust, shows that we understand our customers, and helps convert intent into action right at the moment that matters most. It’s been amazing getting to leverage this network alongside our other communications channels, and I’ve loved working with the team at Poppulo to make our digital signage network so successful.”
Poppulo’s CEO, Ruth Fornell, remarked, “Kelly exemplifies what the Poppulo Impact Award is all about. She’s optimized a digital signage program that isn’t just an example of scale—it’s intentional. By aligning signage with Ferguson’s broader engagement strategy and empowering localization at every level, she’s turned screens into a critical part of how the brand earns attention, trust, and results.”
Congratulations to Kelly Collera on this well-deserved recognition—and on setting a new standard for customer-centered digital signage at scale.
About the Poppulo Impact Awards
The Poppulo Impact Awards recognize leaders who use Poppulo to drive meaningful outcomes through strategy, execution, and innovation across employee and customer communications.