Owner: Digital Signage Insights URL:http://dsinsights.blogspot.com Join Date: Tue, 19 Feb 2008 15:53:42 -0600 Rating:0 Site Description: This blog examines the diverse aspects of the digital signage industry, providing commentary on emerging trends, news, technology, and industry players - Drawing connections to the worlds of branding, marketing and advertising. I examine the impact of new Site statistics:Click here
Content is King 2008-03-08 09:03:11 Digital Signage, mobile marketing, TV, radio, newspapers, online advertising...regardless of the medium, CONTENT IS KING. We must respect consumers and provide them with palpable values in advertising and marketing to them. Whether those values are entertainment, engagement, information, education, or buying power, consumers deserve to be thought of as more than eyeballs. In today's fragmented media world, consumers won't stand for being treated as passive creatures that can be advertised to, to no end.In her speech at the recent 4A Conference, Anne Sweeney, President of ABC-Disney Television Group, espoused the fact that the one constant in media is the demand for great CONTENT.With consumers bombarded by thousands of messages each day, creativity is critical, Ms. Sweeney said. "We need t Read more:Content
Marketing Engagement and Involvement 2008-03-07 09:39:43 The world is changing. The consumer is changing. Marketing
is not ... and that's not a good thing, as it so desperately needs to adapt, evolve and conform to the only constant these days, which is change itself. One of the key principles of the "New Marketing" arena is the idea behind communal activation. In the mainstream world we might refer to this as "engagement," i.e., getting people to care enough to take some kind of action -- inquiring about more information, telling a friend, blogging or, the Shangri-La of marketing: the purchase.Marketing today is like a spectacular fireworks display. Short-lived and breathtaking. Unforgettably forgettable. The Macy's July 4th fireworks display might as well be the Super Bowl. (Take the test: Can you name 10 brands that advertised in this year's Read more:Engagement
More Digital Billboard Love: Courtesy of the LA Times 2008-03-06 07:35:28 The steam that the digital billboard industry is riding on is getting a boost from the Los Angeles Times
. Illustrating the importance of engaging, relevant content to digital out-of-home media, an article in today's issue of Advertising Age announced that exclusive news content from the Los Angles Times will adorn 10 Clear Channel digital billboards across the city. This makes the LA Times the first major newspaper to use Clear Channel's digital billboards for news alerts and branding.This is a powerful example of the marriage of great content with digital out-of-home media. The digital signage industry has seen many instances in which major content providers have partnered with network owners. NBC, CBS, and ABC each lend content to a range of networks. The most prominent newspaper / digit Read more:Digital
, Billboard
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Thoughts on the Digital Signage Expo 2008-03-05 09:17:53 For some reason or another, I cannot get this comment to stick to Bill Gerba's post covering his views of the recent Digital
Signage Expo in Las Vegas. He makes a number of strong points in what the show's governing body must do to improve it for next year. My first vote is: move DSE back to Chicago and get out of Las Vegas. I love Vegas but it provides the wrong backdrop to the show and our industry.There were positive and negative attributes of the Digital Signage Expo. First of all, Vegas is not the right venue for the show. It provides a distorted view of the state of our industry. Digital signs are everywhere in Las Vegas, leading people to believe that our industry is beyond the stage that it is currently in. Many of the digital signage installations in Vegas are ill-conceived and ma
Digital Billboard Love and Acceptance 2008-03-04 12:19:53 For a medium that has been met with some resistance, mainly from detractors and municipal government officials who argue that digital billboards affect road safety, the age of digital out-of-home media is gaining a head of steam. Reports of the industry's rapid growth, coupled with studies that highlight the strength of digital billboards in spreading community messages, are hearkening widespread acceptance and deployment of digital billboards across the United States of America.Digital
billboards are beginning to gain public and state support, with two recent developments helping speed acceptance.First, an Arbitron study found that the public believes the signs to be valuable in making drivers aware of weather and traffic conditions and Amber Alerts for missing kids. The second sign of su Read more:Billboard
, Acceptance
Digital Signage Storytellers 2008-02-29 15:52:03 All marketers are storytellers. Digital
signs give marketers the ability to tell infinitely targeted, flexible, and dynamic stories to consumers. During his keynote address at the Digital Signage Expo, Dr. Andrew Lippman, Director of MIT Media Lab, evoked many times in his speech that signs are for telling stories.Digital signage is an amazingly powerful medium that when utilized correctly tells unparalleled stories which, most importantly, consumers want to see and hear.
Major Brands Move Away From TV 2008-02-27 12:08:30 I'm in Las Vegas for the Digital Signage Expo, whose exhibition hall doors are to open in less than 10 minutes, and I come across an amazing article from Advertising Age entitled, "K-C, Unilever Turn Down TV to Ramp Up ROI" that speaks to the waning power of TV. The articles details the strength of non-traditional media like digital signage.As proof that it's spending its marketing dollars wisely, Kimberly-Clark Chairman-CEO Thomas Falk told analysts last week that the company expects to spend only 46% of its marketing budget on TV this year, down from 60% in 2004. "If you looked two or three years ago, out of our top six consumer brands, TV would have ranked as the most popular channel for all six," Mr. Falk told attendees at the Consumer Analyst Group of New York last week. "Today, TV mi Read more:Major
, Brands
Recession Breeds Innovation 2008-02-25 11:17:33 The opportunity is now. The marketplace is ripe for change. In today's falling economy, company's must innovate to survive. They must look past tired mandates and old media and look toward new marketing mediums that will separate them from the pack.Companies who are straining for declining amounts of consumer dollars need to shatter the boundaries of traditional advertising platforms and dive head first into new media. They must focus their advertising budgets on mediums like digital signage and mobile marketing - Advertising mediums that transcend the limitations of push advertising and engage consumers in brand conversations.The digital signage and mobile marketing industries are perfectly positioned to emerge from the cluttered world of media as powerful weapons within a company's marke Read more:Innovation
Molson Coors Invests in Digital Signage Network 2008-02-22 15:32:42 Molson Coors
, one of the largest brewers in the world, is diving into the digital signage arena with an investment in The Bar Channel, a Canadian digital out-of-media network that broadcasts programming via closed-circuit Internet to subscriber bars.After launching in April, the network grew to 88 Ontario bars and about $600,000 in first-year revenue, and it expects to add 50 establishments in Calgary and 50 in Ontario during the coming year. Despite the modest scale, the Bar Channel already has attracted a low six-figure investment from Molson Coors. The brewer is intrigued Bar Channel's ability to let it customize messaging at each bar, which gives it the ability to emphasize drink specials, or even show employee-training videos during slower hours. "We've seen share gains in the bars wh Read more:Digital
, Molson
, Invests
Pepsi to Light Up Xanadu 2008-02-21 05:41:18 Pepsi has signed on as the first major sponsor of the Meadowlands Xanadu, a 4.8 million-square-foot entertainment destination that promises to offer visitors of all ages a broad array of engaging experiences, including interactive entertainment venues, fine dining, outdoor amusements, runway fashion shows and its main attraction—America's first Snow Dome for indoor skiing. Pepsi's logo will light up a giant LED screen adorning the center of a 287-foot ferris wheel that will be visisble from miles away.Pepsi's ad deal includes a 10,000-square-foot indoor area where consumers can immerse themselves in Pepsi trivia and memorabilia. It could, for example, serve as a gallery space for displays on old Pepsi ads through the years. The Purchase, N.Y., company is also crafting specially designed Read more:Pepsi
Clear Channel Goes Interactive 2008-02-20 18:33:13 Clear Channel
's giant Spectacolor digital billboard in Times Square is going interactive thanks to technology from Boston-based Locamoda. The emerging mobile company brings interactivity to digital signage."With LocaModa’s technology integrated into Spectacolor HD, our advertisers now have the ability to not only attract people in Times Square, but also to interact with them via their mobile phones and the Web. This is the start of a revolution in out-of-home advertising, one in which users can choose to engage with brands while brands get Web-like measurability,” said Harry Coghlan, President, Clear Channel
Spectacolor.The first LocaModa application on Spectacolor’s Times Square screen is Jumbli, a text messaging word game. Players who submit the highest scoring words from their mob Read more:Clear
Art and Advertising 2008-02-19 15:29:31 As evidenced in an earlier post, I am a huge supporter of bridging the worlds of art and advertising. Some people in the media industry have already coined the phrase "artvertising" to describe the meeting point of these two closely related industries.From RedBull's "Art of Can" campaign to Hugo Frangrances' "Hugo Create" project, brands are increasingly using artistic contests to build buzz and hype products. Given the reach of digital signage and its flexibility, it is an ideal medium for these types of "artvertising" campaigns.
Read more:Advertising
Clear Channel Outdoor Revenue Outpaces Radio 2008-02-18 14:28:01 For the first time ever, ClearChannel
's outdoor division surpassed its radio division in total revenue for the quarter.Clear Channel
Communications’ revenues rose 4 percent in Q4 2007 over the same quarter in 2006, to $1.84 billion, according to MediaPost. The outdoor division rose 13 percent to $936.7 million, while radio division revenues slipped 3 percent to $874.6 million.For the full year, radio still pulled slightly more in terms of total revenue than outdoor, with $3.49 billion compared to $3.38 billion. Outdoor’s growth, however, was 13 percent for the year, while radio was basically flat. (via MediaBuyerPlanner)Thats right.....this is the first time in Clear Channel's history that its outdoor division earned more than the company's radio assets. This is a strong indicator of Read more:Revenue
, Radio
The NBA Goes Texting 2008-02-18 09:49:22 For all of you that watched the NBA
All Star Dunk Contest, you were treated to an awe-inspiring event courtesy of Dwight Howard and Gerald Green. The contest was a back-and-forth aerial battle between two of the NBA's rising stars. Dwight Howard emerged victorious, soldifying his place in dunk contest history through his athletism and showmanship.More ground breaking than the amazing dunks in the competition, was the fact that the winner was chosen by the fans (in the arena and watching from the comfort of their homes) through a text-2-vote campaign sponsored by Sprite. People texted the letters A or B to the short code "DUNKS" to cast their vote. From the shots furnished by TNT it looked like almost everyone in the arena participated, including the bevy of all stars, celebrities, and NBA
Major Media and SeeSaw Announcements Coincide 2008-02-15 13:46:01 I made note of SeeSaw's addition of 8 new network affiliates earlier in the week, identifying PumpTop TV as the lead digital signage partner highlighted in the press release. PumpTop TV, a direct competitor of Gas Station TV, offers a network of 3,000 screens at major gas stations in Los Angeles, San Diego, San Francisco and Sacramento, Calif. rolling out to Phoenix next month and Dallas, Houston, New York, Chicago, Philadelphia and Boston later this year.What's interesting about PumpTop's recent activity in aligning with SeeSaw is that it directly coincides with an announcement heralding the network's partnership with ABC New Media.ABC New Media has added national sales representation for PumpTop TV to its growing portfolio of place-based media sales networks, the company announced Thursd Read more:Major
SeeSaw Adds 8 New Network Affiliates 2008-02-15 11:19:39 The SeeSaw portfolio is GROWING...Only a few weeks after announcing the addition of Ripple TV to its portfolio of digital signage network affiliates, SeeSaw is at it again. The Company has added 8 new networks to its fold.PumpTop TV, a digital signage network on gas station pumps, leads the press release, increasing SeeSaw's reach in a field currently dominated by Gas Station TV. SeeSaw has also added:- The Casino Channel Network- Acrosscut Media (hotels)- HotSpot Network (information kiosks)- LevelVision (college bookstores)- Private Dental Network- TMI C-Store Network- Astralis (office buildings and hotels)SeeSaw's network now reaches people in 25 types of locations* including coffee shops, universities, restaurants, dental offices, and airports across more than 200 DMAs.*Table represent Read more:Affiliates
Integrated Campaign Hits the Big Screen 2008-02-15 11:17:07 In an interesting example of leveraging digital signage in a cross-platform advertising campaign, Kimberly-Clark is giving young people the opportunity to showcase user-generated videos on cinema screens. The ambitious campaign for the company's DentaBurst Teeth Cleaners includes an interactive Web site, movie theater promotion, online marketing, organic consumer referral and sampling, word-of-mouth marketing, and a YouTube video contest.In 10 markets over four weeks, a 30-second commercial will be shown in movie theaters. In it, young people use the product as a young woman invites consumers to enter a contest to win $10,000 for the "party of your dreams and replace me on the big screen nationwide. Upload your own video at dentaburst.com." She closes with the tagline: "Outshine everyone. Read more:Integrated
, Campaign
, Big Screen
Campaigns Leverage New Media 2008-02-15 11:16:03 These days it appears that all CNN and similar news outlets cover are the presidential primaries. I fell asleep after the California results were announced and woke up to a political commentator talking about the state roughly six hours later. Political advertising is everywhere, except for digital signage - a medium that is ideal for reaching voters (I wrote a recent post on this topic).The candidates have found success in leveraging mobile marketing. It's targeting power and timeliness allows candidates to reach people who have opted into their SMS clubs before key events: debates, TV appearances, and, most importantly, state primaries.A January SMS advertising campaign for Democratic presidential candidates Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama delivered over one million SMS impressions acro Read more:Campaigns
, Leverage
, New Media
Bluetooth Marries Wi-Fi 2008-02-15 11:14:46 In a marriage that could have far reaching effects for the digital signage industry, Bluetooth
and Wi-Fi are going to merge technologies to enable faster transfer of large files between gadgets and, thusly, between gadgets and out-of-home media.Michael Foley, director of the Bluetooth Special Interest Group, said the first devices with the technology could be on the market in the middle of next year. A fast transfer channel for Bluetooth using a different radio technology, ultra-wideband, was announced in 2006, but delays in getting it to work prompted the Bluetooth group to look at Wi-Fi. Some products, like laptops, already combine Bluetooth and Wi-Fi functions, but they work off separate chips. Now a single chip will combine Bluetooth and Wi-Fi capabilities.(Via TendHunter)Bluetooth has
U.S. Athletes Lend Tips to Digital Signage Network 2008-02-15 11:14:46 Tips from athletes on the U.S. ski and snowboarding teams will appear on Brand Connections' Active Outdoor-Winter Network. The BrandConnections network has 10,000 digital and static ad spaces, in lift lines and lodge lobbies at ski resorts across the country. The program runs November through April.Using tips from top skiers and snowboarders is designed to get more eyeballs on the signs and to increase recall and subsequent conversions for the brands advertised on the network, according to CEO Brian Martin.The athletes involved will also make appearances at special events to sign autographs and offer tips. Advertisers can jump aboard to distribute product samples or engage consumers in a sweepstakes. (via MediaBuyerPlanner)I completely agree with the Network's CEO, Brian Martin, that tips Read more:Digital
Super Tuesday and Digital Signage II - Missed Opportunity 2008-02-15 10:13:54 With SuperTuesday
, the metaphorical playoffs for politics, upon us, I still cannot believe that not one of the presidential candidates have taken advantage of digital signage within their campaigns. The medium's targeting ability makes it the perfect weapon for political advertising. With the amount of money spent on TV advertising by candidates from both parties, over $100 million thus far, I question why no one in their camps have pointed to out-of-home media networks as a powerful medium to dynamically target potential voters.With the fight for delegates on both sides of the party line taking place in 24 states today, every congressional district counts. For example, all Democratic contests will award delegates by various proportional formulas. Typically, they give a portion to the sta Read more:Digital
, Opportunity
Super Tuesday Results via Digital Signage 2008-02-15 10:13:54 In another resounding example of the power of digital signage, Clear Channel announced that they will provide digital reporting of primary election results via its high-tech LED billboard networks in partnership with MSNBC and CNBC.Throughout the day on Tuesday
, February 5, 2008, digital displays in Albuquerque, Chicago, Las Vegas, Los Angeles and Memphis will offer election results on Super
Tuesday. Real-time content will be supplied as an automated feed from MSNBC from polling sites, and results will be posted throughout Super Tuesday on 53 of Clear Channel Outdoor digital displays.After Tuesday, Clear Channel Outdoor will work with CNBC to post results in Milwaukee on February 19, wrapping up with a primary finale in Akron, Cleveland and Columbus on March 4.The Outdoor Advertising Assoc Read more:Digital
Screen Expo Jealousy 2008-02-15 10:13:08 While I am extremely busy with projects here in the States, I wish that I could have attended Screen Expo Europe. In reviewing articles from Digital Signage Today and commentary from fellow industry bloggers covering the recent show, I am left wishing I could have made the trip across the pond. I hope that I can continue to pull information on the happenings at the Expo from sites such as Screens.tv, Aka.tv, The Digital Signage Forum, Digital Out of Home blog...I am extremely jealous of all who attended, spoke, and exhibited at the show. For someone who eats, drinks, and sleeps the digital signage industry, it's hard to miss events like Screen Expo...knowing that your contemporaries are there discussing news, trends, and emerging companies across the industry.I can only imagine the lively Read more:Jealousy
Mobile Marketing for Political Campaigns 2008-02-15 10:13:08 I wrote a recent post citing the success of the mobile marketing campaigns for Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton. But, I must refer you to Greg Harris' blog over at Mobivity, in which he provides an in depth overview of the strengths and weaknesses of Obama and Clinton's mobile efforts. As a member of both SMS clubs, Greg delves into the timing, relevancy, and impact of each candidate's mobile marketing campaign. Click here and here to find out which candidate is using mobile well and who is not.
Read more:Marketing
, Campaigns
, Mobile
Virgin Megastores Go Digital 2008-02-15 10:13:08 Thanks to hardware and software provided by Broadsign, in partnership with eVision, a content creation and production house, Virgin
Megastores in the US will soon have a new digital look.Each store will have a selection of around 40 digital displays of different sizes and configurations. The displays will feature an 8-hour mix of high-def content, updated daily, covering movies, music, games, books, electronics, live shows and fashion. The innovative system is designed with built-in interactivity, through mobile phones and the internet - to provide an 'experience' that will engage the affluent media savvy 18-44 target demographic. (via Aka.tv)Virgin Megastores are an ideal place for digital signage. The stores boast a techno-saavy audience, a plethotra of products and categories to promote Read more:Digital
Engagement Instead of Annoyance 2008-03-12 14:50:58 Hulu, an online video portal jointly operated by NBC Universal and News Corp, went out of private beta today and opened its doors to the public. In response to Hulu's public launch, Advertising Age - I think I should starting putting this publication under my pillow at night - published an article describing Hulu's unique advertising platform - whose aim is to engage rather than annoy.It appears that the execs at Hulu share my viewpoint on valuing consumers and respecting the power they wield in today's media environment.At launch, consumers will be able to watch commercial-free movies if they pick from a selection of movie-trailers before the show begins, said Jean-Paul Colaco, senior VP-advertising sales and operations for Hulu. The site also expects to let users choose from an array of Read more:Engagement
, Instead
, Annoyance
Consumers Deserve Our Respect 2008-03-11 08:39:13 I made a comment this morning on Bill Gerba's blog, Digital Signage News, in response to the post he made on the power of content. I gave him a little jab that I beat him to the punch (by two days) in highlighting the Advertising Age story on the 4A Conference and the importance of content.Following my short comment, a person followed with what I believe to be one of the most ignorant, irrational arguments that I have read in some time. The "Anonymous" - the choice of anonymity is telling in the person's true desire to take ownership of his/her words - commenter remarks that "consumers are sheep" and goes on to say:Do I care about the content that I push at the consumer? Do I care what the consumer would rather see than my ads or content? In the long run, I only care if the advertiser that
Measure Media 2008-03-10 13:16:11 We have another great story coming out of the 4A Conference courtesy of Advertising Age. The article entitled, "How Do We Measure
Up?" confronts the issue of media measurment. The fact is that the old model is broken and a new one has yet to materialize.Media organizations can't even agree on what components should constitute a new measurement system that integrates the various platforms-TV, radio, newspaper, mobile, out-of-home, online-that encompass today's media environment.There's plenty of disruption, the various speakers suggested, but not enough progress to offset it. In the digital-media space, "we are reaching a point where the traditional measurements are reaching a breaking point," said Konrad Feldman, the co-founder and CEO of Quantcast, an internet-rating service. What's neede
The Decline of Traditional Media 2008-03-17 10:19:20 The hard truth is that traditional media doesn't work like it used to. Companies used to throw money at TV, newspapers, and radio thinking that the more money they spent (and the more they advertised during major events like the Super Bowl) the more successful they would be. In a pre-TiVo and pre-Internet world this worked to some degree. Even though advertisers could never truly pinpoint what part of their advertising was working and what wasn't - insert Wanamaker quote here. Consumers are no longer passive creatures that companies can incessantly advertise to without consequence. Our society is an amalgam of different media consumption preferences. And the best part is, is that blogs, social networks, YouTube, online magazines and newspapers, and, most evidently, the Internet as whole, c Read more:Decline
, Traditional
Reactrix Looks to Add Purchasing Power to Displays 2008-03-18 10:23:10 I am a strong believer in facilitating transactions through digital signage. While some could argue that adding purchasing power to a digital sign would make it a kiosk, I think that the two entities should be thought of separately.What I'm talking about here is digital signage whose main objective is advertising, entertainment, or education offering the functionality where consumers can make purchases as well. Ultimately, an interactive digital signage system that connects advertising and consumerism. An example would be the ability to purchase an article of clothing from a storefront digital window display in operation after the store has closed for the night.It seems that the smart folks over at Reactrix share my passion for connecting the worlds of commercial transactions and digital s Read more:Looks
, Purchasing
, Displays
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