Trend Report: Teens, Cellphones and Digital Signage Convergence

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Overview | Free Download

Today’s teenagers are accustomed to an interactive experience. They have grown up with TiVo®, the internet, and the cellphone. Nearly everything they use has been customizable and community-based. Traditional, image-based advertising just doesn’t cut it for this group.

So why haven’t more retailers taken advantage of digital signage to market to this attractive consumer population? Digital signage can easily provide an opportunity to implement interactive that appeals to cellphone-savvy consumers (such as teens). Moreover, there would be little media-based cost in implementation, as consumers already have cellphones, and you possess the digital signage! To see more on cellphone and digital signage convergence, see the article generously provided by Enqii.

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SpotXchange On Course, Booyah!!

Quick Overview and Opinion, If You Will.....

The rash of adaptation from the demanding clients and press to reach the consumer in a "new" manner, or fashion...while they are working or on the go, are two good choices I suppose. The new websites, ideas, terms, players, money, talent, sales tactics, PR; and it all relates back to marketing, advertising and PR; or does it? Sure does, that one piece of information could be what makes or breaks a start-up digital signage network, or a start-up interactive mobile billboard provider... Technology is the key to the kingdom, as some would say. I beg to differ and beleive that technology is a large part of the key to the "new consumer" and "future consumers", but lets not go 100% tech and forget to hire advertising talent, wisdom, reps-whatever their title maybe.....the part that understands and can lead the horse to water and with a big enough ego carefully groomed, can even make some of them drink the water.....you better beleive it..plus PR and marketing, remember 80% of executives buy what they have seen or read about in print (print is still and always will be a player-at least in my lifetime)....I have witnesseds networks using prime talent and their sales staff for marketing, PR, hiring, scouting talent, partner relations, and selling....yes a company must run lean, and some reps always go the extra mile and shall take on some of these extra duties to hit above and beyond the desired income....but the organization shall run clean and pay attention to it's signals and fires. Not all sales reps are going to produce PR for a company-it is not their style....I see in some of the start-up digital signage networks that often the tech side (staff) over-power or out number the advertising wisdom (or talent) by a long shot, leading the network to a crash course in advertising sales-of a new media-tricky, maybe?....I have seen this happen with two networks that are only two hours from each other. This is not an everyday event, just a reminder.

I love reading and learning about what is working, what's new, what's hot, who's buying, what brand has the latest and greatest creative, etc...Booyah Networks the parent I assume of SpotXchange are providing new mediums or better put....ways to use current media channels in which the advertiser and consumer are both better served......SpotXchange appears to have made the correct hires from day one (Booyah) and it appears that they leaned on experts from online advertising, spent some money and now the litmus test, shows that they will make it; just fine, according to my quick but alert introduction to all of the companies of Booyah Networks.


SpotXchange Appoints Larry Goodman to Advisory Board
From NewswireToday - Westminster, CO, United States, 08/20/2007

SpotXchange, the Internet’s first online video advertising exchange, announced today that former CNN President of Sales and Marketing Larry Goodman has been appointed to SpotXchange's advisory board as a director.

Goodman will apply his more than 30 years of media and advertising industry experience to help SpotXchange expand its online video advertising marketplace.

Media buyers, advertisers and agencies use SpotXchange’s self-service tools to distribute online video ads across SpotXchange’s network of online publishers, targeting audiences by region, time of day, publisher and content category. Clients and partners include ClipSyndicate, blip.tv, Gaiam, NeoEdge and Visible World.


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Pivot, From Time Warner and Sprint, a Waste of Time?

I am not so sure what demographic group, would be willing to purchase such a display of struggle shown by Time Warner Cable, in developing an appealing wireless addition to a solid buddle of communication services. Sure AT & T will be gaining massive market share-at least in the eyes of an industry, in which the mobility arm has had ZERO share.....the iPhone, even if they have paid to sell it, brings marketing power to an already powerful advertising force. The consumer will recieve benefits as found in the ads; such as mobile TV, mobile email, mobile everything a normal Blackberry offers-except TWC and Sprint are using phones with normal size screens that are not really built for constant use for services other than voice or SMS....I could be wrong; I see this as a waste of money for both TWC and Sprint (Sprint already has a new sketchy ad campaign-still based on creative and not media consumption!). Pivot is not competition to any new services from the wireless community-perhaps other cable operators, yes!

Pulled From Time Warner Website 8-13-2007

"Wouldn't it be great if you could take the Time Warner Cable services you use at home - like Digital Cable programming, Road Runner High Speed Online, and Digital Phone - with you on your wireless phone? Now you can. Pivot is a new service that combines the best of Sprint wireless with the Time Warner Cable services you enjoy at home.........Wherever you go, Pivot lets you take Mobile TV, Mobile Email, Mobile Web, and even unlimited wireless-to-home calling with you - all on your Sprint wireless phone. Watch ABC News Now®, E! News Update®, Fox News®, Comedy Time® and additional entertainment, news and music channels with Mobile TV. Enjoy unlimited calling between your home Digital Phone and Sprint wireless phone. Access the Web and check your Road Runner email on the go."

(Some More Copy From Time Warners Website) "Take advantage of all this and more - like unlimited night and weekend calling that starts at 7pm, and unlimited mobile to mobile calling.
And, enjoy it all on one bill, from one company - Time Warner Cable."
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News Release On Sprint Website from several months ago....

Innovative Wireless Service Gives Customers The Power To Feel At Home Anywhere
Available in 40 metropolitan areas this year, "Pivot" delivers value, convenience and access to comforts of home everywhere customers turn

Media Contact:
Melinda Tiemeyer, Sprint, 913-794-1089
melinda.g.tiemeyer@sprint.com

ORLANDO, Fla. — 03/26/2007

Sprint Nextel Corporation (NYSE:S), Comcast Corporation (Nasdaq: CMCSA, CMCSK), Time Warner Cable (NYSE: TWC), Cox Communications and Advance/Newhouse Communications today launched the branding of "Pivot," the integrated service that gives consumers the ability to link their mobile phone service with their home digital phone, and certain high-speed internet services and digital cable services. Pivot combines powerful wireline and wireless networks to bring more useful capabilities to customers, such as one-button access to the Internet, home and wireless email and mobile TV.

"Pivot was designed to help customers connect to home with an easier, more convenient and more affordable way to keep in touch, stay informed and be entertained. We want to make technology work better and faster for the customer—and with our unique partnership, we can do things our competitors can't," said John Garcia, president Sprint/MSO Joint Venture. "Pivot links your wireless phone with the comforts of home. Our common vision is to give customers anywhere easy access to the entertainment, communications and information services that are already important to them."

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Pivot Product/Service Info

New Sprint Advertising Campaign

Ripple: Rolling Strong!

Ripple has got the right idea and I like the hyper local aspect that can be applied to selling spots on their network.

Ripple TV Gets Funding, Jack-in-the-Box Venues
by Erik Sass
Ripple TV, A NEW PLACE-BASED video advertising network targeting local advertisers, is rapidly expanding its footprint. Today, the company announced a new round of funding as well as a major new retail partnership with Jack-in-the-Box, the popular fast-food chain. The company is also planning to provide free Wi-Fi access to all venues that install its video displays.

The second round of funding, to the tune of $10 million, was led by Draper Fisher Jurvetson and included first-round investor Trinity Ventures. Concurrent with the new funding, John Fisher--co-founder of DFJ--is also joining the Ripple board.

The Jack-in-the-Box deal stands to increase Ripple's distribution network with up to 2,000 new retail locations around the country. Ripple plans to install its video displays in the majority of JIB locations over the next few months. The company has already established video displays at 500 locations throughout Southern California, Arizona, Nevada and Hawaii; company reps say the number is growing by double digits every week.


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Wireless Carriers and My Experience - The Media Landscape

Driven by the dynamic dance between consumer media consumption and new media technologies, virually every medium in America is in constant flux-digital signage included. A generation ago, you could reach all of America with three television commercials. Today, due to the incredible fragmentation in the broadcast market, it takes a mimimum, 125 commercials to have the same impact. In print-same song and dance my friend-you could reach virually every american a generation ago with an ad in the two daily newspapers. Gone is that day, as time-starved consumers tune in- or tune out-the explosion of media alternatives swirls around them. Bottom line is that Sprint shareholders should be scared they will need to require new knowledge, tools, innovation and creativity of thier agencies! Here I write of a recent experiance which will lead into my next post about the greatest and latest Sprint campaign.

Insanity:
Repeating the same behavior over and over but expecting different results....Sprint. Referring to the recent Sprint advertising campaign and some insider views, judgements and predictions that will be discussed in the very next posting on New Media Mindfulness .

The Meeting:
In a meeting with Verizon Wireless's south area advertising team my company's digital signage network was well recieved, ending at a point ready for my next step upon returing to the office. The next day I had a scheduled appointment with the agency for Verizon as well-as requested per Verizon. The lunch meeting with the Verizon media director was not my favorite but it was needed. First off she was not one bit impressed with the fact that I met with Verizon Wireless directly, and she centered on on one picture of one screen location, the budget and lastly, the fact that the agency's job duty for sometime now, has been to reach mass numbers and my network did not reach them (just a very targeted quailfied consumer). Oh, the subtle mention, on more than one occasion that "we do have money for each market, for things like this-so that may be an option." Upon returing from my trip Verizon Wireless responded to my follow up phone call and contacted me via email about a week later and was prepared to move forward with the buy...I worked with Verizon as well as thier agency (the one I met with) whom provided creative. I know this agency is interested in new media outlets, per my conversations with the VP of Media and the clients they work with, but rightly or (understaffed) they appear reserved-plus no school yet teaches the young media account executive about all the new media channels and how to include them in the overall mix. I learned a lot that day of what needs to be provided during an introductory agency meeting, lunch and/or presentation by a digital signage network or other alternative media. Fast forward: the next meeting/presentation to this particular agency was to pitch for the Firehouse Subs account. It appears that they are begining to grasp this idea, especially when the boss is in the room asking the questions; until! It just so happens that the Media Director invited not only the Firehouse team but the Verizon team as well, whom I knew already. Turns out the agency's media department had no actual knowledge of the Verizon campign or buy-no reason for Verizon to tell them or is there; and it appears a lack of communication is taking place between creative and media with-in the agency....this is another topic in which I feel brands can really lose out on-when the creative and media is 100% separate...It appears there was a conferance call about 20 minutes after I left the building, I do not work in an agency, but from what I know, it is important to be in the know with your client and their actions, for the sake of the brand and the account!
Moving on to Suncom; a very traditional organzation recently decided that Bernstein Rein out of Kansas City would be its agency of record begining in Janurary 2007. My talks, many of them with BR, revealed how tough of a job they had in front of them. In terms of saving the brand from a "traditional death" slow and steady......the account team suggests the shaving of TV or print money in order to plan for new media outlets; keeping in mind the Suncom executives have given their past agency clear cut direction-tradional only. What I have heard about and seen to date from the new agency and media in the Raleigh market was a four week buy from a mobile billboard company, in which you could hardly see the creative due to the design-the billbaord company always explains what works best and prefers to work closely with clients for exactly this reason; not sure if BR had miscommunication or this was just the wrong campaign. I think it cost some where between 2k-7k, not really sure. This could have been a soft transistion for the client, who knows, I think it was a waste of time and money. The agency did recommend to Suncom that more non-traditional media be used. After speaking with the Charlotte office of Suncom, you can really see where the politics are and what a big truck (for a small company) you have to turn. I somehow got to the point of BR calling from nowhere to get details on our network-not suprising after further thought. The demogrpahic is one of high demand by most savvy advertisers.

The Wireless Budget and More:
At a panel discussion, titled, New Media, Now What? on April 19th, 2007 hosted by the Raleigh-Durham chapter of the American Advertising Federation the question of budget for new media channels was asked to Verizon Wirless. The answer is about 7% of the south area's budget is put towards new media channels. AT&T now listed 2nd in the Top 100 National Advertisers Ad Age Report, up from 5th last year has spent 3.3 billion in 2006 a 26% increase from last year.s 5th place mark. Sprint comes in at 15, up one place with a 3.5% total increase in speanding. Sprint's new campaign the subject of my next post, was the juice for this post....money is at play with carriers and the co-op manufacturers; if communication between agencies, clients and consumers continues to not exist, then your stock dollar is being wasted. I think it is also important to mention the forefront of this industry and the mobile advertising sub-industry; how strongly the carriers are pushing the industry. John Stratton of Verizon proclaimed that 25% - 30% of the 100 billion spent on brand advertising will soon be spent on the mobile screen. Full Story on Mobile; very interesting when the entire picture is being examined and to notice the making of a market...



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OAAA Report On Out-of-Home and Part One of Selling In the Digital Signage Industry

Outdoor Advertising Expenditures and Selling Digital Signage Advertising Space
January-March 2007

Communications up 20 points per the OAAA, while Insurance and Real Estate realized a 14.7% spike and Local Services relaxed at 11.5%. Communications, I would have never guessed 20%, although with AT&T and thier FCC happenings could explain a few points...then with the overall competition between all carriers and product marketers about 20% of OOH is communications at least in the markets I travel too. Great news for out-of-home and it will continue; as placed based TV, digital signage, mobile marketing, digital billboards, rfid, Bluetooth, and more continue to become available to all advertisers, regardless of budget. For the Full Story visit Media Life Magazine OOH provides the local real estate agent exposure in a local health club or on a mobile billboard, while AT&T can purchase 1/2 of the out-of-home market in the Raleigh-Durham. Oh and by the way AT&T had to agree to offering broadband at $10/month as part of the Bellsouth deal, says the FCC-a win-win for all parties. The most interesting industry to me is "Local" and "Amusements" and now would be a good time to discuss selling spots on digital signage networks. As Josh put it, there will be a group of digital signage reps soon (besides the PRN's and Captivate's), as there are cable, broadcast, print and interactive. These out-of-home outlets continue to exhibit a tech savvyness that other media except the internet and maybe cable (in the early years) do not always display or the growth of tech has stopped or shifted to a new platform-and as we know the internet is the mover and shaker for digital signage-the "transporter" I once thought that broadcast and cable reps would take over the selling over digital signage and they may be forced to....; now I am looking to the interactive teams and of course for now and always a great deal of signage will sit with OOH buyers and it will continue to draw on the 1% OOH budgets-after all it is an OOH media. Creative shops may want to let the clients know that it only cost about $100-$1000 (max) to design an award winning 12-15 second spot on a digital signage network.....Creative shops I think are in a world of trouble and they do not even realize it-it is like having blinders on!

Here proclaims the confusion of media planners and buyers trying to compare digital signage to billboards and the short college degree that could be earned if they had time to read up on this platform. First off the ability to help a national brand in a retail location to boost sales and awarness is the cut and dry of it-that my friends would be a great starting place, POP Digital Signage, there is just more data on the subject and it is so clearly a benefit for most any brand that would consider it-if done well. Once a grasp on POP is gathered lets move to other venues such as taxi cabs, airports, retail venues, malls, the mexican border etc. Grasping the POP concept and understanding the effectivness can help move a planner or buyer into other venues with minimal research-create a smooth progression.

First Lesson: Educate yourself! In my time it appears that many of the smaller and even medium Digital Signage Networks tend to be run by executives with a technology background. This can be a plus for the advertising community as well as a minus; and we hope that it would mean the content is going to be delivered-with no bumbs (well not exactly) The downside, reps selling the networks do not have much media and advertising wisdom to draw from (unless they are from the industry) leaving themselves open for a lot of closed doors when approaching the larger advertisers and even advertisers that buy single markets or smaller. I am stressing education and I need to add networking in there-from these two a good rep (even if new) will be able to place the proper authority in thier sight-unlike broadcast, it is sometimes hard to find the buyer for digital signage..as it is still gaining ground in the industry. With-in the industry groups such as WOW (Mindshare) and Kinetic have been formed to buy OOH; digital signage is \\\\\apparently an outlet they handle and buy-NOT THE CASE! I will give them the benefit of the doubt that the industry is still in the education phase at some level....and it is up to reps to continue and wind down the education phase, gaining ground and dollars-the trick: to educate yourself over and above the prospect in a positive way that allows for ongoing dialouge. This means read news about upfronts, EBay and radio ads, newspapers downsizing and shifting dollars to online etc. Get your hands on research, quality research that supports your venue or the industry as a whole, do case studies for select clients or at least offer in your presentation, learn what demographic your network reaches inside and out! This may seem basic, but not for me, I still sell and I still educate. I have to spill the beans, I spoke with WOW yesterday and the contact was clueless about digital signage and then in another conversation with Mindshare (the emerging side) they are more on top of the game tha+
n I have witnessed in months. It was a higher level executive and perhaps the poor woman has another job that does not involve OOH or she specializes in a particular facet of the industry?? Doubt it!

We will take a look at local selling vs. regional and national and how to decide and/or structure your salesforce to be in the best position 9 months from now-and how do you decide between local and regional or national.......to be continued. So educate, educate and even go back to basic selling techniques that Zig Ziglar teaches to be coupled with your new wealth of knowledge which will turn into wisdom over time.

REMINDER: this is only one aspect of the entire sales process and in no way is to be considered complete. This will be part one of my multi section article on selling in the digital signage/narrowcast industry from young and fresh reps to senior executives and VP's.......keep to basics if coupled with Education and Networkin/p

Users join the Sprite community by texting a code that returns a link to the mobile site.

Users join the Sprite community by texting a code that returns a link to the mobile site.


SMS, Bluetooth, WAP, connecting the consumer in an engaging fashion to the brand that has allowed marketers to take a calculated and measured risk in emerging media. The next major growth area will be mobile internet such as Coke has done with Sprite. Bringing me to my point; most all digital signage will benefit from the application of mobile communication and allow for solid metrics on an added bonus feature....and can even help to push the industy forward as a whole if done with caution and education to the general public consumer.

Sprite Launches Mobile Social Net
June 06, 2007
By Brian Morrissey


NEW YORK Coca-Cola continued its aggressive forays into digital media with the launch of a mobile social network aimed at teens and young adults.

Called The Sprite Yard, the mobile community application allows users to set up a profile, send messages and photos to friends, and download content like visual ring tones and animated mobisodes. The Sprite Yard launched in China earlier this month and will go live in the U.S. on June 22. Those two markets represent over half of Sprite's sales, a Coke executive said.

Users join the community by texting a code ("YARD" in the U.S. market) that returns a link to the mobile site.

In a press conference at the Mobile Marketing Forum, Coke executives painted The Sprite Yard as a long-term commitment from the company and a sign of its shift from one-way messaging in traditional media to community-based bonding in digital channels.

"We're looking at an opportunity to move from impressions to consumer connections," said Mark Greatrex, svp, marketing communications and insights at Coke. "We think we're on the cusp of transforming the marketing model."

Coke last July remade Coke.com as a YouTube-like community. After initially disavowing the Diet Coke-Mentos viral video sensation, the company has fully embraced it, running subsequent contests on Coke.com and YouTube, and even bringing its creators, Fritz Grobe and Stephen Voltz, to its headquarters. Greatrex called it a "wonderful viral marketing phenomenon."



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