Earlier this week, our
award-winning HumanKiosk was given a pat on the back from
Digital Signage Today. The article highlighted how new technology will change engagement through digital signage.
Keith Kelsen authored this article and is also the author "
Unleashing the Power of Digital Signage – Content Strategies for the 5th Screen." Pulling a bit from the article, Keith writes:
I am always impressed by the impact of technology on media and then the impact that will have on us as viewers and media creators: Even how we define "viewer" is in flux right now.
Looking back at the technology advances of the last year and where these may lead us, we can see where "viewer" will become "participant" in the near- and long-term future.
In the near term, displays have delivered on the HD promise, but where do we go from here? What about the connected technology that creates a whole new form of engagement?
When I speak about connected technology I am talking about multilevel, multidynamic, multidimensional connections. These areas have and will create largely new, connected display systems that will transform our viewers into engaged participants.
In one type of connected displays, we have a digital signage network that allows us to change content, update ads, and receive feedback in what I call "Linear Connectedness."
With our HumanKiosk, there is true two-way interaction and communication with the viewing party. Not only are they able to interact with the content, but they have the ability to provide real-time feedback. Very powerful stuff.
For those attending NAB this week in Las Vegas, the Human Kiosk is on display in the Verizon Wireless booth (
#SU8502). Check it out.
Wow. You know when you go to conferences and you may not get much out of them but you're still overly complimentary? This is not the case at all. Day 2 of the Strategy Institute's Digital Signage Content Strategies Summit was awesome. And those aren't just my words, but the feedback from other attendees.
Aside from being a consumer myself, I don't have any experience in the retail world and truly am not aware of the challenges they face in the digital world. After yesterday, color me enlightened. Just follow the hash tag
#DSContent and you can see all of the messages I shared from the
@MediaTile Twitter account.
The day was a good balance of what the possibilities are with digital technology along with many of the obstacles that still exist. Here are a few of my observations...
- Kevin Flatt and Mark Renshaw, Leo Burnett and Arc Worldwide, showcased the future of what digital can be in the retail world, using a great analogy of who's driving the bus. Apparently agencies are the drivers who know where they want to go but often get lost and NEVER ask for directions.
- Paul Flanigan, The Preset Group, led a panel of Michael Twitty, Unilever Americas, and Jim Lucas, Draftfcb. The information spewing out of Michael was amazing. I practically couldn't type fast enough about how brands are viewing digital in the consumer packaged goods world. This will lead to future blog posts.
- And we finally had our first Foursquare mention with Stephen Randall, LocaModa. Stephen did a great job showcasing how digital signage and social media content can play quite nicely in the same sandbox. His point that "you must view that your digital signage message has a range of 20 miles, not 20 feet," really hit home with the audience.
- And then there is Bob Stowe, Wendy's. Bob added an important element to the conference, highlighting the challenges faced when working with large corporations. Many wonder why quick service restaurants have been somewhat slow to adapt to digital signage. Bob outlined all of the players that get involved and the challenges with each. Though I don't think he'll be getting the key to the city of Detroit anytime soon. He mentioned that one of their stores stays open 24 hours solely due to security concerns. Yikes.
- Rudy Dearborn, MGM Mirage, outlined the history that his casino has had with the technology along with some of the unique content challenges. What was peculiar is that they use Mac Minis to drive displays and had to have custom mounts built, along with a custom digital signage software application. BUT they do a great job of utilizing existing resources and data to keep content fresh and relevant.
- And last but not least, our very own Simon Wilson and David Ozer, iPOWOW!, presented on the importance of getting instantaneous viewer feedback of what they are seeing on the screens. The audience didn't appear to be a big hunting crowd, so the example of how Hunter Specialities is using touch-screen technology in endcaps to promote their products. All kidding aside, the digital signage has given them a 30% sales uplift. That's no laughing matter.
So, all in all, a great show. But during the networking lunch, one of the attendees asked me how much of our business was in non-retail. Quite a bit in fact. He was curious why there was no attention paid to
corporate communication networks.
I told him that's my challenge. That's why I do what I do. That's my crusade.
Digital Signage Expo is a week away and I'm ecstatic to report that
MediaTile will have quite the presence at the event in Las Vegas. To reference a memorable Bill Crystal quote in The Princess Bride, we are "storming the castle."
We have a pretty good sized booth (
#1427) at the convention center, but most importantly is that several of us (employees and customers) are speaking at various sessions.
You can check out the
full schedule and details of those speaking at panels and Lunch & Learns, but here are the highlights:
- Wayne Ward, Sprint, VP, Emerging Solutions
- Simon Wilson, MediaTile, CEO
- Chris Bias, APR, Eli Lilly & Company, Communications Consultant
- Robert Russell, AT&T
- Chuck Gose, MediaTile, Director Business Development & Social Media
-
Keith Kelsen, Author "Unleashing the Power of Digital Signage - Content Strategies for the 5th Screen"
In addition to the panels, the Ad Council, the nation’s leading provider of PSAs will highlight its
PSACasting initiative powered by the
MediaCast content delivery and management system. PSACasting will make it easy for operators to browse, preview and download current Ad Council PSAs for various causes, such as Haiti relief, to digital signage networks. Visit Booth #C7 in the content pavilion.
Last week, I was in Chicago for the Strategy Institute Building Your Digital Signage Business. This is the fourth Strategy Institute conference I've been to and it was another solid conference.
If you are interested in a conference "play by play" both myself and David Drain tweeted throughout the show. You can follow along at
#BuildDSBiz.
Though there was a sort of a good news/bad news situation with the show. The good news? MediaTile had a 32" Digital Sign in a Box set up there which generated a lot of questions through the two-day show. The bad news? I couldn't always pay full attention to each of the speakers.
Here are some of my thoughts and observations on the show...
- I was really interested to hear from Tom Campbell, Healthy Advice Networks. I had heard so much about their digital signage network but never really knew the details. He said they use a reverse "Field of Dreams" approach. Meaning, they let the customers (doctors & patients) dictate if a screen is put in place. Health Advice has been around for several years but it was surprising they use dial-up to deliver content to the screens. But if that's what works, then it's working well for them.
- Later on, Pierre Richer, NEC, spoke about overcoming some of the current industry challenges. He said that the current glut of content management systems (CMS) is making ad buys harder. I'm guessing it's going to stay this way until there is some great consolidation within the digital signage industry. I don't see anybody stepping aside to help other vendors.
- Later in the afternoon, the debate around SaaS versus a hosted solution took place. I've blogged about it several times here before, but both Greg Argyle, GoGo Cast, and Sanjay Manandhar, Aerva, spoke about the pros and cons of each choice. It seemed to me that the choice might simply come down to a company's culture or appetite for SaaS. if they use it in other areas, then they'll likely use it for digital signage.
- Bill Collins, DecisionPoint Media Insights, closed out day one with a highlight of 2009 developments. I'm still a little peeved at Bill for calling corporate communication networks "vanilla" (at the Digital Hub Initiative) but I'm sure I'll get over it.
- OVAB's ears must have been burning during the show. They were mentioned so often attendees could have turned it into a drinking game.
- I feel one of the more informative sessions was led by Tom Kunka, University of Illinois, and Michael Hoffberg, Villanova University. Both gave a brief review of their networks and it was interesting to see how each school has approached digital signage differently but both appear to be successful with their implementations. And even in the education market, the debate of SaaS versus hosted software rages on.
- The conference switched to content, but from unique areas. Manolo Almagro, Show & Tell Productions, focused on user generated content (UGC). I think this was extremely helpful for the audience because there are so many sources for this and Manolo did a great job at highlighting the key sources and provided tips on how to best use them.
Then one of our customers, Chris Bias, Eli Lilly & Company, reviewed his global communication network that he's installing at Lilly locations around the world. At a corporate level, Chris is able to deliver the broader messages to employees around the world, but then give local administrators access to add in their own unique local messaging. This feature is key for any company looking at a larger corporate communication install.
As I wrote earlier, I would have liked to have been able to pay more attention to all of the speakers, but I also had a chance to meet a lot of new people and answer their questions about the
MediaTile solution. At last year's conference, which also took place in Chicago, we were one of four companies exhibiting. This year, we were the only one. I'm not sure why we were the only one, but others missed out I think.
I scoured around looking for other conference recaps and found this one from
AdSemble's Matt Olivieri, who was also in attendance.
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P.S. On a side note, I'd like to personally thank and congratulate Keith Kelsen on his new ventures. I've known Keith for several years, first as a customer when I was at Rolls-Royce and Keith was MediaTile's CEO. He is now moving on to bigger and (maybe) better and I wish him all the best. Four years ago I told him MediaTile had the perfect corporate communication solution and he gave me a chance to prove that. For that, I will be forever grateful.
I had originally intended this post to be more of a "Day 2 recap" of sorts. But since MediaTile is a digital signage company, I felt I should focus on the panel that discussed what we do - digital signage.
The session was good, but also disappointing. But the disappointment didn't have anything to do in particular with the panelists but more so with the limited time. The session was scheduled to last 45 minutes and we got a late start. It's just too big of a topic to even provide an overview in 45 minutes or less. (That's me in the far right of the photo, Twittering away in the session.)
Tim Burke, of Electronic Arts and also known as
@kioskguy, moderated the session and did a great job of keeping the conversation moving. Here's the goods and not-so-goods of the session.
Goods:- Bill Collins, DecisionPoint Media Insights, gave a brief yet informative "digital signage 101" discussion.
- The panelists all agreed that companies should be using commercial-grade digital signage hardware and not the consumer-grade stuff that might appear cheaper in the short run but users will pay over the long haul.
Not-so-goods:- The beauty of digital signage is that it delivers dynamic and relevant content. Yet the samples in the room weren't networked and one screen showed old weather for Lincoln, Nebraska. Nebraska? We're in Cincinnati. Now I'm sure this is because some signage doesn't work unless you set up an expensive IT network. Maybe somebody should look at cellular digital signage. Hey wait, I think I know somebody...
- Bill Collins is a smart man, but I was a bit offended when he described corporate communication networks as "vanilla" and ad-based networks as chocolate. He said they're vanilla because they aren't as exciting. I beg to differ. I had a lot of fun managing networks. I like vanilla. You can add all sorts of great toppings to vanilla ice cream. I'll give Bill a pass on this one.
I was glad to see digital signage included in the Digital Hub non-Conference, but 45 minutes just isn't enough. Maybe we can do more in 2010. One idea might be to focus on a small successful case study for each vertical market (retail, transportation, hospitality, corp comm, etc.).
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
On a side yet important note, I wanted to personally thank and congratulate all of those responsible for putting on this year's
Digital Hub non-Conference. Without a doubt, it was one of the best comms-related conferences I've ever attended. They pulled together a phenomenal group of speakers and session leaders and everything appeared to run smoothly despite all of the rain. I'm looking forward to bigger and better in 2010. Get to work! :)
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Photo credit, marybethonline
Given that they are quite heavy, I would not describe
our digital signage as mobile. But in fact it is thanks to our unique cellular approach. Though I still wouldn't recommend you slap one of our Digital Signs on a Box to your back and lug it around. Your back will hate you for it.
But one of our
corporate communication customers has taken advantage of its mobility by using cellular connectivity and installing them on employee shuttle buses. Genius in my opinion.
I've ridden on the buses when the signage is playing content and riders' eyes are drawn to the screens. They can't help but look at the screens. There's really not much else for the employees to do as they are shuttling about so the signage is a great informational, educational and entertainment tool for the 5-10 minute ride between buildings.
If you manage communications in a campus environment that uses shuttle buses, I'd recommend adding electronic signage inside the bus. You have the ability to capture the audience.
I've been writing posts for this blog for more than a year now, but I've hardly seen anybody else writing about digital signage for employee communications. But there's hope out there.
Mark Allen, like me, is convinced that
companies are scrambling to keep employees in the loop. In his post, Mark goes through a variety of helpful lists regarding content and hardware to make sure you're properly evaluating a solution.
So many digital signage products out there have one main server that "pushes" content to the screens. But what happens if this server goes down or is there an error? Black screens, yikes. Mark recommends one media player per screen. This is precisely what our
Digital Sign in a Box provides.
He goes on to support the use of a variety of networking options (LAN, Wi-Fi, etc.), but specifically points out the importance of
cellular. THAT'S WHAT WE DO! And we're the first to do it. It's like this guy is writing an ad for MediaTile.
Download our networking data sheet to learn more.
I hope to see others in the industry, like Mark and me, pop and support the use of digital signage for communication in the workplace.
I used to work in the not-for-profit world and can remember how much of a never-ending challenge it was to get PSAs (public service announcements) aired on TV. And even if they did air, it was during the ever-coveted time slot of 3 am. Effective? Not likely.
The world is changing. This morning MediaTile announced a first-of-its-kind partnership with
The Advertising Council, the nation's leading producer of public service advertising campaigns. Through this relationship, MediaTile and the Ad Council will now provide a free service for digital signage network operators to easily add PSAs to their digital signage programming schedules.
PSA Casting (as its being called) is planned for release in the fall of 2009 and will provide royalty-free access to the rich library of PSAs, previously available only to traditional media networks.
I'm sure the Ad Council is as excited about this as we are. Not only will this service expand the needed reach of the PSAs and their important messages, but it will also provide fresh content for your digital signs. And if you have a
corporate communications network, digital signage could now play a key role in your corporate social responsibility planning. I'll be curious to see if this will increase self-made PSAs for content owners to run on their own screens.
If you'd like more information, you can
download the full announcement. You can also check out the
Ad Council's YouTube channel for a sampling of their PSAs. They are all very well done.
Here's this week's blog rundown...
Monday, March 23Are you going to be at GlobalShop 2009? Keith Kelsen is.Digital Signage Man of the Year, also known as MediaTile's
Keith Kelsen, will not only be at GlobalShop 2009, he's participating on one panel (the first one listed below) and moderating another (the second) on Tuesday, March 24.
Tuesday, March 24Are you pushing out "cookie cutter" internal communications?I've seen it way too often. Corporate communicators responsible for employee communications receive direction from above that they must use certain communication vehicles, because well, "that's what you're supposed to do." This direction could originate from company execs or various communication groups.
Wednesday, March 25Previews you'll want to check outWith the launch of Mediacast 4.0, we added a new feature that's going to be huge for all of our MediaTile customers, including those running employee communications networks.
Thursday, March 26Add some MediaTile magic to your existing LCD screensWhen I speak to many prospective customers on the phone about our
Digital Sign in a Box solution, I then hear one of these statements:"But we already have an LCD sign in our lobby," or, "My company bought plasmas a year ago. Can we use them?"
Thursday, March 26Globalshop observations from The (Digital Signage) Man (of the Year)As I mentioned earlier in the week, our very own Keith Kelsen took part in two different panels at this year's Globalshop in Vegas. Here's what he had to say.
Friday, March 27Fill in the workplace communication gapOf the employee respondents to a Threshold Communications survey, only a frightening 29% feel their line manager takes time to talk through company plans with them. This means that seven out of 10 employees who rely on managers do not feel they are getting the information they need.
And here are a few other articles I thought you might find interesting:
As I mentioned earlier in the week, our very own
Keith Kelsen took part in two different panels at this year's
Globalshop in Vegas. Here's what he had to say:
The Best Practices for Digital Signage Content in Retail panel was a huge success. The key take-aways for this audience were that digital signage:
- will engage your brand
- brings an uplift in sales
- needs to part of a larger campaign in the design and use of message across all screens
Paul Flanagan of Best Buy revealed that a digital signage project for their Insignia brand that ran on their digital signage network increased sales of Insignia’s LCD’s by 149% AND has held this number consistently even in the down economy. This is a remarkable uplift in sales and further proves that digital signage is a very powerful tool when the content is done right. Retailers need to pay attention to the uplift that digital signs can bring especially in a down economy
Michael Chase from Alchemy showed how to connect the messages across each screen, including print. Alchemy also creates content for Sears (Canada). They create the catalog, web, newspaper ads, and in-store printed media. Michael was able to show the audience how two look at the assets and use those asset across the board.
Thanks Keith for providing the overview. Though the last example ties directly to retail, the lessons learned can be applied to employee communications. You have multiple vehicles you're managing and it comes down to managing the content across each of the mediums.
With the launch of Mediacast 4.0, we added a new feature that's going to be huge for all of our MediaTile customers, including those running employee communications networks. With the previous broadcast portal (our online
digital signage software), you could preview individual piees of content separately, but NOT your full playlists of multi-zone playlists.
But now with Mediacast you can.
This preview feature will give you a "live" look at what your viewers would be seeing on their screens. What you see above is a three-zone layout, which includes a weather feed from Accuweather and US News in the bottom ticker. The feature produces a low-resolution look so it's not something you'd want to reproduce for other purposes, but it's a great way to make sure your digital signage content is going to be shown the way you want it to.
When I had my own network, I purchased a screen for my office so that not only could I test content but I could also monitor it throughout the day. Even with the new preview feature, I still recommend network managers having a screen close by.
We kind of feel like a proud parent with Keith Kelsen winning
2008 Digital Signage Man of the Year. We just can't stop talking about it. We've already saved a spot in our end-of-the-year Christmas letter (figuratively speaking).
Keith was selected for his contributions in advancing digital signage medium in retail promotions, branding campaigns and in corporate communications activities. I first met Keith when I was a customer and was impressed with the keen interest he took in my employee communications network. Plus, he's a huge fan of this blog.
His knowledge and leadership have provided customers with a roadmap for defining, deploying, and running digital signage networks that deliver a higher return on investment (the ever-important ROI).
Here's words straight from the Man of the Year's mouth:
“I am truly honored to receive this award from a panel of my peers,” Keith said. “Simplicity and relevancy are the cornerstones of the digital media revolution. In the current economic climate, it’s become imperative for businesses to find communication solutions that are not only easy to deploy and manage, but that also deliver highly engaging messages that compel audiences to act in measurable ways. I am privileged to work alongside some outstanding thought leaders in digital media and together we’re shaping this industry and moving it forward into the next decade.”
Keith most recently lead a digital signage webinar on content best practices and also posted the
Top 10 Trends for Digital Signage in 2009, which logged more than 10,000 downloads. Keith is a busy man, leading many endeavors within the past year:
- Advisory board membership with the Digital Signage Association
- Content Best Practices Committee Chair for the Digital Signage Association
- Advisory Board Member for the Digital Signage Expert Group
- Recipient of the Frost & Sullivan 2008 Digital Signage Technology of the Year award.
“And we’re not done yet,” Keith added. “This industry is just heating up and 2009 will be another year of new innovations in digital signage. I’m very excited to lead the charge of the ‘Fifth Screen’. Stay tuned!”
These are exciting times at MediaTile. Exciting times.
I'm not sure if there's an official designation for Digital Signage Capital, but Las Vegas would have to be in the running. At least winning Miss Congeniality. I have not personally been to another city embrace the technology the way Las Vegas has.
I'm staying at the Mirage where even the restaurants are using digital signage touch displays to your to look at the latest food and drink menu, restaurant times, specials, etc. And since the customer drives the information, they don't have to display everything at once. Just the "touch here" for this and "touch here" for that. (I think I saw that on ad somewhere in Vegas...)
I had hoped to snap a few pictures but my camera phone was acting up.I'm not sure which digital signage media player the Mirage's screens are using or which software, but that's not the point. The point is they have provided an dynamic environment where people might not expect it. When customers walk up to look at the menu, the Mirage now has a chance to engage visitors unlike a traditional non-digital sign environment.
Now think about how this similar model could play out in your internal communications digital signage solution. Using
MediaTile's Digital Sign in a Box with touch-screen capability, you could create an environment where employees get to interact with your messaging.
Many employees may already be able to do this sort of with your intranet, but think about those employees who may not have access.
Rather than simply push everything to everyone, you could separate your messages into topics like HR/benefits updates and business news. You could even do softer topcis like weather (for those outside of the Sun Belt, this is actually important to employees) or recognition.
And thanks to devices like the iPhone (am I the only person on the planet who DOESN'T have one?), GPS systems and other mobile devices, people are no longer intimidated by the technology.
Back when I was first learning to drive, I can remember my dad beating this simple phrase into my thick skull, "Check your blind spots." Every car has them, unless you're fortunate to live in a part of the country where you can have your convertible top down all the time. You learn to look around blind spots and through them over time. You subconsciously stop paying attention to them.
There was a very interesting segment on another blog about
preventing the blind spot with digital signage. The writing brings up some very valid points about handling your content the right way. Just like in newspapers where ads are always placed in the same spots, readers' eyes are trained to look around them.
If you're installing a digital signage system, you absolutely must make sure you're not creating "blind spots" with your content. For example, you can't put boring, mundane content in the same window or zone on your screen and then expect everyone to notice when you've got some big announcement in that spot later on.
As the blog states, you have to keep your content fresh (this should not be news to those who have been reading from the beginning) and give yourself time to plan and develop content in advance. You would (or at least should) do the same with your other employee communications vehicles (newsletters, intranets, etc.). Why not with your digital signs?
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