Cellular Digital Signage

In arguably its biggest show ever, CES allowed consumers and companies alike to see what the future holds in the consumer technology marketplace. From Ultra-flat panel 3D TVs to Justin Beiber, CES delivered the goods.

MediaTile was prominently featured in both the Verizon Wireless and Alcatel Lucent booths in the form of The GameTime Media Table. After winning the 2012 DIGI Award for "Best New Content Management Software/Web-based”, absent was “The HumanKiosk” featuring Video Presence. But born from the same value propositions of being cellular connected and cloud controlled, The GameTime Media Table delivered the rich on screen content and unique experiences over 4G LTE that drew visitors to both booths consistently over three days. This is super-powered cellular digital signage. 

The GameTime Media Table showcases multiple interactive features including the ability to upload and display pictures instantly from your smart phone, play music, watch movie previews and the coup de grace: playing video games (single or multi player) where smart phones act the controllers. So if you are thinking to yourself, ‘MediaCast can deliver media like movie/music files, streaming videos, live intelligently routed video calls, interactive gaming and everything in between!’ your thinking would be spot on. Verizon’s network and Brass Monkey’s video games deliver the blows, but it’s the MediaCast muscle that ensures maximum impact (also in attendance at CES was UFC Heavyweight Champion Alistair Overeem, hence the metaphor). Gaming on digital signage... and then some!

It was great to be part of CES and MediaTile is honored to partner with industry leaders like Verizon Wireless and Alcatel Lucent to launch solutions that will steer the industry and delight users for years to come…or at least until CES 2013.

1. If you're in employee communications, watch this video now
   
   
2. The top holiday gift ideas for internal communicators
   
   
3. What impact did Twitter have on the IABC World Conference? 
   
   
4. Digital signage and the Powerpoint problem
   
   
5. Repetition is key to successful internal communication
   
   
6. Another incredible milestone for the digital signage community
   
   
7. Digital signage gets its own Twitter parody
   
   
8. When redundant communication is effective communication

• Ease of installation & management
• System flexibility
• Reliability
• Remote control

• Guenther Scherelis and Tommi Paris, Volkswagen Group of America: “Building a New Plant with New People in a New Place: The Role of Internal Communications at Volkswagen Chattanooga”
• Tom Walter, Tasty Catering: "Engage or Entangle? How to Link Communications Objectives That Result in Employee Entanglement"
• Mark Mills, Nationwide Insurance: "Connecting Employees with the Brand"
• Renee Kopkowski, Mars Chocolate North America: “The Power of Intentional Conversations”
• Pete Tosches, The ServiceMaster Company: "'Who Uses That Website Anyway?' Communication Secrets from the Front Lines"
• Kim Lott and Wendy Davies-Popelka, John Deere: “Connecting with Disconnected Employees: Successfully Communicating with Staff Who Aren’t Wired"
• Carol Whitworth, Home: “A Picture Paints a Thousand Words: How to Use Visual Maps and Smart Design to Bring Business Strategy to Life”
• Sebastian White, JetBlue Airways: “How Culture Drives Business Performance”

I’m extremely proud to post that Jason Meyers and the Elite Racing team have taken the championship title in this year’s national “World of Outlaws” sprint car racing circuit.  This is a great achievement in and of itself – but what makes it “outstanding” is that the team has won back-to-back championship titles! A hearty, and highly deserved “congratulations” goes out to the entire team and car #14 driver Jason Meyers from the MediaTile team. MediaTile is a proud sponsor of California native Jason Meyers and the Elite Racing Team. 

So what’s behind the win? Obviously, a huge amount of talent, passion, energy, focus, effort, commitment and most importantly TEAMWORK! It is this same passion, dedication and teamwork that drives MediaTile to develop and deliver innovative, and award winning interactive digital signage solutions like our HumanKiosk. 

Without a strong and committed team, and our extended team of eco-system partners that include leading carriers, integrators, hardware suppliers, and service companies, we would not be able to provide our customers with award-winning products and services. We congratulate Jason Meyers and the Elite Racing team for their back-to-back championships, and for once again reminding us all what it really takes to win – absolute commitment and teamwork!

Mike Foster, CMO, Co-Founder of MediaTile, 
and the entire MediaTile Team

• Many don't know that the Volkswagen brand family includes Audio, Bentley, Lamborghini and Bugatti. In 2010, Volkswagen was third internationally in vehicle sales. 
• Volkswagen closed a US plant in 1988 due to poor internal communications. Opened a new factory in Chattanooga, TN, in 2011. 
• 2,000 jobs were available when the factory opened but Volkswagen received more than 85,000 applications. 
• Internal communications' purpose is to strive toward serving as the company voice, support a positive employee relations strategy and improve company efficiency and performance. 
• The strategy is to supplement supervisor communication, highlight team contributions, enhance team member experience and utilize communication tools that DO NOT accentuate the divide between hourly & salaried. 
• VIN (Volkswagen Information Network) is a digital signage network the company uses to deliver dynamic communication. Also includes printed communication boards. The key here is to blend dynamic and static. Their network is updated on a weekly basis. 
• Interesting that Volkswagen doesn't have digital signage to support global communication.
• Great to see that the company still relies on printed communication for many of their communication updates.  
• Volkswagen still mails newsletters (quarterly) to employees' homes. Many companies have cut this practice to eliminate cost. 
• The culture at Volkswagen is "Passion for detail." Their group theme is "Think Blue. Factory." (i.e. beyond just environmental)
• There are unique challenges for companies opening up a brand new factory versus those that are working in a dated facility. 
• Glad to see they are citing a difference between language (German vs American) and culture. 
• The key to success is finding the middle point between what management wants to say and what employees want to hear. 
• Surprised that Volkswagen hasn't yet surveyed their employees to know what their preferred communication methods are and really aren't doing any measurement either.   

1. Develop clear and concise messages that demonstrate the benefit to the philanthropic cause, the value it brings to the company's corporate reputation, and the impact on the employee as an individual
2. Deliver the message consistently year-round and not just once a year during a charitably campaign (it has to become part of the company's DNA)
3. Create a means to measure the campaign's impact and communicate results to all stakeholders
4. Encourage feedback from employees to ensure a sense of ownership and a deeper connection to the overall CSR strategy.

• Navigate through organizational change (e.g., mergers and acquisitions) using communications.
• Socialize and create understanding of company vision, mission and values across all levels of your organization.
• Create a positive employee culture despite geographical challenges.
• Foster open, two-way dialogue that relies more on conversations and less on channels.
  

• Key strategies for reaching employees who don't sit at desks or aren’t always wired.
• How to empower your digitally disconnected workforce with smart rewards and recognition program.
• How to evolve from one-way, “push” communications to facilitating meaningful conversations and dialogue at the frontline level.
• What specific programs, campaigns and tactics have worked for companies just like yours.