Corporate Communication Technology

The first book devoted to digital signage content, "Unleashing the Power of Digital Signage: Content Strategies for the 5th Screen," was launched recently at the Digital Signage Expo in Las Vegas.  This is a great primer and resource for our industry, which continues to evolve its focus from technology to relevant messaging.  

To quote Bill Yackey, editor of DigitalSignageToday.com, "Good content is a large reason why digital signage networks are successful, but up until this point there has not been one comprehensive reference point on the subject. 'Unleashing the Power of Digital Signage' fills a much-needed gap in this industry."

The author of the book is Keith Kelsen, Founder and CEO of "The 5th Screen."

Keith's book helps you:

• create a strategic communications blueprint and style guide for your network
   
• keep content flowing automatically-and therefore remaining relevant
   
• use data on viewers and traffic to build a programming schedule
   
• legally acquire and repurpose content more accurately predict where the future of content will lead
  
  
  Keith at the Show with MediaTile customer, Greg Argyle from GoGo Cast
  
  Information is available at its companion website, www.5thscreen.info or you can grab yourself a copy at Amazon.com.
  
  Keith Kelsen has made an important and timely contribution to the industry with "The 5th Screen" It is well worth a read.
  
   

There have have been a few mixed reviews on last week's Digital Signage Expo. From what I can tell though, none of these blog posts have been from actual Expo exhibitors (if I'm wrong, point out exhibitor posts to me please). The comments seem to have been come from attendees or media guests. Now this isn't to undervalue their opinion, but more so provide some thoughts from someone who was there as an exhibitor.

The consensus seems to be that there was too much focus on digital signage hardware and software providers and not enough on content, strategy or integration. If that was the case, then don't fault those who were there - fault those who weren't.

Companies like MediaTile and their employees put in a lot of hard work to put on a good show. From setup, through the days of exhibiting, on through tear-down, it shows a bit commitment to the industry to take part. Even at a mixer held by The Preset Group, there's tremendous camaraderie between even so-called competitors.

This year I had the chance to lead two lunch and learns on digital signage and corporate communications. Very little of the conversation was about hardware or software, and we talked mostly about content and deployment strategies. Maybe those are critical of the show missed out on the best part - a variety of attendees and exhibitors having real conversations about the digital signage industry. I think the Expo lunch and learns were a success and a huge step forward.

I compare my experience two years ago when the event was held at Mandalay Bay to now, and he show is truly light years ahead of where it was. Exhibitors are more professional and attendees are more prepared.

No show is going to be perfect, but it's so easy to focus on what wasn't there. Instead, let's talk about what was there. In my limited time of being able to walk around, I saw a lot of dedicated individuals and companies working hard for the industry.

If there are people or perspectives NOT at the show, let's get them there. We need to show to only get better and stronger.

Here's an example of a digital signage promotional campaign gone awry at a local veterinary hospital:



Someone clearly spent some marketing budget on a digital sign that they intended to promote their product at the shelf for an up-sell opportunity in the waiting room. Naturally I am instinctively drawn to see what is being promoted by whom and how in a scene like this, but I was disappointed to find the unit powered off - you can see the rectangular supply laying atop the counter without a power cord.

While there are any number of plausible explanations for this scene, I was immediately stricken by some distinct possibilities that afflict other electronic sign options. The first (most obvious and common) was that the unit was unplugged by an employee of the facility or their cleaning service and it simply was not plugged back in. In truth it could be any reason, but regardless, it boils down to two questions: why was it unplugged, and why hasn't anyone noticed?

To the former, sometimes it's simply that the additional power outlet was needed for something else. But sometimes it's more sinister: employees are annoyed by the audio, or "feel bad" about leaving it running when they close up shop for the night. Through its native remote management and scheduling automation, the Mediacast System addresses these issues by permitting the display network operator to make adjustments to volume levels as well as to schedule operational hours so that the display visibly turns itself off, thus lessening the temptation for employees to pull the plug on the unit.

(As a side note, while the appropriateness of audio in content is always a consideration for effective business communication in any given deployment, if audio is necessary, it is best to follow-up with the employees at the establishment to ensure that it is not irritating which could leave a lasting, negative impression of your brand!)

Another possibility is that the content became out-dated - perhaps there was a recall on something being promoted, or the product was discontinued, or there was some other rights issue with the media... any of a dozen reasons that the media has to stop playing, and now. For other electronic sign platforms, there is no way to remotely manage the content at all; they require an operator to physically come to the site and change out a memory stick or disc, etc. So until they can come out to the site to change out the media, when it comes to issues like those mentioned, their only recourse is to pull the power.

From day one the Mediacast System has provided a purely remotely managed store-and-forward content distribution method with the assumption that our customers have better things to do than constantly visit their display locations to change media. Using the web-based Mediacast Digital Signage SaaS, you upload your content to the portal, then remotely distribute it to the Internet-connected display network - take control without stepping foot into the remote sites.

The other nagging question is why, after several months (and missed opportunities) of sitting like this, has nobody noticed that the display is offline? The answer in many cases is: because nobody is watching. The Mediacast system provides a flexible alert notification system that dispatches emails to selected individuals if a display goes offline. The idea is to dispatch a technician or other field representative to the site so as not to prolong a simple problem.

The automated monitoring also keeps an active status on the displays so that even if the email is missed initially, operators logging into the portal system on a regular basis as able to see displays that have a problem.

(As an annecdotal side bar, we once had a display go offline for a customer running a network in a major consumer electronics retailer at the end-cap of one of the aisles. The assigned technician phoned up the appropriate department and inquired about the unit; when the store employee checked on it, they found that another employee had disassembled the end-cap display and was preparing to install a different vendor's display in the same location. This turned out to be miscommunication internally on the part of the retailer and the end-cap was properly restored, but it shows the value of expedient response; had the materials been boxed up and sent off to the back of a warehouse in a busy environment like that, they might never have been located and recovered.)

As you can see, it is only a matter of time before this vendor's counter top becomes general purpose storage because the dead screen doesn't look like it needs to be visible. The only thing I'm left wondering is how much time is needed for the sorry thing to finally decompose and disappear like so much dust in this otherwise quiet and solemn environment.

I didn't attend Digital Signage Expo in 2009 but I was here back in 2008. It's amazing how much the show has changed AND improved in those two years. Exhibitors are more prepared and, most importantly, attendees are much more educated.

I had a great time leading the Corporate Communication Lunch & Learn and I hope the attendees got more out of it than a boxed lunch (though it was pretty tasty). What I enjoyed was that it wasn't just corp comm pros who attended. There were IT professionals, purchasing representatives and general managers there just hoping to learn how to best implement the technology at their companies to help with communications. We even had some university representation, which was great.

One of the highlights was having the chance to finally meet Mark Allen from The Marlin Company. Sure we could be labeled competitors but we are both out there trying to educate everyone on the benefits of digital signage and employee communications. And because of that, we are each others #1 fan.

And I think our booth (#1427) looks awesome. When many other companies' booths (which do look nice) look very industrial while ours is very natural - all natural wood and technology. It looks great. We've been blessed to be joined in our booth by representatives from Sprint and iPOWOW!. They've been a huge help during the show.

I hope everybody has a second day that was as good or better than the first.

It doesn't require a miracle or a fortune to produce a great, professional looking marquee like this for your establishment:



If you break it down to its basic components, it's really quite simple. There are three screens operating independently. Each screen plays one set of pre-canned content. In the scene above, the left and right screens may be rotating through concession promotions as well as video snippets of coming attractions. A little bit of motion is all it takes to draw the eye up here. The center screen is displaying current offerings and pricing information.

By linking the pricing information and the promotions together into, effectively, a single electronic sign, the viewer can't help but notice your promotions - focused messaging will improve communication for consumers by centralizing viewers' attention to a single place where you know you've got it.

At this point you may be thinking that the various forms of content rotation are all well and good, but what about when it comes time to update the pricing information? This may be one of the most significant points of hesitation to adopt digital signage content since the display needs to be easy to update for facilities managers. The MediaCast system can accommodate this in either of two ways: data managed within the management portal, or data managed externally on your own web server.

By creating the content which displays pricing information in Flash, you can get a unique blend of text and graphics and even have potential for animation here - careful not to overwhelm this particular display however as it needs to be useful for your most scrutinizing viewer. One thing that Flash is particularly well suited to is integrating data from multiple sources into a single view. Your Flash programmer can assemble a view that pulls data from an XML file and display it as directed. Then it just comes down to data management.

For data management, you can maintain a simple XML file on your management PC and associate it with your Dynamic Flash content in the MediaCast system. When you update the file and upload it to the portal, the updated data will be pushed out to the display automatically. Or if you'd prefer to centralize the management of the data on the portal, you can store the XML data right inside the properties of the Dynamic Flash asset itself within the portal and forego the need for maintaining a separate file.

If maintaining the data through the MediaCast portal is not well suited to your business operations, you also have the option of publishing the XML on your own website with a secret URL. Your programmers can create your own web based data editor which generates the XML file; simply add the URL to the XML as a "URL File" for your Dynamic Flash on the MediaCast portal.

As a URL File, the MediaCast system will poll it for updates every 15 minutes. When a change is found, it will update the data and push it out to the displays that need it without any additional adminsitrative effort - this way your employees can maintain your display data within your own, controlled administrative system and never need to log in to the portal after the initial setup - that's the beauty of Digital Signage SaaS!

If you don't know any Flash programmers but still want to take advantage of exciting digital signage content like this we've got your back. MediaTile offers creative Media Services with specific digital signage content expertise and can efficiently produce a custom presentation to your specifications!

As a brief introduction, my involvement with MediaTile dates back to 2004 when I was working with founder Keith Kelsen on prototyping a content management system for a revolutionary digital signage platform based on cellular networking technology. Thus was born the term, Cellular Digital Signage. The concept was exciting, broke new ground, leveraged technology components that were at the time far from common - it was a great opportunity for me to exercise my strengths in mixed-platform systems engineering to integrate disparate and discreet technology components into a cohesive, working system, so how could I resist?

Today I am a Vice President of the company leading the product development group and we are still blazing new trails. MediaTile has been an influential industry leader when it comes to innovation and establishment of best practices in the technology and Software as a Service (SaaS) - this is the kind of momentum that we will continue to pursue as we strive to lead the way for excellence. I know that I am on the right path when the MediaCast System is relevant, simple, robust, secure, and flexible.

Now let's get on to the nuts and bolts, so to speak. It is my desire to demonstrate through this blog the countless ways that the MediaCast system can be configured and linked with other technology to produce an awesome array of capabilities that may not be self-evident at first glance. I have gone to great lengths to enable this "Swiss Army Knife" of digital signage platforms, and I'd like to show you just exactly how this tool can be put to work in the real world to meet your goals for effective business communication.

While it is true that the Digital-Sign-in-a-Box concept couldn't be simpler with respect to getting a basic digital sign up and running, there are possibilities that extend the content system out to the farthest reaches of the Internet and that extend the viewer (and management) experience to new heights for a comprehensive solution that bears both depth and bredth - technically speaking...

I'm psyched to be facilitating this FREE webinar this Thursday, 2/18, at 2:00 EST.

In just 30 minutes, discover how communications professionals are adding digital signage into their standard mix to bring both local and international teams together, ensure up-to-date news distribution and present a consistent message.

Seats are limited so get signed up today if you are interested in hearing from the best.

Pharmaceutical giant Eli Lilly & Company, the largest corporate user of our digital signage technology, will be on the webinar with me discussing how the company uses signage to enhance communication around the globe. Chris Bias, the mastermind behind LillyTV, will share his wisdom on the tips, tricks and techniques of engaging a global workforce with digital signage.

Yes, I went the cheesy route with this post but it's true that I have a love affair with digital signage. It marries two of my loves - technology and corporate communication. I love what the technology has done for companies and what it's going to do. I hear all of the time, "We had no idea employees would like it this much." I experienced the same thing as a communicator.

For many communicators, electronic signage is just another way of getting the message out to a workforce. But it's important to think about it from the employees' view. It's not just another way -- it's a new way. And new ways draw attention and engagement.

It's then up to the communicator to accept the challenge and keep the content fresh and relevant. Employees will love them for it.

Happy Valentine's Day weekend!

I can't wait to be out at Digital Signage Expo here in a few weeks. (Sure, it doesn't hurt that it's Vegas and I get to escape the snowy Midwest for a few days.) But since I missed last year's expo, it's a chance to reconnect with other industry professionals and meet others interested in learning about the technology.

MediaTile will be located in booth #1427 so please stop by if you're attending this year's Digital Signage Expo.

Digital Signage Expo now even has a featured track focused on corporate communication. For me, this is very, very exciting. I'm hosting two of the Lunch & Learns during the expo and unfortunately / fortunately they are SOLD OUT. I'm thrilled beyond belief that there are this many people interested in learning more about digital signage and corporate communication.

Last year, I met so many great communicators at the IABC World Conference and I'm hoping more of the same at DSE.

We've seen Americans respond in positive and dramatic ways to help Haiti and her people attempt to recover from the devastating earthquakes. And getting the word out more and more only helps.

Through a partnership between the Ad Council and MediaTile, PSACasting.org has three different Hatian relief PSAs that are available to download for any digital signage network.

It's important to note that you do not need to be a MediaTile customer to take advantage of these PSAs or others provided by the Ad Council. You just need to log in or sign up on PSACasting.org to download the videos.

So whether you're running a digital out-of-home network in retail, banks or for employee communications, please consider downloading these important PSAs and adding them to your content playlists.

If you missed last week's Digital Signage supplement in USA Today, you weren't the only one. The 16-page pull-out supplement only appeared in Los Angeles, New York, Chicago, and Washington, D.C. I suppose those are USA Today's major markets because it reached more than two million subscribers.

But unless you're in one of those cities or an industry junkie, you likely missed it. If you're interested, you can download it courtesy of Digital Signage Today.

Publications like this one (and the second time it's happened) is truly great exposure for the industry and the leading experts and contributors. I was hoping there would at least been a mention of corporate communication in the publication but alas there wasn't. Some of our most successful deployments are for corporate communicators but maybe we are in the minority. However, there are still threads in the supplement's articles that can be helpful to those looking to install an internal network.

You can check out MediaTile's ad on page 3 of the supplement, underneath the article on Digital Signage Expo.

The "executives" at my house do. Until my daughter turned two, every night we read the same book... The Bunny Hop. It's a good book though certainly not an award-winner. In case you're curious, the premise is that there are bunnies all over Sesame Street as a result of Big Bird not being much of a basket builder.

So that routine lasted until she was two. And now my one-year-old son has fallen into the SAME trap with the SAME book. Or I should say, I've fallen into the SAME trap. Every night, the same book. There's obviously some comfort there in the routine. They know the story. There are no surprises. It's predictable.

Are your executives the same way? Do you try to tell a new story in your corporate communications? How do they react? If it's anything like my kids, it's not a positive response. It's amazing similar behaviors I've seen between executives and children.

But your employees don't want to hear the same story every "night." Employee communications needs to consistently be revised and re-evaluated to make sure you're hitting the key messages but in a creative way.

I know it's tough. It's easier to just read the same book every night. There are no complaints by the "execs." But eventually, I'm going to loathe Big Bird and his lack of building skills, if I don't already.

But if you're going to build support for internal communications from the ground up, you have to shake up your storytelling. . . if not for your own sanity, for your employees.

I know that I just blogged about the Lunch and Learn that I'm doing but I just received an update from Digital Signage Expo 2010 last night. There are only 3 seats remaining. Get signed up pronto.

If it fills up, I might be able to do another one on Thursday but nothing is concrete. If you're going to be out at DSE, don't miss the chance to hang with other corporate communicators and talk shop. I'm psyched that there's been so much interest in others gathering to learn how to incorporate digital signage technology into their employee communications.

Not many people would get psyched about this. But I do.

I missed last year's event so I'm really excited to be a part of Digital Signage Expo 2010. Again held at the Las Vegas Convention Center, DSE is 2+ packed days of all that makes the technology great.

And I get to do what I love to do - talk about digital signage and corporate communication. I'll be hosting / leading / facilitating a special Lunch and Learn on the topic at the event. I'm glad that corp comm is a featured component and I'm sure that we will have some healthy discussion on the topic. It's one where there's not a lot of expertise or focus (aside from this blog).

In case it's not apparent, I firmly believe the technology can dramatically improve the way companies communicate to employees. And not just for those workers who don't have access to computers, intranets, email, etc. ALL employees will benefit from the new communication tool.

If you're at the event and let's discuss the topic.

Communicators should always be looking for ways to improve your corporate communication content. If you're not, you're failing. The good news is there are millions of ideas out there. Just look at your competition. I'm not suggesting you raid your competitors but more look at what you are competing with for your employees' attention.

Looking to improve your intranet? Look at the best e-commerce and social media sites. Mimic the good things they are doing. Looking to revamp your newsletter? Read a lot of magazines. See how they layout their articles. Or better yet, examine the ads and see what you like. Imitations is the sincerest form of flattery.

The same goes with digital signage. For many, this is a new form but you can still learn from the best. I came across this article from AdWeek that identifies the most effective TV spots. Not the funniest. Not the most expensive. The most effective. And that's what you should be about in employee communications.

Take a look at this Rubbermaid spot:


The ad was cited for a simple message and clear calls to action. That's what everybody should be after in communication. Think about the messages you're trying to deliver. They don't have to be complicated. This simple. Think this Rubbermaid spot. Typically, there's nothing exciting about your messages. And there's nothing exciting about Rubbermaid.

The spot works. Your message can work. Just open your eyes.

We'll be showing off a couple of our HumanKiosk 4G Video Presence prototypes at the Alcatel Lucent booth (#2503 at the Venetian Veronese) this week at the Consumer Electronics Show. 

The HumanKiosk is a free-standing, 2-way video conferencing display which takes advantage of high bandwidth, wireless IP from emerging 4G services.

With this technology, consumers can reach brands directly in a retail environment, to have their questions answered by an expert.  This is a fully integrated solution requiring nothing more than a power outlet (that's the beauty of cellular).  The HumanKiosk is an innovative communications solution bringing consumers and promoters together- and could dramatically change the way shoppers make their decisions at the point of purchase.

CES is the largest show of its kind- exhibitors and attendees include consumer electronics manufacturers, developers and suppliers of consumer technology hardware, content, technology delivery systems and related products and services.

Among the many exhibits and events, you may even spot a celebrity or two...CES promises "hot products and hot weather" so come on down!

(Photo at right shows our fearless leader, Simon, setting up one of the HumanKiosks at the Venetian tonight...have to love the mood lighting...)

A company called FormSpring has launched a new (and free) service called Formspring.Me. It's a simple application that anyone can use to solicit feedback or answer questions. And this is the basis of what FormSpring does. They provide easy to build web forms for companies to collect any kind of data from visitors or users.

I couldn't resist not playing around with the tool so I set up an account for you to ask questions about digital signage, corporate communication or any technology you've seen used in employee communications. I'm by no means an expert nor do I play one on this blog. BUT I have always looked for ways to inegrate communication and technology. Sometimes in a positive way. Sometimes not.

So as the tool suggests, ask away. The questions can even be anonymous if you don't want your name attached.

While many think globalization is dead, it really has yet to begin for internal communications. Even with the best and biggest global companies, employee communications is often completely fractured. Rarely is there a consistent message spread across the country, let alone a consistent vehicle that all employees share.

Translation (or lack thereof) throws a huge wrench into the corporate communications cog. If you don't have people on staff who can do their own translations, it can be trick and quite expensive.

And for those who have tried to globalize their communications, you know how challenging it is. Intranets were supposed to be a big help and are in most cases. But if you've ever been part of developing a global intranet, I send my sympathies. It's a brutal, brutal undertaking. Many are never the same afterward.

Some companies attempt to put out a global newsletter but it's all handled at the top. Very rarely is their local input or authority on content. The corporate messages are key, but so are the local messages. And the integration of the two will determine success. Unfortunately, print is one of the "easy cuts" that companies make when budgets get attacked.

We've seen companies have success with using digital signage as a global tool. Not only can the corporate contribute the wide-reaching messages, but the local communicators can also add in their own unique messaging. This helps employees tie what they do to the larger corporate objectives - a challenge for those troubled with employee engagement.

If you're a global communicator, ask yourself if your tools and messages are truly representative of your audience. If you're a local communicator, are your messages reaching "the top" and can you customize the big picture?

You're at a prime point to make a huge impact globally. Employees are hungry for information and need to trust the information source. Become the trust adviser to your business and deliver value across borders.
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Photo credit, cupcakes2

Doesn't it drive you crazy when people say that? Because those that are in internal communications know it couldn't be further from the truth. Sure, it sounds easy. You have a captive audience and it should be easy to communicate to them.

But because they are "captive," they can easily ignore your messages. And as communicators, we assume that everybody reads our emails. Why wouldn't they?! They are important.

And of course they scour the intranet looking for the latest news, right? Wrong.

You have to get creative to grab their attention. But you also have to reinforce the message over and over and over. Communicators see the messages all of the time because we are the ones responsible for getting them out. But the average employee has better things to do. . . allegedly.

This where digital signage's strength comes through. You can get creative with your messages, using Flash or video, while still being able to reinforce the message through scheduling the content in playlists. AND you get to finally have some fun with it.

So while employee communications certainly isn't easy, it can be soooooooo much fun.

Last night, I had the privilege to attend an Open House that Elite Racing put on in Brownsburg, IN. The open house was held in conjunction with the first ever International Motorsports Industry Show (IMIS). This is a show for drivers, owners, teams, dealers and industry professionals.

So why was I there? MediaTile is a proud sponsor of Elite Racing and Jason Meyers. Though the show was downtown, many attendees made the trek to Brownsburg to see inside Elite Racing's shop. Now I'm not the world largest racing fan, but it's hard not to be impressed with a shop like this one.

It was cool to see our digital signage technology on display, amidst all of the cars and other racing equipment. Really goes to show how quickly and easily our cellular digital signage can be put in place. The team takes it with them to the tracks and uses it engage, entertain and improve communication with passersby.

I am admittedly the world's worst photographer, but I did snap a few shots of the interior of Elite Racing's shop. It was a neat event to be a part of and hope the photos do the event justice.