Digital Broadcasting

Time after time, time's an issue (#mbo09)

Friday, October 23, 2009 by Chuck Gose

Earlier this week, I attended the Masters of Business Online conference in Indianapolis. It was a great selection of speakers, focusing on doing business online and using technology to make business better. The topics and speakers were so strong, it was tough choosing breakout sessions.

But one I attended was called "Evolve or Die: The Future of Online Communication," led by Kyle Lacy. An attendee asked the question that everybody is challenged with in social media. "How do I find the time to do everything I need to do?"

http://www.flickr.com/photos/hikingartist/3000043099/

Inside or outside of social media, everybody is challenged with this. At home or at work, it's a constant battle. Time is something we never have enough of. My kids are young and aren't players in the Lessons and Practices Game. But I do know parents who are lucky just to leave work on time to get the kids, shuttle them off to <insert sport/musical instrument> practice, somehow eat dinner, do homework and then find time to get to bed.

For internal communication pros, there are many, many things they'd like to do but time is a big obstacle. For those looking into digital signage, the concern of how much time network owners will have to commit is raised all the time. And while each case is different, I've found that digital signage can make corporate communication departments more efficient. It allows you to focus your broadcast communication into one vehicle and maybe eliminate flyers and banners. (Hooray!)

As we all know, time isn't like an hourglass that you can just turn back over when the sand gets to the bottom. Communicators need to develop super-human time management skills to be great at what they do. The more time you "free up" will give you the chance to be more creative and clever in your communications.
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Photo credit, HikingArtist.com

Delivering the right message to the right employees at the right time

Monday, October 19, 2009 by Chuck Gose

For internal communicators, this is easier said than done. Due to time limitations or technology constraints, communicators tend to broadcast messages across the board through newsletters and emails. And many times, workplace communication should be broadcast across the board, so to speak, if the message hits everyone.

But there are times when you need to better define your message audience and even dictate when that message "appears." With MediaTile digital signage, you have the ability to broadcast to large groups of screens at once, create various sub-groups based on individual departments or various geographies, and even schedule directly down to a specific screen.

During a time when corporate communication departments need to maximize efficiency, time is a valuable resource. The better you can target your messages will not only improve efficiency but should also improve your ability to this the target. In this case, employees.

Emergency Media Trigger for digital signage networks

Friday, October 9, 2009 by Chuck Gose

It's been a busy week at MediaTile, but I didn't want to miss a big announcement we made earlier this week. Later this month, we will launch and add a new emergency broadcast triggering system to MediaCast (our digital signage Software as a Service).

What's unique about the Emergency Media Trigger (as we're calling it) is that in integrates within legacy emergency communication systems. This is especially huge for educational institutions and corporate communication departments who are always looking for effective and simple ways of delivering crisis communication without having to retrace steps.

The graphic below does a great job of showing how digital signage won't necessarily replace other emergency communciation methods but can augment them in a seamless and integrated manner. Based on what I heard at the Summit for Emergency & Disaster Planning, schools and college campuses are open and interested in making sure their crisis information gets delivered to their students.

Nobody wants to be "the guy" who has to run to back to their desk in an emergency to send an alert. This is why the Emergency Media Trigger will enable network operators to simply send an email, as an example, to interrupt regularly scheduled content while automatically triggering an emergency message to play across the entire network. A second "all clear" external trigger will reset the network to its previously scheduled programming. It can even be more automated through our API.

Topic: Deploying technology to broadcast campus emergencies

Wednesday, October 7, 2009 by Chuck Gose

That's the title of my topic at the 6th Annual Emergency & Disaster Planning conference in Toronto. The folks at the Strategy Institute always put on a good show.

I'm honored to present at the show, but am equally interested to hear what the other speakers have to say. I would imagine this is a hungry audience, especially with so many public institutions concerned over a potential flu epidemic. The two-day conference is focused on the education sector. Just glancing through some of the other topics and you see words like "infectious disease," "lockdowns," and "shooter incidents." It just goes to show the challenge facing administrators and health workers these days.

I'm going to focus on how digital signage can be a tremendous asset in crisis communication. The exact description reads like this:

Emergency Broadcast Alert Systems provide educational campus communicators more flexibility and control when broadcasting in crises or emergency situations. Come and learn how digital signage networks are:
• Programming and structuring support for a variety of alert levels, including zoned notices, campus-related emergencies, weather alerts, and other crisis-management
• Being integrated into existing emergency and crisis management systems
• Managing to prevent crises from escalating
• Understand how deploying the right technology can enhance the life-saving capability at your campus.

I'm on the Alumni Board of Directors at Butler University and we recently discussed how colleges are preparing for a potential H1N1 outbreak. I can't imagine the challenges faced by colleges when students are packed in there. And let's be honest, many college students aren't exactly known for first-rate hygiene practices.

Digital Signage Powers Activate!

Tuesday, September 22, 2009 by Chuck Gose

For one of my first posts, I wrote about the importance of having the right digital signage hardware and software and compared them to the Wonder Twins. (And ironically enough, that post is found more often than others in Google search. Thank you Wonder Twins.)

And a year later, the message still holds strong. Without the right software, LCD screens are worthless. And without the right hardware, digital signage software does you no good.

So you have some decisions to make. You have to think about how often you're going to be using your LCD or plasma screens and determine if it's best to invest in commercial-grade equipment. Fortunately, for you, our equipment is commercial-grade. You can run it 24x7, 365 days a year or program it to turn off when no one's watching -- a great way to extend your screen life and save electricity.

And the software you choose is equally important. Our Broadcast Portal is known as "software as a service" (SaaS). Basically what it means is that we host the software application on our servers and you access it from the web. No software to install. No IT department to make uneasy.

So I'll take the blame today if you have the Wonder Twins stuck in your head today.

When is a TV not a TV? When it’s DOOHTV of course

Wednesday, September 2, 2009 by Simon Wilson

As digital signage practitioners, we all spend a lot time and energy explaining to our customers why digital signage is “not TV” – yet the brand marketers, network operators, or corporate communicators all seem to naturally call it “[something, something] TV." [Insert Brand Name, Store Name, School Name, Company Name etc.]

Digital signage networks differ from broadcast or cable TV for a long list of reasons. For digital signage:

The audiences are not captive;
The content must always be relevant and localized;
The business objective for the digital signage network will be tailored to each location and type of network;
Programming must be synchronized with traffic flows and demographics of each location;
Attention spans are short and sensory competition is high.

The list goes on, yet everyone still likes to call it “…………. TV”. Some examples include

When a name sticks it is hard to dislodge – especially when it is simple and quickly conveys the essence of something. Don’t fight it I say – keep it simple – but be ever vigilant for the customer or operator who wants to treat it like TV rather than just naming it TV.   

Employee communications: Clean up on aisle 5!

Friday, July 10, 2009 by Chuck Gose

My background in internal communications has largely been in the manufacturing environment. When I would attend various corporate communication shows, i would be envious of several communicators. They would complain about why their employees wouldn't read emails.

I wish my coworkers even had email.

But this envy only lasted a few seconds. I enjoyed the challenge of not being able to rely on the easy communication methods. It's hard work reaching employees who don't live in Cubicle World (it's a real place - I've seen it). You can't shoot off an email and then cross your fingers they read it. There's no email address to send to.

Internal communications for retail employees

This same situation applies at a lot of companies but one that completely escaped me until recently were retail employees. Duh. Here you have a workforce that's often far, far away from the corporate headquarters but their job is to stock shelves / racks and help with needy customers. They are constantly on the go.

Another challenge is that very few employees make a true career out of retail and others are strictly seasonal employees. They have no legitimate commitment or buy-in to the company. How does a communicator go about bridging the gap?

And this gap applies at high-end retail stores all the way to your local grocer. No matter how large or small, I firmly believe digital signage is a solution. With the proper network, a corporate HQ could broadcast out the key messages and even use the signage for training. At the same time, local managers could access the screen to inform on store performance numbers or do some employee recognition.

I only worked in retail once, in high school at a local grocery store. Frankly, I don't remember any communicating going on at all. But I'd like to hear from any of you who have worked in retail and can speak on the sort of corporate communication that occurs.

We'll then know if there's any communication clean up needed on aisle 5.

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Photo credit, Untitled blue

Top five advantages of our Digital Sign in a Box technology

Tuesday, July 7, 2009 by Chuck Gose

When you hear "SOMETHING in a box," what comes to mind? Every thing's there? Every thing's included? No muss, no fuss. (But for some, a certain Saturday Night Live sketch may also come to mind.)

Anyways, our Digital Sign in a Box delivers true plug-and-play features to the digital signage world. No servers. No mystery black boxes. No wires or cables. No IT. To the naked eye, it really your network won't look much different than a simple set of LCD screens.

So here are the top five advantages of our Digital Sign in a Box technology:

A commercial grade, high-definition LCD display available in 19”, 32”, 42” and 47” configurations; also available in touch screen versions
A built-in embedded computer with a media player that supports industry standard media formats including: mpeg, vob, wmv, swf, jpeg, and ppt
A built-in and activated Internet connection - just add power and it's ready to receive and play content thanks to its integrated cellular-broadband technology
A web-based Broadcast Portal that eliminates the need to download and install digital signage software on your PC; you can control your entire digital signage network from your Internet browser
Security built right into the system. Each LCD pulls content to the screen; there is no way to push content to it. Also, your content can only be played on your screens -- no other networks can even use it.

Hopefully you can see why our approach to digital signage is gaining attention. Simplicity is key.

This is a test of the Emergency Broadcast System. This is only a test.

Monday, June 22, 2009 by Chuck Gose

Growing up, I couldn't tell you how many times I heard that when I was a kid. AND it was always an annoyance because it seemed interrupt my GI Joe cartoons. And thankfully, it always only seemed to be a test. But the Emergency Broadcast System was in place a valuable crisis communication tool, giving the government the ability to alert communities if there was a crisis at hand.

We are now giving that same ability to MediaTile digital signage network operators. Just announced last week, users can now implement what's called an Emergency Media Trigger (EMT), allowing them to interrupt their normal broadcast with an emergency message to be played on the screens. It's designed to integrate within existing emergency notification systems and control centers on college campuses and at corporations.

MediaTile's Emergency Broadcast Alert System

The EMT feature will enable network operators to use an external triggering mechanism, such as email, to interrupt a regularly scheduled program while automatically triggering an emergency message to play across a digital signage network. A second "all clear" external trigger will reset the network to its previously scheduled programming.

It is scheduled for release late summer, and will be supported on all installed MediaTile displays and networks.

Think about how important this could be for your crisis communication planning at your company or college campus. It's comforting to know that you would now have the ability to interrupt you normal messaging to convert your network into a vital communication tool during a crisis.

Though it's probably something you never hope you have to use, it's nice to know you'll have it if you need it.

MediaCast makes it easy to manage your digital signage content

Friday, May 15, 2009 by Chuck Gose

"Is it easy to manage the content for the screens?"

This is a consistent question I get from prospective customers pretty routinely. It's an understandable concern. People don't want to start a new process or tool that's a pain to manage. Just yesterday I met with a development company who has a marketing staff of one. They don't want their one resource "to be wasting time with the network."

And just as I told them and now telling you, I know first-hand how easy it is since I once managed my own MediaTile digital signage network. It is extremely simple to upload and manage content. In fact, I would say it's the easiest of any network I've managed over the years.

MediaCast, our broadcast portal, is accessible from any web browser so you don't have to mess with getting your IT department's approval to load software on to your work computer. This is huge for those of you who have to work withing common operating environments. . . or whatever it is they are calling it these days.

And uploading content to our portal is no different than uploading content like you would on another website. You simply browse your hard drive, find the file, give it a name and click upload. Then you just need to add it to your playlists and that's it. You're done.

Your digital signs will then reach out to MediaTile's servers, download the content and play it back.

Simple stuff.

IABC/Mercer survey reveals interesting employee communications numbers

Wednesday, April 1, 2009 by Chuck Gose

I'm a bit behind on my magazine reading, having just now read the pre-tournament edition of Sporting News. But last night I caught up on the March-April 2009 issue of IABC's Communication World.

There was some interesting info in this issue. IABC, in conjunction with Mercer Consulting, gobbled up feedback from the worldwide membership to better understand how the economic downtown is affecting corporate communication professionals.

There were many interesting highlights of the survey, but the one I want to focus on is how companies are communicating to employees about the financial crisis. The top vehicle at 56% is email.

This isn't surprising and in fact, I thought the number would be higher. Email is easy. I was pleased to see that face-to-face/group meetings came in second at 54%. It's important that dialog is created. Here are where other vehicles fell in:

IABC's methods of communicating about the financial crisis

Employees want to see their leaders and managers. In times where this just isn't convenient due to travel costs or time constraints, digital signage can come to the rescue.

With your own digital signage network, you can schedule and play executive communications around the country or the world if need be. Plus, this takes the pressure off of the speakers knowing things aren't live. And with live broadcasts, we all know there's a host of things that can go wrong.

Plus with digital signage, you know you're reaching those workers who don't have access to email, the intranet or the Web (which were three of the top four answers).

Previews you'll want to check out

Wednesday, March 25, 2009 by Chuck Gose

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.

Putting a face to employee recognition through digital signage

Monday, March 2, 2009 by Chuck Gose

This morning I read this very insigtful article on IndustryWeek titled, "Making the Case for Employee Recognition in Tough Times." Frankly, the headline speaks for itself, but here's some interesting data presented in the article:

Companies that manage people right will outperform companies that don't by 30% to 40%
97% of managers agreed or strongly agreed that recognition improves morale
98% of managers felt recognition improved people's sense of belonging and increased their levels of commitment

Use digital signage as part of your employee recognition program

The article went on to point out that only about half of all companies have a recognition policy in place. Yikes! In looking at the data, how can you (companies) afford not to! Through very little effort, companies can engage their workforce and improve business, rather than be a drain on productivity and morale.

As internal communications professionals, you're should be involved in your company's employee recognition programs. You are the conduit for getting the word out to the company of the great job your employees are doing every day.

With digital signage, you have the ability to put a face to employee recognition. As quickly as you can snap a photo (or record a video), download it to your computer, and upload it to your network, you can revitalize a dead employee recognition program. You have the ability to broadcast to your entire facility or campus through your digital signage network (1) who did it, (2) what they did, and, most importantly, (3) how it impacts the business.

All in an instant. So this begs an earlier question. Can you afford not to?
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Photo credit, Joe Shlabotnik

U Can't Touch This. . . . Hammer time!

Friday, February 13, 2009 by Chuck Gose

This post just goes to show that you never know when you'll be inspired with a blog topic.

Last night, I tripped across VH-1's countdown of the top 100 songs of the 90s. I'm a sucker for countdown shows like that. On came MC Hammer's "U Can't Touch This." I forgot how much of a phenomenon that song was. I didn't have any baggy pants, but that's not to say I didn't want them. Though there were a few cool kids in Springboro who did.

MediaTile's Kiosk-in-a-box, Marquee Edition

So you're probably asking yourself what does MC Hammer have to do with digital signage? The song "U Can't Touch This" applies to my theory behind using digital signage touch displays for employee communications. Used correctly, they can be a great tool for corporate communicators. But often times they are not and become neglected.

I've also questioned the use of touch displays for corporate communications, largely because I'm not sure employees know they are allowed to touch them. They may be subconsciously singing "U Can't Touch This" to themselves. And I wouldn't blame them. Many times, there's not much of a difference in look between a traditional digital sign and one that's touch-enabled.

This is why MediaTile developed the Kiosk-in-a-box, Marquee Edition. It delivers all the impact of a large screen digital signage broadcast network with the interactivity advantages of a kiosk system in one integrated package. Essentially, it gives you a large digital sign at the top with a touch-screen kiosk below. And it provides complete anonymity to what people are doing on the touch screen; the two screens are independent of each other yet share the same network connection.

So if you have a big company event you need people to sign up, this is your tool. Advertise the event above and get your employees to sign up below. And if your connection is cellular, you can move it around to various locations (though it is a bit heavy).

So enjoy the video below (after you "suffer" through a commercial).

VH1 TV Shows | Music Videos | Celebrity Photos | News & Gossip

FREE is a four-letter word

Monday, February 9, 2009 by Chuck Gose

"Free" is a dangerous, dangerous word. It's just so enticing. I mean, who doesn't like getting things for free? But as we've all learned through shared experiences with "free," there's always some sort of cost at the end of the day. And with digital signage, the word "free" is an evil temptress. But a temptress that will attract the attention of even the most critical purchasing department.

Simply put, "free" is a four-letter word that can sometimes bring about a whole slew of other four-letter words.

I saw this news item over the weekend from Digital Signage Today that MediaSign released free digital signage software. I'd like to be clear that I have never used MediaSign software and it may in fact being the second greatest digital signage software out there (second of course to our Mediacast).

But when you're controlling a digital signage network that excutives are viewing, are you comfortable trusting free software to put your employee communications up for everyone to see? And what's the recourse if things go wrong? You didn't pay anything for it in the first place.

MediaTile's Mediacast 4.0 is our fourth-generation broadcast portal that has been tried and tested by our team and, most importantly, our customers. Our web-based solution helps you not only manage your content but also deliver it to your audiences. And it's "future proof," meaning that you're never charged for software upgrades.

Move your message with MediaTile.

And the award goes to...

Tuesday, February 3, 2009 by Chuck Gose

Last year, MediaTile was fortunate to win Frost & Sullivan's 2008 Digital Signage Technology Award. Well, we can now add another award to the our mantle (if we had one).

I just found out this morning that Keith Kelsen, our executive chairman and founder, was named 2009 Digital Signage Man of the Year.

Not only is the recognition well deserved, what's great about Keith is that I can guarantee you that this recognition will not go to his head. Sure, he might take a victory lap around the office in Scotts Valley (if he's there), but he'll get right back to work once he catches his breath. In addition to his role with MediaTile, Keith serves as the chairperson of the Content Best Practices committee for the Digital Signage Association.

Josh Coffman, Digital Signage Forum moderator/Digital Signage Forum Judge states, “What Keith Kelsen has accomplished on top of running a successful and innovative company is impressive. Not only does he run a hardware and software company, but he has shown that he is committed to good content.”

There's that word again: content. If you're going to be associated with MediaTile, we will beat it into you about the importance of content.

Two other awards were also given out: Woman of the Year and Newcomer of the Year. This recognition went respecticely to Jill Miller, president of the Digital Signage Group, and Justin Clupper, Program and Public relations manager of Neoti Broadcast Network.

I haven't had the pleasure of meeting Jill, but I did meet Justin at the Strategy Institute event in Chicago this past Fall. Congratulations to Jill and Justin are also in order.

Download: Move your message with Mediacast

Friday, January 23, 2009 by Chuck Gose

After the sneak peek at our release of Mediacast 4.0 in yesterday's post, you can now download a four-page spec sheet on the new MediaTile offering.

The Mediacast System is a fourth generation web-based content delivery and management application that simplifies the process of communicating with greater relevance, impact and influence across your digital signage network.

Needless to say, it rocks! It makes managing your internal communications network much more visual (than previous text-based Broadcast Portal). But it's important to note that customers can still use the classic interface if that's what they prefer.

Below are a few extra screen shots that weren't available yesterday. Have a great weekend.

Sneak peek into the "future" of MediaTile

Thursday, January 22, 2009 by Chuck Gose

We have some exciting news to announce at MediaTile. And for us, this is HUGE!

Yesterday, a communication went out to all of MediaTile's customers about the release of Mediacast 4.0, MediaTile's fourth generation of our award-winning Broadcast Portal (our SaaS-based digital signage software).

The official public announcement doesn't take place until later, but I wanted to provide my blog readers a sneak peek to a brief video demonstration of the new Mediacast system.

This new version is a huge step for us and our customers across all vertical markets will appreciate the new features. I'll spend future blog posts going through the various key features that will help you in your internal communications efforts, but let's get to the basics first.

The Mediacast System is a complete digital signage platform that gives you ultimate control and flexibility over the media and messages delivered across your network. With it you can deliver your message where and when it matters most, quickly, easily, and securely. Mediacast is a mature, robust platform that is field-tested and running hundreds of digital signage networks every day.

Mediacast 4.0 new feature highlights:

Simplified Visual User Interface – delivers more power to all users, from beginner to expert
Enhanced Navigation and Tools – simplified channel structure with menu bars and associated tools
Drag and Drop Playlist Editor – simplifies the creation of playlists and multi-zone playlists
Online Playlist Previewer – view playlists in a browser window that are display-specific
Visual Schedule Manager – simplifies the creation and viewing of scheduled activities
Search Tool – makes finding media, dynamic content and playlists easier
Help System – delivers contextual help and built-in video training for every channel

So please check out the video. If you don't have time for that, here's a screenshot below of what the new user interface looks like. It's a big change from our classic interface. I know we're super excited. I hope you and our customers are, too.

Top 3 reasons to fade to black

Thursday, November 13, 2008 by Chuck Gose

Of course, I'm a believer that digital signage is an undervalued tool in the internal communications world. I've drank the Kool-Aid (so to speak). The technology combines the strengths of the other vehicles you use into one powerful network. Easy to update, broadcast everywhere, reach disconnected workers, yada yada yada. You've "heard" the story.

So with regards to digital signage, when is a turn off really a turn on?

One of the useful features MediaTile's Digital Sign in a Box provides is the ability to schedule your screens to turn on and off on a daily schedule. Let's say you work in a place where your coworkers leave at 6 pm and do not return until 7 am. In our Broadcast Portal, you can schedule to have your screens turn off once your coworkers leave and then turn back on at the designated time.

Scheduling the display to turn off does three things for you:

Extends your screen life by not running them when you don't need to
Shows you're not wasting electricity by powering your digital signage overnight
Demonstrates to your employees that you're paying attention to your network

And even though your screens are turned off, you still have the ability to download content to them, update schedules and so forth.

Turn on your audience by turning off your screens when no one's watching.

What's The Frequency, Kenneth?

Monday, November 3, 2008 by Chuck Gose

The headline is borrowed from an REM song, but it relates to a question I get asked quite often from fellow corporate communicators.

You've heard from me at least a bazillion times that content is what will determine if your digital signage network is a success or a failure. But great content is not enough; you must also keep the content fresh. Stale, old content will turn away an audience just as quick as irrelevant or boring content.

So, how often should you update your digital signs with new and up-to-date content? The easy answer is every day. Several times a day in fact. But given the usual corporate communicator's schedule, this is an impossible dream.

At a bare minimum, you should be pumping out to new messages to your network at least twice a week. You know what happens when you neglect your intranet or your newsletter. You need to treat your digital signs no different than any other employee communications vehicle.

And there are a few tricks you can employ, using RSS and other automated varieties of content (like weather reports) that keep your network's content fresh without you having to mind the controls.

On a side point, there are many networks out there that get neglected and I don't think it's because of a lack of time or commitment though. I think the dirty little secret out there is that so many digital signage software packages stink. They are awful.(There are probably more colorful words that many would users would offer up but I'm trying to keep it clean for the kiddos.) And many times require you to take your existing content and transfer/transform/convert it into their proprietary format.

It's simply not necessary, especially with MediaTile's Broadcast Portal and "No IT" signage solution. By keeping your content in its native format, it's much easier for you to push it out to your network.

Back when I managed my own network, I made the commitment of updating my screens at least twice a week. Sometimes, it was just that, while other weeks I'd have more time to spend. But even on the most routine of weeks, I spent an hour a week on content to reach 4,000+ employees.

How much time do you spend on your newsletters and other employee communications activities?