Digital Signage Blog

Helpful information on digital signage is available

Monday, August 30, 2010 by Chuck Gose

Years ago, it wasn't easy to track down quality research on digital signage. But iff you're just now getting into the technology, there's a wealth of information at your fingertips.

There are a host of great blogs out there, but many times corporations are fascinated by the almighty white paper. And fortunately, Digital Signage Today is a great resource for these more authoritative resources. Many are sponsored by vendors in the digital signage space (including this one on 3G/4G cellular by MediaTile) but they are all very well written and provide sound advice.

They are even broken down by market, so if you're looking for digital signage for healthcare, there's a white paper for you. Retail? White paper. Want to learn more the real cost of digital signage? White paper.

The point being that there is now a lot of information out there that can help you not only determine if the technology is right for you and your company but also provide you guides on making the most of your investment.

How tight is your communication?

Friday, August 27, 2010 by Chuck Gose

I'm catching up on my blog reading and there for a while I'd have to declare Google Reader bankruptcy. But I'm glad I didn't.

I came across this post from Chris Brogan and about tightening up communication. In his post, he focuses more on public speaking but the lessons learned apply to all forms of communication, including employee communications.

With attention spans shrinking all of the time, communicators must get tighter with their communication. This could be newsletter stories, messages for your intranet or digital signage content.

At this month's Digital Signage for Corporate Communication event, Mediatile's David Trounstine showed examples of how important it is to simply get the point with your content. With digital signage, you might only have somebody's attention for three seconds.

What will they get in those three seconds? That's up to you. David showed a series of examples of content going from multiple paragraphs down to one sentence with a headline. And even if an employee just read the headline, they'd get the gist of it.

The key to is regularly review the content you're displaying and make sure it works for your audience. As Chris writes, "Work on your efforts, and tighten up."
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Photo credit, NeoGaboX

To 4G and Beyond!

Wednesday, August 18, 2010 by MediaServices

- By David Trounstine -

Our partnership with Alcatel/Lucent and 4G VideoPresence has been mentioned several times in our blog now, but I just wanted to give the design team perspective.

4G VideoPresence is two-way video conferencing software for your digital signage network that will allow customers to connect directly to a specialist at the point in time that they have a decision to make. There has already been a lot of buzz around it, and we have interest from a number of different vertical markets.

With 4G delivery of content is going to become much less restrictive. "Store and forward" will be an option, not a requirement, as full HD video and interactive content will be able to stream to any enabled consumer electronic device. We are talking real time user interaction with Internet based content, and instant feedback to content providers.

Real time interactions draw users in, they also provide extremely useful information because it can be contextual and relevant. Using 4G to drive these real time interactions means they can happen anywhere at anytime, without the need for complicated infrastructure.

Bi-directional video chat is only the beginning... we have much more to come, so stay tuned!

Back in the Saddle

Monday, August 16, 2010 by MediaServices

- By David Trounstine -

OK it has been almost a year since I have posted any entries to our design/development blog, and for that I apologize. So much has happened in the last year I don't quite know where to start, but you will be happy to know that I have regained my focus on providing information to the digital signage community about design and development.

The name of the game today is 4G. Being that MediaTile is a cellular digital signage company we have been feverishly working to develop new applications and uses for the high bandwidth of 4G, and some very interesting products are in store for the next 12 months.

In case you missed the announcements from earlier this year we are now doing public demonstrations of 4G VideoPresence, a point-to-point two way video chat client that enables digital signage audiences to connect with customer services representatives instantly and personally. We won a first place award for the concept at the CTIA show, and oh man has it generated some buzz for us.

We are very excited about what's to come, and I will do my best to keep up with the pace and provide insider details.

That's all for now, but I will be writing more... soon!

Today is Ticker Free Day 2010. . . but why? #tickerfree2010

Friday, July 9, 2010 by Chuck Gose

Several digital signage gurus have suggested that tickers (or crawls) run on digital signage networks are somehow maming the industry. To raise awareness to this "plague," David Weinfeld from The Preset Group have suggested that today, July 9, be Ticker Free Day 2010. Even the folks over at DailyDOOH are falling in line.

But why you ask (and I do, too)? Apparently, they are hoping to prove that networks can run relevant and engaging content without tickers.

Of course they can. Networks can also be run well without video. They can be run well without Flash. They can be run well without the inclusion of weather. It all comes down to content and the choices made. Who knows? Maybe we'll see No Flashy Flashy Day around the bend. I hear September is kind of slow.

I love Cap'N Crunch cereal. It might be my favorite. So if somebody told me that July 9 was Free the Cap'N Day 2010 and that I shouldn't eat the cereal, I wouldn't go along with it. Why? Because I like Cap'N Crunch cereal. That's great if somebody else doesn't like it, but I do.

I blogged that I recently went on a mid-pilot visit with one of our clients running a corporate communication network. We sat down with groups of employees to discuss what they liked or disliked about the network and what could be done to make it better.

Take a guess what the most positive feedbak tied to? Information in the ticker. Our client did a nice job of mixing up the ticker content between both internal news as well as external news (like weather, sports scores, etc.). The employees liked it. And if this company participated in the Ticker Free Day 2010, employees would not like it.

Take another guess if they are going to participate Ticker Free Day 2010 by removing their ticker. David does acknowledge in his post that not all tickers are bad and that they can be used the right way.

So I propose that instead of just telling people not to use tickers, let's teach them the right way.

Please, don't participate in social media

Wednesday, May 5, 2010 by Chuck Gose

I had a good time at yesterday's National Hardware Show social networking panel. I felt kind of like a goof up there with the three other professionals but I hope my points came across. One of my fellow panelists spoke that he's glad this competitors aren't taking advantage of social media. It gives him more room (so to speak) to maneuver in the space.

I couldn't agree more. I love the fact that MediaTile is really the only digital signage software and hardware provider regularly blogging, Tweeting and Facebooking. I started our social media program as a way to differentiate our company in the crowded digital signage marketplace and I think it's working.

I reply back to people on Twitter who mention MediaTile and search to who else is talking or asking questions about digital signage and I try to help them out. We have customers commenting and forwarding our Facebook posts. And then there's this - our blog, the crown jewel (in my opinion) of our social media program.

So I relish in the fact that many of our competitors, who are both larger and smaller than us, don't regularly blog, Tweet or Facebook. That's their loss and our gain.

Digital Signage Content Strategies Summit: Day 2 in Review #DSContent

Wednesday, April 14, 2010 by Chuck Gose

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.

Kumbaya! Social media brings the digital signage industry together

Thursday, March 4, 2010 by Chuck Gose

This never became more apparent than at this year's Digital Signage Expo. What once appeared to be a very siloed industry has now had walls knocked down. We have media and digital signage providers interacting. Competitors are even commenting on each other's blogs and referencing each other's content. This is sort of a Kumbaya / watershed moment for the industry.

This is what social media is all about. Not only extending the reach of our content but also creating new avenues of sharing this content. And because the industry is still very much in its infancy, we are primed to use social media as valued vehicles.

Blogs. Twitter. Facebook. Foursquare. They are all in play and were all used in coordination for the first time at DSE. All you have to do is check out the Twitter hash tag #dse2010 to see not only volumes of content but the QUALITY of content. (Adrian Cotteril of DailyDOOH mentioned this in a blog comment in one of my earlier posts.)

I hope to see the industry continue to improve communication and collaboration at these events. It can only help further educate audiences on digital signage.
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photo by LadyDragonFlyCC

Let's focus on what was in Las Vegas ...

Tuesday, March 2, 2010 by Chuck Gose

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.

Instant replay of our webinar on digital signage and employee communications

Monday, February 22, 2010 by Chuck Gose

I was thrilled to death with how well our first webinar went last week. But I know that not everybody who wanted to attend was able to. We had some great questions at the end from attendees on tips and techniques of implementing digital signage for employee communications. And though I was able to answer them on the call, I think they are important questions and answers to share here on the blog.

But before I get to those over the next few weeks, you can look glance through the webinar's presentation and see how Eli Lilly & Company uses signage to enhance their global business communication. It includes some great photos that demonstrate the variety of environments the displays are installed in, including shuttle buses. Very cool.

Digital signage & employee communications

View more presentations from Chuck Gose.

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Over the next week, you'll see quite a bit of extra traffic on the blog due to Digital Signage Expo. Should be an exciting time.

Greetings!

Wednesday, February 17, 2010 by Sean Michael Kelly

Sean Michael Kelly, V.P. Portal Development, The MediaTile Company

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...

Update: Corporate Communication Lunch and Learn at Digital Signage Expo

Friday, January 22, 2010 by Chuck Gose

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.

Lunch and Learn at Digital Signage Expo

Thursday, January 21, 2010 by Chuck Gose

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.

Have a question about digital signage?

Wednesday, January 6, 2010 by Chuck Gose

As I talk to clients and others interested in digital signage, they ask a lot of great questions. And I'm more than happy to answer them. But as I then find out, they've had these questions for a long time but just didn't know who or how to ask. Well, here's another way.

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.

I make digital signage sexy? Do I?

Monday, January 4, 2010 by Chuck Gose

Those aren't my words. I couldn't even make that up, but I promise you somebody told me that. I'll leave it to them (if they are brave enough) to comment below. I was at the Indiana Social Media Summit last week and I finally had the chance to meet so many local social media pros face to face.

After being recognized as the "Most Influential Social Media Dude," another attendee said that he didn't think it was possible, but that only I could make digital signage sexy. Digital signage? Sexy? I guess it depends on your perspective (and exactly what sexy means to you).

But clearly, I have a lot of fun with what I do, working with companies and schools on integrating signage into their internal communications activities. And I'm afforded that latitude to have some fun with social media, which includes this blog, our Twitter account, Facebook Fan Page and YouTube Channel. If you're not subscribed or following us on these sites, please do. . . for me.

I'm by no means perfect at it, but the tools fascinate me in what they give companies like MediaTile the ability to do. Now that's sexy!

I've got your ROI and I'll raise you employee engagement

Monday, November 30, 2009 by Chuck Gose

Corporate communicators know this. Determining ROI in employee communications is a tricky calculation. Whether you're investing in new technology like digital signage or launching a brand new intranet, some people will always ask, "What's the ROI?"

Now here's your answer. Just this month, Watson Wyatt released their 2009/10 communication ROI study. You might be wondering who took part in the survey. Well, 328 companies from around the world representing nearly 5 million workers. Pretty impressive. Straight from the report:

Effective employee communication is a leading indicator of financial performance and a driver of employee engagement. Companies that are highly effective communicators had 47% total higher returns to shareholders over the last five years compared with firms that are the least effective communicators.
Measurement is critical. Companies that are less effective communicators are three times as likely as highly effective communicators to report having no formal measure of communication effectiveness.

Now these are just a few key findings but let's tackle first bullet. 47% total higher returns? That sounds great. But keep in mind that these numbers are in comparison to the LEAST effective. And if you are reading this blog and researching tools, you are not part of the LEAST. You might feel like it, but you aren't. However, this third-party report should help you build support for making investments in new employee comm tactics.

And to measurement, we've heard it all before. It's hard work to measure employee comms but clearly it's a key component to any effective corporate communication department's activity. This is where our ROM (Return on Message) approach can help measure the effectiveness of digital signage hardware and software for internal networks.

Themes running through the report are courage, innovation and discipline. I love seeing almost heroic terms applied to internal comms. Employees need companies to tell it like it is and make attempts to not just stick with status quo when it comes to workplace communication.

There is so much great information in this report I'll break it out into different blog posts over the next few weeks.

"Effective internal communications can keep employees engaged in the business and help companies retain key talent, provide consistent value to customers, and deliver superior financial performance to shareholders."

Watson Wyatt 2009

We are thankful

Tuesday, November 24, 2009 by Chuck Gose

Those of us at MediaTile would like to wish every one a happy Thanksgiving and safe travels if you're visiting with friends and family.

This will be a light blogging week given that most will be away Thursday and Friday. But what am I thankful for professionally? First off, that a few of you check out this blog from time to time. That means a lot. I'm also thankful that I get to help out so many great companies and enhance their internal communications with digital signage.

What are you thankful for?

Wrapping up the Strategy Institute conference (#BuildDSBiz)

Monday, November 23, 2009 by Chuck Gose

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.

Attending this week's Strategy Institute digital signage conference

Tuesday, November 17, 2009 by Chuck Gose

Today, I'll be making my way up to Chicago for the Make Money and Grow Your Digital Signage Business conference held by the folks at the Strategy Institute. I'm not sure who else will be attending so I'll do my best to blog and tweet from the event.

Will you be there? Please leave a comment and let me know.

Per the usual, there is a strong cast of presenters at this year's show. Keith Kelsen, MediaTile's founder, is the chairperson for the show AND our largest corporate communication customer will be speaking.

Chris Bias from Eli Lilly & Company will take the stage Thursday to talk about how he's developing content for his global audience and giving local admins control. I'm not much of a photographer, but I'm sure he'd "love" to see a few pics of himself on the blog.

I'm curious to see what happens Wednesday night as part of the tour of digital signage in Chicago. November isn't always the kindest month to Chicago weather-wise, but it should be a great time to network with other industry pros.

Stay tuned digital signage fans. I know you're out there.

Thank you for your support

Thursday, November 12, 2009 by Chuck Gose

It was truly an honor just to be included in the inaugural Top 50 Indiana Blogs list last year. But this year, the organizers add in an extra wrinkle and turned it into a competition.

Frankly, I was proud to just get votes let alone win the whole shabang. Sure some people voted for the blog just because they know me but I'm hopeful it raises awareness for the entire digital signage industry.

Case in point. I was at the local PRSA luncheon yesterday and somebody came up and congratulated me. An eaves dropper then chimed in, "I saw that you won but I have no idea what digital signage even is. What is it?"

And that's the beauty of blogging provides. It's a chance to put up discussion points and conversation ideas for others to digest. It's a safe way to educate consumers on a topic without being in their face.

I have a lot of fun with my blog, but it's also a lot of work. But as long as people keep asking me, "So what is digital signage?" then it's worth every second.

Thank you for your support.