Executive Communication

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

The first Digital Signage for Corporate Communication was a big success (in my opinion of course) because for an entire day we had communication experts focused on how to best use the technology internally. The day-long event also included a tour of Eli Lilly & Company's network, in addition to content presentations from David Trounstine and Steve Crescenzo.

Digital Signage Today was kind enough to publish the list of top opportunities and obstacles facing digital signage used for employee communication. The challenges faced by these networks are often quite different from those that are public facing.

Please check out the full detail on Digital Signage Today but here's a sampling of what the group cited:

The Top Opportunities (in no particular order)I have been asked by many for details on the next event. All I can say at this point is stay tuned. I'm determined to make sure that each event is worth the time and expense it takes to attend events like these.

We're pretty proud of our relationship with Elite Racing and driver Jason Meyers. And we're even more proud when they pick up a big win, like they did this past weekend at the Virginia Motor Speedway.

With the victory, Jason is now in third place in the World of Outlaws driver standings, only 20 points behind the leader. I had the opportunity to meet Jason a few months back when we were both in Las Vegas (I was there for Digital Signage Expo and he was there to race). He's a phenomenal driver and, even more importantly, a great guy.

We are a huge supporter of Elite Racing and, ironically enough, they love our digital signage. As they they travel around to races, they have our signage set up to promote what they are doing as a racing team and improve communication with racing fans.

Check out Jason's post-race comments.

I love April Fool's Day. It caters to my two favorite audiences: the gullible and the paranoid.

When I did corporate communications full time, I always tried to have some fun with April Fool's Day. Never at any one particular person's expense but enough that it would make me giggle.

At one company, I passed around a memo from the Information Technology Business Service (ITBS) Department requesting that all mouse balls be turned in to be cleaned and calibrated. Most got the joke, but it was funnier to see people walking down the halls holding their mouse balls.

I'm also a big fan of publishing April Fool's newsletters and intranets. It's just good clean fun. (And important to note that I always got executive approval beforehand.) Corporate communicators tend to get beat on so this was the one day to really have some fun and be creative with employee communications.

I'd love to see or hear examples of April Fool's content that anybody created for their digital signage network.

I recently learned that the BBC actually has a sense of humore and puts out an April Fool's video news story. This one is from a few year's back about a special colony of penguins. Funny but also harmless. So have some fun today.

Amazed. Thrilled. Ecstatic. Proud.

Just a few words to describe our response to the HumanKiosk winning the first place award for emerging technology in the enterprise mobile marketing and advertising category at the International CTIA Wireless show in Las Vegas.

The HumanKiosk is more than just digital signage. We truly believe it will revolutionize the relationship between brands and customers. 4G cellular technology can deliver a live two-way conversation, helping customers get questions answered immediately and resolving many pain points for brands. The HumanKiosk can directly and immediately improve communication between customers and brands. It takes content for digital signage and make it LIVE.

For those who aren't familiar (I wasn't), the CTIA Emerging Technology (E-Tech) Awards program celebrates and promotes the most innovative wireless products and services in the areas of consumer, enterprise and network technology.

Each year, nearly 300 applications are submitted and reviewed by a panel of recognized members of the media, industry analysts and executives. Products are judged on innovation, functionality, technological importance, implementation and overall “wow” factor.

So considering all of this, you can imagine our enthusiasm over the recognition.

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...

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.

According to Melcrum, it's the internal communicator. Many could argue that having an internal communications pro on staff should have been a must-have item every year, but business has changed quite a bit and having someone focus on employee communications in 2010 is crucial.

I'm not exactly sure who Melcrum is referring to when talking about "removing the charlatans" but I agree that the role internal communicators played in the previous decade should change in 2010 and beyond. Communicators must embed themselves into the business and not be viewed as a periphery resource. That's what got us here in the first place. If you work in manufacturing, get your butt down to the lines. If you work in healthcare, roam the halls. Listen to what your employees are saying and deliver messages that resonate with them.

It's your job to advise leaders and what to say / not say. Now this is always easier said than done with some leaders, but it's a needed skill. Your leaders should respect the advice the finance department gives them. Do they respect yours?

And maybe respect is where it all falls down. If your leaders and company do not respect what you do, either change what you do or demand it. Either way, respect is required in 2010 and years beyond.

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...)

Today's guest entry is contributed by Pegi Patwardhan.

(Pegi started as an advertising executive in 1998 at a b2b technology agency, responsible for all media used in the marketing mix (online, email marketing, direct mail, magazine, events).  Her focus has always been finding ways to shorten the sales cycle for her clients - and has found MediaTile an excellent vehicle for making that happen.)

Banking and digital signage together makes sense.  Customers have a need to know and
learn about their finances. The bank team needs to have current information.
MediaTile has recently added another chain of banks to its list of happy clients.   (Due to  confidentiality agreements, I can't name the bank yet).

What I can talk about is why they chose to go with MediaTile.  Corporate headquarters was looking for a way to deliver specific, targeted messaging to each of its branches, while maintaining consistency in its branding effort.  They also wanted to offer their customers more of a professional experience. Multiple POP displays and printed materials were cluttering branch lobbies and surfaces; by switching to MediaTile, they were able to update their lobby with a sleek and professional, modern look.

Overwhelmingly, banks cite their concern for security as the number one reason not to use digital signage in their facilities. The security of the bank's network is paramount.  However, MediaTile's built-in cellular networking feature eliminates the need to tie into any on-site infrastructure, insulating the signage network from sensitive customer data.

What can digital signage bring to banks?  It can personalize and support core knowledge for everyone who visits.  With MediaTile, banks can also educate customers on their other products and service offerings in a fresh and enticing way. It can offer relevant and timely advice.  It can reassure everyone, with up to the minute information.  That is the service, the value and the purpose of digital signage.

There is increasing recognition in the DOOH industry of the importance of relevant content and ‘making every screen count’ – in other words ensuring that the content on each and every screen on the network is relevant to its specific audience at all times.  This of course is not a straightforward task - technically, creatively, or even logistically in the case of large disparate networks.  Add to that the drive towards experiential and contextual-based content and you have a complicated cocktail of requirements on your hands.

In response to this requirement, solution providers are taking varied approaches and bringing different backgrounds and skill sets to the client table in order to design and deliver high value-add digital signage content solutions.

One rather interesting approach is that being taken by Muzak.  The other day I met up with Jon Luther, Director of the Visual Solutions Division of Muzak, and wanted to share his approach.  Muzak has a long rich 75-year history and is the leader in in-store and on-hold custom music solutions. Over recent years, Muzak has been expanding its approach to deliver a much broader solution.  Playing on the senses of sight and smell, as well as hearing, Muzak now provides a broader sensory and experiential branding solution to its business clients.  By combining music, messaging, custom scent, and visual imagery through digital signage, Muzak has created a compelling and contemporary integrated suite of sensory branding and entertainment products and services.

As network operators and digital signage customers increasingly demand that their DOOH networks deliver a contextual based experience that is relevant to their environment, I expect we will see more examples of innovative approaches like Muzak’s.  This really is an exciting time to be at the forefront of digital signage.

 

Keepin’ it Simple

I had originally intended this post to be more of a "Day 2 recap" of sorts. But since MediaTile is a digital signage company, I felt I should focus on the panel that discussed what we do - digital signage.

The session was good, but also disappointing. But the disappointment didn't have anything to do in particular with the panelists but more so with the limited time. The session was scheduled to last 45 minutes and we got a late start. It's just too big of a topic to even provide an overview in 45 minutes or less. (That's me in the far right of the photo, Twittering away in the session.)

Tim Burke, of Electronic Arts and also known as @kioskguy, moderated the session and did a great job of keeping the conversation moving. Here's the goods and not-so-goods of the session.

Goods:

• Bill Collins, DecisionPoint Media Insights, gave a brief yet informative "digital signage 101" discussion.
   
• The panelists all agreed that companies should be using commercial-grade digital signage hardware and not the consumer-grade stuff that might appear cheaper in the short run but users will pay over the long haul.

Not-so-goods:

• The beauty of digital signage is that it delivers dynamic and relevant content. Yet the samples in the room weren't networked and one screen showed old weather for Lincoln, Nebraska. Nebraska? We're in Cincinnati. Now I'm sure this is because some signage doesn't work unless you set up an expensive IT network. Maybe somebody should look at cellular digital signage. Hey wait, I think I know somebody...
   
• Bill Collins is a smart man, but I was a bit offended when he described corporate communication networks as "vanilla" and ad-based networks as chocolate. He said they're vanilla because they aren't as exciting. I beg to differ. I had a lot of fun managing networks. I like vanilla. You can add all sorts of great toppings to vanilla ice cream. I'll give Bill a pass on this one.

I was glad to see digital signage included in the Digital Hub non-Conference, but 45 minutes just isn't enough. Maybe we can do more in 2010. One idea might be to focus on a small successful case study for each vertical market (retail, transportation, hospitality, corp comm, etc.).

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On a side yet important note, I wanted to personally thank and congratulate all of those responsible for putting on this year's Digital Hub non-Conference. Without a doubt, it was one of the best comms-related conferences I've ever attended. They pulled together a phenomenal group of speakers and session leaders and everything appeared to run smoothly despite all of the rain. I'm looking forward to bigger and better in 2010. Get to work! :)
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Photo credit, marybethonline

I read a lot of blogs. And when I write a lot, I mean A LOT. But that's what they say you should do if you're writing your own blog.

And since I read a ton of online content and am a self-proclaimed corporate communication nerd, I will from time to time share the stuff I find interesting. Some will be related to digital signage specifically, while others may deal with corporate communications writings. Here;s my current brain scan.
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Paul Flanigan, of Experiate.net, writes about the three rules for digital signage audio in a retail environment. Paul provides a great tip of playing your content without sound and see if it makes sense. Audio is a bit of a controversial topic for internal networks. Check out this post I did regarding audio last year.
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Harriet Meth is at again over at Messaged to Deaf with today's post. The content focuses on the key elements of why some videos go viral. You've seen the Blendtec "Will it blend" series on YouTube? Harriet points out that one of the keys to a viral video is storytelling. To me, this is an undervalued skill in employee communications. Hmm, I smell a future blog post.
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For those of you who big Twitter supporters (I know I am), here are 10 sobering Twitter statistics. It took quite a bit of work, scouring several stories and sources to come up with the list. But I think we're just on the cusp of what Twitter can do. At least I feel that if I keep believing that, then I won't have wasted all of this time.
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Does freedom of speech extend to internal communications? Jeremy Robert suggests that companies letting their employees use social media are insane. I suggest that Jeremy may be taking this to a bit of extreme. Companies are taking a bit of a risk, but I don't think it requires these companies be committed. (I will warn you that the language is a bit rough in the post.)
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Brandswag's Kyle Lacy gives us five cures for blogging fatigue. Many might think this post is a sign of fatigue but it actually helps get the juices flowing. You just wait and see, with an emphasis on the "wait" part.

Very few people outside the industry know about this, but the Digital Signage Association (DSA) offers free memberships to qualified companies. If you're a user or are deploying digital signage, I highly recommend signing up.

What do you get with the membership? What are the perks? I contacted David Drain, the Executive Director of DSA, to get the answers. Here are the highlights he provided:

• Networking
• Access to best practices
• Expert advice
• Savings on research publications, conferences and trade shows
• Ability to participate on committees

If a free sign up is just too big of a commitment or you're still not sure, you can always get their free newsletter, too. There doesn't appear to be a large corporate communication membership presence but let's see if we can change that.

MediaTile is a proud DSA member. And if you'd like to learn more, visit their site or follow David Drain (@DavidDrain) on Twitter.

We announced some great news today that other leaders in the digital signage industry have gotten behind what we are doing with the Ad Council. Reflect Systems, PRN and SeeSaw Networks have given their support for PSACasting.org. Check out the full announcement.

In short, PSACasting will provide royalty-free access to the Ad Council's rich library of public service announcements. The site is now accepting early sign-ups. So if you run your own digital signage network or develop digital signage content for networks, get signed up today.

I first blogged about this just last May so things are moving along quite quickly with the project. We expect to have the full site and all of the PSAs up and ready in time for Advertising Week in New York City at the end of September.

I'm excited and proud to see MediaTile involved and leading this effort. DOOH networks are reaching more and more people every day. PSACasting is giving the Ad Council's messages thes ame reach.

I was asked this very question on a conference call yesterday. It's a company who's already doing a lot with communication. They have an electronic newsletter that comes out once a week, driving traffic to their intranet, which is also updated on a daily basis. They cut the weekly newsletter but are now doing a monthly magazine. Once a quarter, executives host town hall meetings.

So, yes, they are DOING a lot and are concerned that digital signage might be overkill. The problem is that it appears as though employees are not responding to the mighty efforts by the corporate communication department. And that's a big problem if employees are not responding.

I've asked them to talk to their employees to see what they think about putting electronic signs up around their campus, alerting them to the "quick hit" messages of the day/week and its use for crisis communication.

I think they'll find that employees will respond positively to it. Newsletters get tossed. Emails get ignored. Town halls get missed. Intranets get buried.

Digital signage may just be exactly what they need. Stay tuned.

The Digital Signage Association is hosting a Best Practices for Digital Signage content webinar next Tuesday (August 11) at 12:00 pm EDT. Get signed up today.

It's being moderated by MediaTile's executive chairman Keith Kelsen. Panelists for the webinar are Michael Chase, Vice President, Marketing & Creative, St. Joseph Content, and Paul Flanigan, Experiate.net.

Here's the meeting description:

While this webinar focuses on Point of Sale, and not corporate communication directly, I would still recommend checking it out. It's a great chance to hear some of the industry leaders and get their opinions on the best in digital signage content.

On a side note, Paul Flanigan writes for his own blog at Experiate.net. It's a great read for those looking to learn more about the digital signage industry, especially in retail.

To those of us in the industry, someone says "digital signage" and we know exactly what it is and what it can do. And I think we take that for granted because the more and more I talk to people about what I do, they say, "Now what exactly is digital signage?"

To the average person who asks me this, I tell them that's it's a networked set of LCDs that allow you to put your own messages on the screens. That usually helps get the visual across. Examples always help, too. Airports being a good one.

But to corporate communicators who are responsible for internal communications, I justifiably go into a longer elevator speech about what the technology can do. I don't fault someone for not knowing what it is. But more importantly than knowing what it is is what it can do for employee communications.

An internal network of screens gives a communicator the power (not just the ability) to deliver dynamic and engaging content wherever your employees are. The big appeal is to companies who have a lot of workers who don't sit at a desk all day. The technology is great for reaching those audiences, but it's also great to reach those who DO sit at a desk all day.

For those who are honest with themselves, you know that employees do not read every email that comes across the inbox, nor do they get excited the day the employee newsletter comes out. So you have to get creative and come up with new ways to get your messages to your audiences when they are away from their cubicles and offices.
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Photo credit, twinsparc

As you've read on this blog and many others, the digital signage industry is ever-evolving but is also maturing. Which is why news that Texas State Technical College will begin offering a Digital Signage Technology Associates Degree along with a Digital Signage Assistant Certificate is interesting. . . in a digital-signy kind of way.

It's worth taking a gander at the course load for the degree. Here's the description for the first course - Corporate & Community Development with Critical thinking:


And the list goes on. History of Communication Graphics? What a great class to add to the first semester. And I'm thrilled to see that there's a tremendous focus on digital signage content and integration.

I'd love to be a fly on the wall in the classes just to hear the discussions AND I'm really curious as to who's going to teach it. Because from my experience, there are several industry "experts" who would gain from being a part of such a discussion.

Furthermore, I'm interested to see how this relates to the Digital Signage Certified Experts Program (DSCE). There's definitely some similarity between the two, which I suppose is a good thing.

So who do you think will take this class? AV types? Those looking to get in a new field? Guess we'll have to see if it's successful at Texas State Technical College, will other schools pick it up?

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Photo credit, wohnai

When times get tough (as they've been recently for many companies), it's in our corporate nature to clamp up. It's not comfortable sharing bad news. For some reason, companies don't trust employees can take it. But what they forget is that employees likely already know the news and really need management's confirmation of it.

I read Keep those employee lines of communication open, especially in tough times this past weekend and the article provides some sound tips for corporate communication pros to keep in mind. The challenge in employee communications is achieving the balance between Tip #1 (share as much as you can as often as you can) and Tip #2 (evaluate the best method).

Employees often cite communication overload but I think that's largely attributed to email abuse. I've never heard of an employee complaining about too many town halls, why the company newsletter keeps coming out every week or why an investment is being made in digital signage. 

But the good news is that it does seem like many companies are beginning to recognize the need to communicate during the tough times. But again because there's so much concern and grief over what employees will do with the information, it gets bounced back and forth between legal and HR so many times that it resembles a boring game of PONG.

And then by the time it gets approved, it's usually stale news anyway.

This is why I propose to communicate ALL of the time. Times are good. Times are bad. Employees can take it. They live it every day. People have their ups and downs. So do companies. It's tough for leadership and management to have some faith in their workforce. I'm hoping that a results of this economic downturn is that many a corporate communication lesson will have been learned. Fingers crossed.