Wednesday, August 15, 2007

Digital Signage: You have to fit in fun sometimes..

Yes, I'm behind on my blog posts. Yes, I know I've neglected it. To those that have visited over last few weeks looking for an update to my promised experience article, I apologize. But it is still coming!!! For now I'll post some quick thoughts on a recent project we did at Captive Indoor Media that has direct correlation to experience although when we did it I had no intention to wrap it into the direction of my blog but here goes....

In my humble opinion, experience is something that extends beyond what your customer feels when he/she walks into your branch or store. If your employees haven't adopted your vision for the experience, you may as well pack it in. Experience starts internally!

At Captive Indoor Media, I am not only consumed with our product offering but how my employees feel about working here and then consequently how that feeling extends to our customer base. Hopefully it is positive on both fronts. It takes work to achieve this.

I've had the good fortune to work for both good companies and bad over my professional life. When I reflect back, I can see how my experience with each employer affected my interaction with customers and I try to use that to my advantage as I run my business today. The one thing that seems to strike me as most relevant when I reflect on past positions is the fact that when my mood was positive towards my employer, my customers attitude was more likely to be positive towards me. They were more likely to forgive not only my personal mistakes but that of the company I worked for and that makes life easier.

With that in mind, we did a really fun creative team building exercise in the office over the last couple of weeks. Follow the link listed below to see it in action. We filmed the entire thing and then sped it up by 4000% so it only takes 3 minutes to watch. I'd like to tell you more but the link is all you need to see what we did.

Yes, I promise I'll finish the experience article although I hope you will agree that this is a decent start although a bit off the initial path.

Enjoy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tQUvUVVBD08

Friday, June 22, 2007

Digital Signage: More on the video wall

Sound and Video Contractor did a rather large article on our video wall installation for the City of Louisville in their June edition. If you have not yet seen the print edition, follow the link to Sound and Video Contractor and check it out!

Tuesday, June 05, 2007

Digital Signage: Experience Counts

Last week I was in Seattle for the MAC (Marketing Association of Credit Unions) Conference. The conference draws around 150 professional marketers from within the Credit Union industry and is always interesting. If you are involved in the industry and have never attended, I encourage you to do so.



During the conference I spent much of my time interacting with other vendors and of course customers. The one topic which continued to repeat itself during these conversations was "Experience". "You have to give people a unique experience," said one. "The branch experience is what will set you apart" said another. Ok, fine but what is the definition of experience? Not one person repeated the definition that another had given me. Interesting.



I think about things as they relate to marketing in a retail space. And make no mistake, a branch is a store. If you don't think that it is, I suggest you take a closer look at what the high growth brands are doing. The most visible brand in the financial industry today is Umpqua Bank. If Umpqua Bank doesn't scream retail store at you, I don't know what will. Heck they even call the branch a store. Take notice.



Ok, so what is "experience" in a retail branch envirionment? I guess that depends greatly on who you speak with so I guess I'll add my definiton to the mix. But before I do, give me a few lines to set it up.

From my perspective I feel marketers today need to do their best to understand technology as it applies to the marketing realm. It is no longer good enough to say to a technology vendor that "IT takes care of that". If you find yourself saying things like that often, you are falling behind. Today's technology can get you closer to your customer and allow for better and more immersive communication. But you as the marketer must recognize the benefits of available technology as they apply to your marketing initiatives. In short, you need to know enough to be dangerous with technology as it becomes prevalent in the marketplace.

OK, so what is my definition right? I believe experience as it applies to a customer in a retail environment is the ability to fully immerse them in a brand from the minute they walk in the door until 5 minutes after they have left. That means giving them interesting interactive displays (check out this link from Infinity for an example) along with informative personal interaction in a unique setting (see Umpqua Bank) and backing it up with great service. If you do that customes will be wowed by your store and keep thinking about you for several minutes after they have left your store. They will also be more likely to talk about you to their friends. That is experience.

I'm going to do some more digging on this subject and post some follow up articles over the next couple of weeks. Be patient with me though. I'll be traveling quite heavily so posts might be sporadic.

Monday, June 04, 2007

Digital Signage: Microsoft Scratches The Surface

Say what you want about Bill Gates and his army in the Northwest. Call them evil, call them monopolists, call them whatever you want but be sure you recognize the significance of a product called Surface that was released last week. Surface will change the way digital signage is used in retail environments.
My view of digital signage is warped. I live it during the day and dream about it all night long. This I admit. I am wildly enthusiastic about the ever growing applications for digital signage and I’m constantly finding new ways to utilize the technology. With that said, I know, without a shadow of a doubt, that digital signage is less about technology than it is about the consumer experience the technology can create for individuals.
Surface appears to do what our industry has been championing for years but somehow falling short. That is to present a fully immersive retail experience and take the customer through the entire purchase experience in an entertaining, unique and informative way. I have yet to see the Surface product myself so maybe they have an element of spin associated with their pitch as well. I will be interested to get my hands on this product and you can be sure I’ll post my findings here when the time comes.

Monday, March 26, 2007

Digital Signage: Is the Ad Industry Going the Way of Pluto?

If you read Advertising Age, you are probably familiar with Bob Garfield and his multi-year project entitled "Chronicles of the Media Revolution". As luck would have it, Mr. Garfield has added to his well authored series with a new article entitled “Chaos 2.0”.

This particular article is incredibly interesting to me because it does not simply predict (as some of his previous article’s have done) but references his “Chaos” article of 2 years ago and then diagrams out the time line of events that have taken place since that article was run. If you do remember the Chaos article, you will also remember the industry rumblings that surrounded it.

Chaos 2.0 is not only certain to send rumblings through the traditional advertising channels, but will most definitely send some for the hills. With comparisons to the recent demise of the planet Pluto and quotes from industry pros and even folks like Bill Gates chiming in, this is a must read for anyone involved in the advertising industry. And make no mistake; if you work with digital signage, you are in the advertising industry as well.

Tuesday, March 20, 2007

Digital Signage: Hey That Screen Is Talking To Me!

I’m fresh off the CUNA (Credit Union Nation Association) Marketing Conference in Las Vegas last week and, as you might imagine, digital signage was everywhere. What was even more obvious was the use of audio in more and more installations.

The best example was in the airport. Now the Las Vegas airport has had digital signage in some form for several years. The new additions are 32” and 42” LCD panels along the security check-in gates. The screens came dressed with some heavy duty enclosures to prevent tampering and were mounted from the ceiling out of arms length. This was a major installation yet I have not been able to find the provider despite some search time on Google.

What I found most interesting about this installation was the use of sound. It was well done, creative, unusually funny and incredibly targeted. It did what digital signage is supposed to do. It entertained, informed and brought down the perceived wait time to a tolerable level (and if you’ve ever been in Mcarren airport you know this is quite an achievement). The media included funny quips from Carrot Top, Pamela Anderson and other Las Vegas Celebrities. While I’m not sure what Carrot Top said, I’m quite sure Pamela asked me to get all of my documentation ready before I made it to the security person awaiting a few paces away :).

Audio has been a touchy subject with many a digital signage installation and industry pundits pick both sides of the fence. The ones that refute the use of audio argue that it can become annoying to employees and redundant information to customers. I would agree that this is the case, especially in retail situations where repeat customers exist and employees are in constant ear shot of the screen. However I could easily suggest that this can be avoided with diligent management and production of new, creative and entertaining media. So now it comes down to budget and employee resource available to manage a digital signage system.

Proponents of the use of audio might say it is an integral part of a marketing campaign. After all, television and any form of .mpeg video is most likely going to be heavily reliant on the audio to reinforce the visual message. This is also true but I could argue that other types of media such as Flash have a more functional use on a digital sign while requiring less bandwidth and offering a wider pool of talent to pull from for media as well as less money to create.

So what is the answer? To me it is clear. You need to do 3 basic things:

1- Be Creative- If you want to use audio on your signs, be sure that you have the resources to constantly create new and entertaining media. This is not a :30 TV commercial run once a day during the local evening news.
2- Be targeted- You have to know your audience. By this I don’t mean just demographic. I mean you need to understand dwell time, situational circumstances and environmental influences. The airport in Las Vegas has the luxury of using the same media for a longer time than the local Bank because the airport customer might not be back for days weeks. The Bank is well…. “banking” on regular customer visits (Sorry for the bad joke)
3- Be Different- You must, have fresh content on a regular basis. Yes, I know this is a repeat from #1. But it needed to be said again.

Sunday, February 04, 2007

Digital Signage: LCD vs Plasma

I came across a great article in Self Service World about the use of LCD vs Plasma in digital signage applications. It does a good job of briefly explaining the differences between the technologies as well as outlining what industry folks have to say. You can find that article here.

Wednesday, January 31, 2007

Digital Signage: More on the video wall



As promised, I'm posting pictures of the video wall installation we did for the Louisville Convention and Visitors Bureau. We will be releasing this product to the masses in a month or so. In the meantime, enjoy the pictures and if you are ever in Louisville, you can find this installation at 4th and Jefferson in downtown Louisville, KY!

Monday, January 22, 2007

Digital Signage: Are Digital Billboards a Driving Hazard?

I came across an article at MediaPlannerBuyer.com that goes over the growing concern with digital outdoor billboards. According to that article, digital billboards are expected to grow from a current install level of 400 to 4,000 over the next 10 years. I actually thought that projection was low but I should mention I have not seen any other numbers on which to base my opinion. The article goes on to suggest that digital billboards demand more attention from the driver therefore making them less focused on their driving situation. You can find the article I’ve referring to here.

This article was timely for my company. Captive Indoor Media recently became involved in a video wall project that faces a high traffic intersection in Downtown Louisville, KY. Although not a traditional digital billboard, that project needed a lengthy project review by the City of Louisville before approval. During that process, they invoked limitations on media that could be displayed but little else.

Our project involves eight, 46” LCD screens stacked 2x4 and positioned in a corner of the building that faces the street through floor to ceiling glass windows. The intent of this project is to grab and retain the attention of passersby and the potential hazard introduced at the intersection was a concern for everyone.

Iwill post a picture of our project once installed. That is scheduled to happen this week :-).

Thursday, January 18, 2007

Digital Signage: A few tips for attaining good A/V contractors and a quality installation process

Digital Signage is all about software and content right? That is what your customers are seeing and ultimately the benchmark of success right? Easy to use software, great content and a plan to execute is all I need to get up and running right?

Ok, stop right there. If we can reverse that order and start with “A plan to execute”, now we are on pace. And one of the most integral yet often overlooked aspects of that “plan” is the question of who is going to hang the screen on the wall, hook up the player and service that equipment over the coming days, weeks and years. “No problem” you say, “we’ve got the guy to do it.” Ok, but what happens when you have an installation of 400 screens in 5 states on 200 walls within a tight time frame and in varied construction scenarios? Hmmm. It gets a bit more difficult doesn’t it?

With that question in mind and several scenarios which closely adhere to the above characteristics, I thought it would be beneficial to post a quick list of elements key to a good installation.

1- Work with a known partner

As a company we have used both individual A/V companies and networks of A/V companies provided by an aggregator. The aggregator’s job is to screen the contractor used for each installation and then help project manage the entire process. While this seems to be the most logical approach for implementing large orders, it also presents the most pitfalls. There always seems to be finger pointing and never a firm allocation of fault when a problem happens.

At Captive Indoor Media, we have assembled a team of A/V partners over the years which we work with on a regular basis. Today our network of partners spans across the country and we handle project management in-house. Through the combination of an existing relationship and a single point of contact (us) for our customers, our projects run much smoother and when we do have problems, we can handle them without all of the finger pointing.

2- Make sure the Audio/Visual contractor has experience with Digital Signage

This is absolutely critical if you cannot utilize an installer that either you as an end customer or your software vendor can provide. In these cases, it is necessary to have a qualified person on hand to check the basics from signal quality to the screen and dB levels for audio to network connectivity for the player. When you do use an unknown company, their experience with most any digital signage product should be a key component of your due diligence as to their ability to install a system cleanly, professionally and quickly.



3- Have a punch list

Here is the reference to my initial comments about executing a plan. Part of the process is the up front work which includes site surveys and a concrete set of requirements for each installation. Is the screen always 8 ft’ above the floor centered behind the tellers or are there deviations? What are the power requirements and is there any existing infrastructure the system can piggy back on? What happens when a truck shows up and things are slightly different than agreed upon when the punch list was created? Do you allow that vendor some flexibility to install anyway or do you have them come back at a later date? Who is responsible for configuring the network connection for the player and who will take the call when that connection is not allowing traffic for the player? These are just some of the obvious questions that need to be covered up front before work begins. Those questions set up the document which lists a set of requirements to be met when an installer begins at each location. When each of those requirements are met, a manager at the location should be required to check each to ensure they have been done and then agree that work is complete with their signature.

4- Have an experienced Software Vendor

As much as I would like to preach that Captive Indoor Media is in the software and content delivery business, we are also in the project management business. We carefully follow progress of each project, big or small, and manage constant communication (both verbal and documented) between all parties involved. Experience in this area should be a part of any vendor selection.

5- Maintain Consistency of labor

When large installations are taking place, we try to assign project teams that will gain efficiencies over the course of the installation project. It seems common sense to claim that 5 teams doing 40 locations each will be moving much faster on locations 30-40 than on locations 1-10. They gain confidence, relationships and knowledge which ultimately transcends to a good, clean installation. If there are constant changes in labor, it is more difficult to attain efficiencies and consistent quality.

Tuesday, January 16, 2007

Digital Signage: When you peel the layers… It seems like everyone is adding layers…

Ok, ok, before your eyes glass over about another blog post concerning Cisco digital signage, just give me a few minutes to explain. I’ve got an idea here and maybe we can learn something from all this Cisco news.

For a couple years now I’ve thought that the key to building a successful digital signage product and therefore company is to ensure the ability to layer service on the software platform without great expense or deviation from the business model. In the case of Captive Indoor Media, we have acted out this approach and currently deliver everything from content creation to syndicated news feeds and touch screen applications all with the intent of adding value for our customers while increasing our average bill (yes, we are trying to make some money).

Take a second to admire the cell phone/PDA/MP3 Player in your pocket to get a glimpse inside a successful business model based on layering services in the face of margin attrition. That device probably looks much different from the brick like thing you carried just a few years ago and the service you receive today most certainly is.

Cell phone providers 5 years ago were selling little more than voice service with varied packages for roaming and long distance. Today long distance is free; roaming is a word used mostly for cattle and every mobile service provider I know of is pushing email, fast internet access and text messaging. In the face of product price attrition, they layered new service and retained or increased the average monthly bill. In my unfortunate case, I have actually seen a pretty steep increase in my bill but the service is so necessary to my day to day activity I would probably pay double if I had to.

As Digital Signage continues to get more competitive (300 vendors and counting) we will certainly see pricing come down within the more commoditized digital signage products such as remote access and scheduling capability. Success will be based in the ability of each company to introduce compelling service products which ride on that company’s software backbone and deliver further value to their customers while also increasing the barrier to entry for the competition.

OK, now it’s time for the Cisco reference. Cisco is not in the digital signage game just to start developing content and fulfill delivery of that content. They want to sell the whole kit and caboodle. They want to add on video to the desktop. They want to add VOIP and teleconferencing. They want to sell digital signage not as a unique technology (pssst. It is not new anymore nor unique) but as a means to an end (gulp). They have the expertise, money and capability to plant customer flags fast and implement with speed and precision. Once the flag is planted, it is time to farm the account and sell every product they can over as few platforms as possible.

The good news is that Cisco is big and most of us are small. Well all of us are small in the face of that logo. We will be the ones innovating and they will be the one’s purchasing and consolidating the industry. In my humble opinion there is plenty of room for both of those activities in the coming months and years. We shall see.

To read the article that prompted this post, please follow this link
Hyper Smash