Archive for September, 2008

Posted on September 25, 2008 - by Nate

FCC easing up on Google wireless bid could bode well for digital signage industry.

Reuters reports:

The Federal Communications Commission on Thursday proposed halving the minimum opening bid on a piece of valuable wireless spectrum, but several commissioners expressed doubt that the plan would work, after an earlier auction failed to attract industry interest.

The five-member FCC approved a plan devised by agency Chairman Kevin Martin, cutting to $750 million a prior $1.3 billion minimum bid and easing other requirements.

I’ve posted previously on the wireless opportunities still forthcoming which will aid the digital signage industry going forward. The work Google is doing to expand the internet to literally everyone, is a big push forward in this. The article further states:

The aim is to lure interest in the airwaves, which come with a requirement to partner with public safety agencies during emergencies. The airwaves are being vacated as television broadcasters move to digital signals early next year.

Because such signals can go extremely long distances and penetrate thick walls, the move is a sure fit for any type of industry who needs connectivity to any type of device. It looks like the FCC wants to get the spectrum out there more quickly and make use of the space rather than increase revenues, they’ve dropped the minimum bid.

The question is, what will this do for out-of-home digital signage going forward. In my mind, I see a very large opportunity for digital signage companies to capitalize on a connectivity option.

Original Reuters Article

Nate Nead

Posted on September 11, 2008 - by Nate

Google knol is spam with “lipstick.”

Much like Barack Obama’s recent comment wherein he said, “put lipstick on a pig, it’s still a pig,” I feel the same way about Google Knol. You put lipstick on a linkfarm, it’s still a linkfarm. Google doesn’t need to compete with Wikipedia, although they will. Just like Microsoft doesn’t need to compete with Google, but they will. The struggle I have with Google knol is threefold:

1. It’s less censored. Yes others can edit your posts, but only if you let them. This is a stark contrast to Wikipedia where the world is the police. I love that about wikipedia. How many have been on Wikipedia, seen something incorrect and refreshed the page to find it was fixed before you could even get to it. Wikipedia also has groups of editors who make sure no spam type information flies under the radar. Google knol, I fear, is lacking these same characteristics.

2. Links. Wikipedia allows outbound linking, but it seems there’s much less control over the links which are placed outbound on Google knol. I’m not a fan. This relates perfectly with point one in that there is not enough censorship. 

3. It can be irrelevant. I can go on there right now and write an article about cats and how they love catnip. Who cares! But it’ll be in there and get indexed. There’s just too much room for a slew of irrelevant information. If experts are supposed to be on there to share, let ‘em do it on Wikipedia.

I just have one final question: what are blogs for now that we have almighty Google knol? I mean, if I wanted an opinion on something, I would go a Google Blogsearch. If I want relevant information I know is under pretty consistent review, I’ll visit Wikipedia.

Posted on September 9, 2008 - by Nate

Idea: Use Digital Signage RSS Feeds with SMS Text Messaging for Interactive Trivia.

SMS Run RSS Trivia On Digital Signage

Just about every digital signage software company has the ability to insert an RSS feed as a ticker on their screens. All a third party company would have to do is create RSS feeds that a digital signage network would subscribe to. You would have a myriad of different feeds. Each feed will be have trivia questions on a specific subject. Each subject will have multiple questions. Example subjects follow.

Doctor/Dentist trivia questions: obviously for signs in doctors and dentists offices

Sports Trivia: for sports bars etc.

Car trivia: for a DMV or car show.

Food trivia: hospitality or grocery etc.

The list could go on and on. The point is that each feed will have multiple questions that have a theme for the venue the digital sign is in. Now, as I was thinking about this, I thought to myself: How is this thing going to work because we won’t give the answers on the screen. They’ll have to text in their answers to see if they’re correct and the returning SMS will give the answer to them if they get it wrong. And, of course an ad will be attached at the bottom of the return text message.

Here’s where things get tricky. Each question will be unique and will need to be identified when the person is texting in. In addition, each screen will be unique and will need to be identified so we can specifically target and hone the return texts. So, here’s how it works. We use ADJECTIVES and VERBS together as a key phrase. The adjective will identify the screen and the verb will tell us what question is being answered by the text that is coming in.

For instance, on the RSS feed the question might be displayed for 30 seconds or one minute, “Who won the 1945 world series? Text ‘fuzzy bunny’ + your answer to 98765 to win.” The keyword “fuzzy” identifies the screen’s specific address or location (e.g. Pizza Hut on the corner of 3200 S. State). The word “bunny” identifies the question the person is answering. In this case the question is “who won the world series?” And the precise keyword that identifies that question with the server is “bunny.” So, when they text in their answer, attached to those two keywords, we know where they are and what question they are attempting to answer. We’ll send back a response that could either appear as:

“Yay, correct. Congrats. Sponsered by Pfizer.com. Go to Pfizer.com to get a free subscription to Viagra”

Or

“You suck, the answer is XYZ. Try again. By the way stop by our snack bar for $1 off smoothies for trying.”

Now, here’s another interesting tid bit. You don’t have to do any integration whatsoever. We just have to convince signage hosts to subscribe to an RSS feed that will be displayed on their screen. They will be encouraged, either by a partner or an online digital signage portal of another company to come to your site and generate their own RSS feed. They’ll give the SMS digital signage company the location of their screen, the type of business (and thus the type of trivia they’d like to see displayed based on the targeted audience) And they’ll be a canned list of trivia questions used, each being displayed at 30 second or minute intervals in a loop. However, the difference is that the questions will have different keyword ADJECTIVE S for the different screens. The VERBS would be the same based on the specific questions. For instance:

The keyword or VERB “dog” would always be tied to “How many people are alive on planet earth?”

The keyword ADJECTIVE “happy” would be tied to Desert Sun tanning on 3rd Avenue.

So, all you need to do is create an RSS generator for a website. All it would really be generating is an ADJECTIVE to attach to very specific screen location. The verbs would already be assigned to all the questions in a database. Signage hosts can come on and once they give us their locations, you’d create a specific RSS feed tailored to them. This way you can sell to advertisers based on location as well as other demographics. No software integration with any digital signage companies necessary. Just a simple and separate RSS generator program that allows for unique TaggBacks.

For each genre of RSS feed, you could have 40 questions each rotating about once an hour or so, giving people enough time to think and text in their answers. Also, we only have to have about 15 genres so a total of about 600 trivia questions should do.

This way, you don’t to integrate software plugins etc. All you have to do is get each sign content manager to have an incentive to place a trivia RSS on his screen. This is the easy part. A rev share with text message responses or advertising space on returning texts could do the trick. As it becomes more scalable, monetizing it should not be a problem whatsoever.

This may be a bit confusing, but I believe it would be a great way to engage audiences that have longer dweller times with their digital signage without too much effort on the part of the company creating the system. I’ve thought about doing it with our system, but we currently don’t have the time.

Posted on September 9, 2008 - by Nate

Mobile + GPS + Digital Signage = Bangerang!

Often, I like to just post ideas I have about the industry. I read a book a while back entitled, “What if?” The book was essentially a list of enterpreneurial business ideas that should be done. Some of the ideas made me think, “why didn’t I think of that?” Interestingly, there is a lot of effort to protect intellectual property in any industry, especially in those industries where innovation creates leaps forward. Digital signage is one of those industries. And, like the author’s of “What if?” I don’t feel I have the time–nor will I–to work on every single idea I have.

GPS (Global Positioning System) and Digital Signage

I’m sure someone has already come up with some of these ideas in regards to this. In fact, I read a similar article advocated Digital Signage and GPS sometime ago. GPS has been implemented in some taxi digital signage networks.

The premise here is that in a traveling vehicle, the digital signage changes based on the area you are driving in. So, if you’re driving in a taxi downtown the digital signage will change as you move through the city and display ads based on the businesses you’re driving past. Pretty cool.

Mobile Phones and GPS

Here’s another integration that would be great. Let’s say you sign up for SMS text message alerts on your mobile phone and they’re powered by GPS. For instance, your shopping list for the week will pop up as a reminder every time you drive within a mile of the grocer.

You’re thereby more apt to enter the store to purchase your groceries for the week.

Digital Signage + GPS + Mobile

Now, here’s a great integration. When you get to the grocer, the digital signage network inside somehow recognizes you’ve arrived (possibly via the mobile device you’re carrying) and thereby displays ads based on your shopping list. For instance, it knows you need meat and cheese which are both on sale. It displays ads for meat and cheese, their sales prices and on which isles the items are located. This saves time and can be done in a way that is expected, non-intrusive and can be implemented fairly simply–espcially in areas where people habitually use the same stores to do their regular shopping.

Finally, I’ve only begun to skim the surface here on the possibilities. As I write this, I’m coming up with even more ideas. So, it remains to be seen how this will all be untapped. These are just some thoughts on how to do so.

Posted on September 9, 2008 - by Nate

IBC will display largest 3D digital projection.

Utilizing Christie’s CP2000-XB projector, Real 3D will be displaying the world’s largest 3D digital signage projection at IBC 2008. What makes the projection even more interesting is that it will be the first transatlantic 3D projection broadcast. Not that we didn’t have the capability previously, but it’s apparently the first time it’s been done. I wonder if this one will make it into the Guiness Book of World Records.

The transatlantic broadcast is set to feature an interview with DreamWorks Animation CEO, Jeffrey Katzenber. He’ll be discussing the impact of 3D technology for use in the digital out of home sector. Additionally, RealD’s Chief Scientific Officer, Matt Cowan, will participate in ‘The presentation alternatives and considerations for exhibitors’ discussion group. The panel will build on discussion from last year’s conference and and will focus on various ways of projecting stereo images. The session will explore the latest developments in Stereoscopic projection.

The system is “combined with RealD XL technology, it allows 3D cinema content to be projected brighter and clearer onto screens larger than any other digital 3D technology with a single projector, on screens greater than a width of 75′.”

Posted on September 5, 2008 - by Nate

Shifting foot traffic and dweller audiences from digital signage venues to the web

As digital signage metrics standards continue to emerge, rest assured the industry will follow. Metrics are paramount to the success of any digital signage network attempting to sell advertising space. In fact, this is true for any advertising medium.

We’ve also read a lot about how in the land of the digital signage, content reigns. Let’s say you’ve engaging content. Let’s go even further to characterize your content as amazing and your digital signage venues as the highest traffic spots in town. You know you’re making an impact. 

Since the internet is the biggest game changer since the cotton gin, it needs to be involved more in digital signage than simply the modus operandi for content upload and distribution. There needs to be a reason for customers to sit down when the day is done and bring the experience of digital signage home with them. Digital signage must give consumers a compelling reason to go home at night, jump on their PC and revisit the website of the company whose ad caught their attention earlier in the day.

How is this done? I’ve written a few articles earlier about the uses of mobile devices with digital signage. But, I think something is missing. Perhaps a digital signage/kiosk hybrid with internet access would work appropriately. Or perhaps, adding some other obnoxious feature to the digital signage, like smells, would be appropriate.

Whatever the plugin, widget, or application added, it must somehow drive traffic to a company’s website. Think for instance about a signage network of 100 or even 1,000 digital signage screens. Think of the power this company has making lasting marketing impressions. Now, if those lasting impressions actually drove consumers to the web, what would be the result? Traffic would be the result. Traffic on the WWW is like stink is to monkeys. Monkeys are just not as successful without their stink.

I actually read a report sometime ago released by Google which showed how web traffic drives everything else. If you can successfully get a significant amount of web traffic, your site will be successful. Facebook is a good example of this. After amassing a huge following the privately held company was given buy-out offers worth several billion dollars. This was before any real profits could be recognized. Take a look at Twitter. Now that the company has amassed a massive following, do you think they intend to go on without profiting? I doubt it. Advertising is the name of the game in all these scenarios.

The problem I see with run-of-the mill digital signage is that consumers can not input their credit card number into it. Computers allow them to do this. What a shame! When we can effectively give people a method of purchasing NOW, then digital signage will make the Quantum Leap. 

Posted on September 3, 2008 - by Nate

Who Else Thinks Joe Lieberman and Henry Gibson are Cousins?

Last night I caught the tail end of the Republican National Convention in St. Paul. I’ve always thought Joe Lieberman looked like the actor Henry Gibson, but I could not remember which movie I had seen him in that reminded me he looked like Joe Lieberman. Then it hit me. He was in that funny/creepy 80’s film with Tom Hanks called “The Burbs.” I did some searching around and lo and behold. There he was: Henry Gibson. What do you think? Don’t they look similar?