Archive for February, 2009
We’re All at the Digital Signage Expo: Via Twitter that is! “Content Day” through @DailyDOOH’s Tweets
Twitter’s great for many things, and it is also great that many involved in Digital Signage / Out of Home are Tweeting about the 2009 Digital Signage Expo. If you are like me; you are not in Las Vegas this week. But why pay for the ticket, the hotel and the plane ride, while also risking a serious hang-over and some Blackjack money; especially when you can get a backstage pass to all the critical events and happenings from straight from Twitter! No, honestly, I might be a bit jealous that I can’t attend this year, but thanks to some good peeps, it sure feels like we are all there. Personally, I was very much interested in what would come out the one of the first events at DSE that was to be Content Day.. As I Twitttered today, it didn’t seem like much was accomplished for the most part, although two presentations / and some content sounded like they Really stood out from most and were Excellent. Did the message about the importance in content for DOOH get through? That remains to be seen, and I have my reservations… But here is “Content Day” brought to you by DailyDOOH.com. Thanks guys, and Great job so far!
- Le DailyDOOH arrivee Las Vegas
- Not surprisingly an early rise in Las vegas, looking fwd to today’s content day enorrmously (some gr8 speakers lined up)
- DailyDOOH is online, front row at Content day, sitting next to, on my left Bill Gerba and Manolo Almagro
- Richard Lebovitz has officially opened the content day with a brief iintroduction. It’sa full house w/folks standing at the back of the room
- Laura Davis Taylor is moderator for the day and is now on the podium
- I don’t understand this first presentation
- this is a good idea – several companies showing how they would have pitched if there was a brief for a Samsung NC10 notebook advert
- Julie’s advert was much better than the first one but could probably have been half as long – again scarily played out bit like a TV ad
- so far have not been that impressed with any of the 3 adverts – typical agencies who have not though this thru FULLY
- i’m sorry but some of the content we have seen has been truly awful
- Please let this be the last !!!! Thank god it is. Laura is back on stage, summarising the 4 creative briefs that we have seen
- Unless this day improves I am going to take the BLUE PILL and hide my head under the pillow
- PLEASE- if the audience listen to some of the advice being dished out here, content is gonna be set back another 5 years
- THIS IS NOT TELEVISION
- Manolo writing more detailed post covering the 1st session ‘DSE 2009 “Content Day” Session: Interpreting the Creative Brief ” we believe
- Bill Gerba is up next – looking fwd to this one ’7 Proven strategies for better digital signage results”
- put your important text at the beginning and at the end
- pre-order, repetition, alliteration, the rule of ’3′
- taglines = keep em short and memorable
- top 10 slogans of the 20th centry just been shown on screen!!
- craft a call to action – a call to action should be on the screen all the time (could NOT agree more with this|!!!!!!)
- use google Adwords to help you craft calls to action
- fontogtaphy 101 – don’t mix font types, don’t use ALL CAPS, don’t stack lines
- now Bill is talking about color – of course he means C.O.L.O.U.R
- getting the hang of timing – don’t let motion interfere with readability of comprehension u only have a few seconds for glance media
- fade and blast are better than motion based displays like ticker for rapid identitifcation of items (we SO AGREE = spot on)
- layout – composing a shot (in the western world eyes move from left to right top to bottom)
- ooh contentious = multi-zone screen
- even a 15 second clip can be broken down into two x 7 sec and 4four x 3.5 seconds
- lots of good ARTISAN content being demo’ed here
- this is a masterclass of how one should go about content
- Our first full story of the day is up from Manolo ‘Interpreting The Creative Brief (Or Not)’ see http://www.dailydooh.com/ar…
- Phil Lenger is up after these guys – he’s co-founder, boss man at Show and Tell productions. Last we heard him was in Paris and he was good
- Phil is talking about theory and philosophy of great content
- network owner needs to take responsibility for hw / sw and content – let the advertiser do the ads of course
- elements of content = advertising, branding, information / PSA, entertainment, ambience / environmental
- we disagfree with phil’s vview on tickers )they just lazy)
- teh goal of your network is to be compelling SOMEof the time NOTall of the time (laughter from the audience)
- the meat should not repeat
- the experience curve is an interesting way to look at how to create loops of content
- Bill Gerba’s 7 Proven Strategies for Better Digital Signage Results and Phil’s How to Develop a Great Creative Strategy were best of the day
- How to rate the day? well thoise two PPTs alone were worth the entrance fee we suspect. The day was moderated well BUT ..
- … there were far to many mediocre presentations.
SUPER duper Graphics!
In relation to the last post, the “masterpiece” that was The Day the Out of Home Display Advertising Earth Stood Still, I wanted to show off some Supergraphics today. As a general definition for Supergraphics, supergraphics.com states, “Large-format digital printing of fleet graphics, vehicle graphics, banners, floorgraphics, p.o.p. displays, wall murals, window graphics, signs and more.” Ok, that’s fine. My ultimate point is, are these SO obtrusive that they need to be banned? Empty, used up, boring wall? or at least some color and creativity on the wall? Obtrusive, maybe… Causes accidents, or an eyesore? Depends, but I doubt it. I will admit, many are not done well, but if creativity and consideration for the environment of the placement is well planned, it can be a great media. There has to be a “happy-medium” with this issue of the ban… Here are some good Supergraphics:
This is at center stage of the ban. Statue of Liberty an eye sore?? Hmmm…
Judge for yourselves… I’ll be answering all the hate mail. 
The Day the Out of Home Display Advertising Earth Stood Still
I recently became aware of a possible ban on Out of home / Outdoor advertising out in the Los Angeles area, and became highly interested in the details of this subject. To think that some of the critical Out-of-Home advertising options may be banned in L.A., a Top 10 and number 2 DMA in the advertising world within the U.S., is simply not something to lightly. That is, especially if you are in the OOH world, whether you are an agency, strategist, media holder, and even an advertiser. I started digging.
Come to find out, there has been a “silent war” going on against outdoor billboards and digital signage for years. Some may have been aware about all the resistance to these media for years, but for myself, it is something that is something I just recently realized, and was eye opening. As I stated, this “war” has been going on for years, and not just in Los Angeles or California, not just in a few states, and not even just in the United States; it is apparently Global!
April 2008, according to Reuters’ Mystery Shanghai billboard ban irks ad companies, Out of Home /Billboard commercial advertising in most forms were suddenly banned in the commercial capital of China, Shanghai; to the confusion of many, I might add. The reason? Well, here’s what the officials in China stated in terms of a similar ban in Beijing. Yes, apparently they are banned in Beijing as well.
Authorities in China’s capital Beijing last year launched a crackdown on billboards promoting luxury housing, concerned they would fan resentment among less affluent residents.
Leave it to the Socialists… Another case: according to Billboard ban in São Paulo angers advertisers by the International Herald Tribune, ALL outdoor advertising in Sao Paulo, Brazil, one of the most populated cities in Brazil with a population of 11 million, has all been banned since January 2007. The reason? “visual pollution.” The result of the vote was 45 to 1 in favor of the ban, and the sole one vote, Dalton Silvano stated:
“I think this city is going to become a sadder, duller place,” said Dalton Silvano, who cast the sole dissenting vote and is in the advertising business. “Advertising is both an art form and, when you’re in your car or alone on foot, a form of entertainment that helps relieve solitude and boredom.”
Oh, it doesn’t stop here. The New Zealand Herald’s Fashion designer slams proposed billboard ban tell a story of a woman who owns a building where the government told her it was ok to have the billboard on top of her own building when she purchased it, but changed their tune in proposing a billboard ban. Ms. L’Estrange-Corbet states:
When I bought my building it had a billboard which the city council gave permission for many years ago … here’s the registration plate … No 479 and the rent from this contributes largely to the mortgage,
Suddenly, I find a group of city councillors want to put an end to the CBD having billboards … without any good reason and any plans to reimburse us for loss of revenue.
As I said, proposals on bans in terms of billboards and digital billboards is not just going on in L.A., or just even the U.S.; it’s going on in all corners of the world. In the U.S., states like Connecticut (at least on the freeways), Arkansas, Alaska, Hawaii and Maine all have bans, with California now looking to slowly, but surely follow. I am not sure if there are any other states in the U.S. that should currently be on this list, and some of you out there may say, “those states are not a big deal in the advertising / DMA- sense..” True. After all, Alaska is one of the most beautiful places in the world, but where are you going to get impressions from? Polar bears? (kidding!) Trust me, I hear you. But one thing I know about the U.S. is that what starts as a small snowball can become an avalanche quite quickly. As you know, California is perhaps one of the most popular and “pressed” states in the U.S., and the potential ban there has already gotten a lot of press and some heated discussions on blogs / websites. What if the ban goes through in L.A. / California? Do you not think officials in Chicago (which I have been told by a trusty source that it is also potentially in the works), Philly, Dallas, San Fran (also in Cali), Boston, Atlanta, and D.C. (don’t even get me started on D.C.) won’t follow suit? After all, it’s great press for the politicians and some quick votes at the expense of media holders / advertisers. One of the comments I read on this issue already states:
And more power to them. The digital billboards that are being put up are garish eyesores. There resolution is low and many ads simply don’t read. In a city dependent on driving anything that pulls the eye from the road is a bad thing. Our neighborhoods blend residential and commercial. This isn’t Las Vegas or Times Square. Thanks for letting me know who to support.
I am not even going to list all the different sites and groups that are dedicated to the Anti-Billboard / Outdoor advertising movement. “Google it;” there a lot!, and another fact I did not realize until researching for this post. With the foundation set, now may be the time to get personal.
Those who know my background know I am a New Yorker. Not born here, but certainly bred here. To the left; this is the Donna Karan billboard, supergraphic; whatever you want to call it, that I have seen my whole life. It doesn’t make me want to suddenly go rush out and buy her designs, but I can say from an artistic point of view, and especially in terms of advertising, it is beautifully and tastefully done. It shows her connection and passion for New York City, the city that brought her up. Do you know what would be behind this large “billboard”? An ugly worn out wall! If you ask me would I rather see a nicely designed ad, or a large used up wall, I would answer the “Ad” without even blinking an eye, regardless of whether I’m in advertising, into her brand, or the wall is digital or “analog.” One of the reason that people keep bringing up about the California issue is that “it is distracting to the driver / causes accidents, especially the digital signage ones…” To this I say, I have driven past this particular DKNY ad numerous times without a single accident; I’m not the best driver either. I probably tripped over on the street more than even getting close to an accident around there.
Related to this point, let move a few blocks up to Time Square, the awesome Mecca that is the greatest and world-famous example of Outdoor / Digital Out-of-home / Digital Signage advertising; my source of inspiration and energy in my life overall, not just in my advertising life. I have driven through Time Square HUNDREDS of times literally; including playing “chicken” with the crazy cab drivers, and yup, still NO accidents there either. (Knock on wood.) Listen, I haven’t seen studies and research related to this topic, and I Certainly don’t want anyone to get hurt; especially for the sake of advertising. But could it just be that the issues protesters and politicians are trying to connect to Out of Home advertising is a matter of simple mathematical probability? That more car accidents occur in L.A. because, oh, I don’t know; EVERYONE drives over there??? Maybe of those many drivers, there are some crappy drivers? I might be talking crazy, but thought I would throw this out there…
The point of all this is that 1) in the current doomed economy, there are certainly FAR more pressing issues than billboards and digital signage. If it is a matter of “life” over advertising, I would choose Life over advertising any day, but Show me the proof. I have yet to see a strong case. 2) During my inquiry, a point was also raised that “it’s only for digital signage, not the old traditional billboards..” This may be so, as I also think it is more geared towards digital signage, but what does that say? The traditional ones are less effective as they are less “eye-catching”? If someone in the brand or agency side thinks a bit deeply on this issue, they can sure reach that sort of conclusion. That’s Not good and true either, as there are some GREAT billboards out there as you see on my other posts. At the end of the day, what if traditional billboards are some how also included in this ban? 3) For industries, companies, and all the employees within them to all meet their demise for the simple sake of politicians getting some votes is truly going down a dangerous path. What will be next? In-location networks seems to be fine for now, but from my personal experience, I remember that an Anti-Drug campaign offended a parent at a retail store, because she thought her kid was too young to see that ad, and the ad had to be pulled. An ANTI-DRUG campaign! This may be a remote / minor example, but what if some politician states that In-location networks are negatively affecting the consumers somehow…? There go in-store / location networks as well. What about mobile billboards, or street cart advertising? I don’t think I have to go down the list here…
If this ban happens, this could really leave the out-of-home, digital out of home, and billboard industries; bascially the foundation of Out-of-Home advertising, at the “mercy” of the vote-hungry politicians. Some on the Out-of-Home and Digital Out of Home Advertising sides stated “Freedom of Speech” as a defense, and I’m actually not sure if it’s that either, or goes that deeply. If it does, it is certainly not only the OOH /DOOH industries’ worries, as this can impact the entire advertising world eventually. But one thing I do feel that I know is that these politicians seem to want to demolish several industries and some great people within it Forever for the sake of being elected into office for one term. Can the U.S. really take out an entire industry in this economy? All this may not happen today, and probably not even tomorrow; but maybe someday. That “DAY” could be sooner than you think, and this side of adverting and media could potential come to a complete halt.
Out of home Minority Report
I love flicks! But when I see movies that are relevant to my experiences and knowledge, I love’em even more! I’m sure many of you have already seen Crazy Tom’s movie, the “Minority Report.” During several parts of the movie, there were so many examples of where Digital Signage, Out of Home / Digital Out-of-Home, and Retail / Customer Service could be heading in the future, so I thought I would aggregate those parts for your viewing pleasure. Also allow me to apologize to Bill Gerba of WireSpring in advance; I know your stance on “Consumer Privacy” very well Bill! Just posting; don’t go crazy on me on Tweeter. Anyway, here it is, Enjoy!
Future of ID Theft
Get your Italian to English Dictionary
Out-of-Home: A Rare Artistic Break
One of the benefits of living in NYC is that you are surrounded by art. I love art as I dabble in painting, photography, graphic design, and yes, used to design clothes as well. One of my favorite museum is the Museum of Modern Art (MOMA), where I probably saw one of the best exhibition ever during the Jackson Pollock exhibition in 1998. Why am I suddenly talking about art here? Have I lost my mind? (Always!) No worries though. It’s all relevant in the end. The MOMA is currently showing art works at the Atlantic Ave. train station in Crooklyn, NY. A nice mix and usage of Out-of-Home and Digital Out-of-Home medias. Now look who’s getting modern!
Ah.. a Pollack
Holy Suzanne Alecia of OVAB!
Not sure how I missed this one, but just dug it up in my Itunes library, then found it on YouTube! I had the good fortune of meeting Suzanne Alecia, the President of The Out-of-Home Video Advertising Bureau, at a presentation she gave to my last company in 2008, and she sure was a smarty! Here an interview segment that AdAge did with her last year. If you are in Digital Out-of-Home; especially on the Ad side, you should probably watch this.
Hi Suzanne! Also, sorry for how the freeze frame shows up! Talk to AdAge about that one. 
Grand Theft Auto Out-of-Home: When Cars Meet Advertising
Is your car all beat up and about to die out? Trade it in for some Impressions. Auto brands are advertisers with BIG budgets (less so these days..), but these just goes to show, cars and the Out-of-Home industry are not always buddy buddies…
Is your Digital Signage Out-of-Home Ad Network Getting Ignored?
You finally made contact with the CTOs, CEO, and COOs at the franchise. You prepared your pitch for weeks and convince them of the potentials that an Digital Out-of-Home Network can offer. The franchise finally (and thankfully) signs on with your plan. You do the pre-installation site surveys. Audio or No audio? You align all the asset / equipment and companies that are needed to develop a DOOH network. You put your project manager hat on and start building out the network and media assets. You test; you troubleshoot, then repeat again. Test locations seem to work OK now, so here comes the rapid deployment of the entire network. After countless hours of planning, communicating, and installing; you have Finally built the foundation of a Digital Signage Network! You now work on the sales process so you can get brands to buy into the network, including getting research and data, developing and implementing media planning / proof of delivery tools, sales collateral, sales training, and connecting / selling with feverish excitement. This is just the dawn of an advertising Digital Signage Network, and indeed; it is a LOT of work with many individuals, companies, and decision involved. But it was all worth it becausee now you have a network with thousands of locations nationwide, which certainly guarantees millions of impressions a month, especially because third party research has found out that media asset placement, dwell time and foot traffic all resulted as favorable. The result are exactly what you, and more imporantly, what the brands and agencies wanted to hear. You went over the budget a bit, but it’s okay because you have a great network in place now. That was a tough and stressful couple of months, but it was all worth it, and the work is now Done!… OR IS IT?
As some of you out there know, I seen this process in real life several times over. And from what I’ve seen with many of the DOOH networks is that critical importance of Quality of Conent and Scheduling seems to take a backseat to the processes and priorities in the 1st paragraph. Is there usually a REAL budget set aside just dedicated to making quality and engaging content? Many may claim so, but honestly ask this question… Setting up a DOOH network is quite expensive and there is no way around this, but all the locations and screen in the world won’t matter if you are not able to capture the attention of the consumers that you are suppose to be target, and this is where the art and science of marketing / advertising comes in. Between the blogs and tweeter conversations I have followed; I have heard many things. “Repurposing TV ad creatives for DOOH networks,” “you have 7 seconds to engage the consumer from a DOOH screen,” “quality of content is still lacking,” so on and so on. This is the “beating of a dead horse” as many experienced professionals in the Out-of-Home and Digital Out-of-Home spaces have raise the importance of quality content over and over again, but the message still does not seem to get through in numerous cases. Some solution seems to be increasing interactivity, integration of mobile & printed point of purchase materials, making creatives more concise, which all seem to result in more effective campaigns. Yet many still seem to be satisfied with the simplest options of strategizing, planning, and programming; a 24 hour loop with repurposed spot here and there, then call it a “campaign”… What should be emphasized; at least on the ad side of the biz, and one of the prevailing theme of justoutofhome.com is the importance of “Integration;” meaning All creatives, including medias outside the OOH /DOOH space, ALL working together to communicate an effective message to the targeted demographic(s). In order to reach this effectiveness on the OOH / DOOH / Ad spaces, there are No other option than to 1) develop quality content and programming, so consumers will actually watch with interest, and 2) improved development of ad creatives that are solely targeted for these spaces. A simple example: “A text this number to win such and such” message on the screens and POP materials, in conjuction with a Mobile / Online /Social campaign setups is likely to engange the consumers more effectively compared to the 30 second spot or a “freeze framed” poster of the spot that the consumers see on the TVs at their home. Repurposing is, simply put, boring, lacks creativity and engagement.
On the network provider side, the simple question is: would you watch a TV channel that is playing the same shows, content, and ads over and over when you get home from work? The answer is like to be “No.” So why are so many networks running their content in this way, when they would never watch such a channel at their own homes? Are network and their content / scheduling established to engage the consumers, or just something for them to kill some time while they are waiting to pay? To gain eveb more insights; just talk to some of the employees at stores with DOOH networks; especially ones with audio. Many will tell you that the repeatitive programming is distracting, and in some cases, drives them absolutely Mad! Beating the same content over and over again into their heads is a sure way to drive someone “postal,” and also a sure way to get your DOOH / OOH network and ads ignored.
Quality of content and programming seems to be something that the industry(ies) as a whole still needs to improve on and pay attention to more. As companies / production houses that are solely dedicated and focused on these issues crop up more, the issue of ”qualtity” will be less so, and I do see this coming soon. But as a “whole” are we there yet, or even close? I look forward to some thoughts. With the Digital Signage Expo coming up at the end of this month, maybe the companies that are focusing on develpoing quality content need to be paid attention to a bit more than the previous years.
Now this “dead horse” is dust!
Digital Out-of-Home Vs. TV: Brought to you by Catalyst Media Group
This is great! The DOOH vs. TV version of the “PC vs. Mac” commercial by Catalyst Media Group. Bit “adverblogpost”-ish, but these smart Canadians deserve some airplay!
Digital Out-of-Home: JCDecaux + JWT + Interactivity + Mobile = Real Impressions
Staying on the theme of Out-of-Home media in the subways; here is an example of what I truly see as effective DOOH. Readers of Justoutofhome.com know I love the convergence of interactivity and mobile with digital Out of Home media, and here is the prime example of what is possible with a little effort in strategic media planning / conception. This is just sweet!; or should I say, “sweet and sour”! Those JTW people sure are good!
