The digital signage industry is fragmented by several different technology and solution providers, each of them providing one piece of the puzzle in the digital signage eco-system.

The DS Showcase is aimed to provide a complete ‘end-to-end’ digital signage solution with a bird’s eye perspective on how to plan, create, rollout and operate a full-scale Digital Signage network, from content to measurement.

While visitors will see in ISE bits and pieces of the overall application out of context, the DS Showcase will show a complete DS eco-system, with on-floor education to the end-users and integrators who are visiting ISE.

More information page: www.minicomdigitalsignage.com/ISE.cfm

JCDecaux – Jeremy Male – CEO UK & Northern Europe

Kinetic James Copley, UK COO

JWT Paul Banham – Digital Creative Director

The Impressive Year
Another well attended breakfast briefing organised by The Screen at The Hospital Club in London. It was well attended with many of the older delegates yet with the appearance of many new faces. I didn’t expect less as all these events are successful and inspirational. They’ve hosted several forums over the last year with 50 speakers and an attendance of 800 delegates. This has put The Screen on the map of “must attend” events. A steady progressionof breakfasts to conferences and recently tours assures pedigree, allowing them to reach wider communities.

The question everyone asks me, how are you doing and where do you think the industry is now? As for me viewing the industry from a reporter’s eye, I did well thank you. The industry? From what I have reported and the frequency of installs I’d say the sector has lifted off the runway and is “Gear Up”. The economy, if it holds, will help propel this rapidly growing industry onwards. From my perspective I’d say there are cracks in the facade, yet they can be overcome with good management and sales team. As I mentioned at the beginning of this year, management has supplied us with a great kit bag, it was down to the salespeople now. So, all in all it has been a good year.

Is DOOH in the mainstream? Frankly, it’s not in everyone’s vocabulary yet, this I take from reading trade papers every day, we still need to educate more of the troops. It has however edged respectfully closer approaching the coveted tipping point with each day. As to investment into infrastructure I’d say it was commendable.

The JCDecaux Bombshell
Jeremy Male, CEO of JCDecaux U.K. and Northern Europe, kicked-off the event by underlining that JCDecaux has had a watershed year and will double its digital presence in rail and malls in the coming year. The investment they have made in their network allows them to reach more people everyday than all midmarket national press put together, and more than radio over a two-week campaign. With the UK the 2nd largest digital signage market behind China, they are expecting to double their footprint in the UK next year.

Without doubt it was events this year that has driven the digital signage market well, especially during the election, World Cup and Wimbledon. This helped with awareness among the agencies who will be seeking even more creative use of the platform. Similar to my own statement at the beginning of 2010, Male said that we’ve invested but now we need to do the marketing. One pound in every eight is being spent on DOOH and with the Olympics just around the corner this share could reach one in five by 2012.

JCDecaux will extend coverage of national rail and widen their Mall presence across the UK.
All this will be moved along by “The Power of Creative” whereby 52% of increase in market share comes from creativity. Yet still we are showing 65% of new media based on old media methods and mind-set. A lot of educating needs to be done.

By 2011 digital signage will be reaching 50% of the UK population, this fact means the industry is now mainstream and not a niche anymore.
Another interesting fact is that 80% of UK national digital signage can be found in London, national expansion is necessary. Male feels that a tipping point has indeed been reached and forecasts revenue of £115 million in 2011, the ever expanding national footprint will also attract a host of new brands helping the forecast.

Kinetic
According to Kinetic they own about 25% of market share, they also conclude that outdoor can now be classed as mainstream. The drivers being: Investment, Scale and the consumer.

Investment means continued rollouts, new formats, new environments and joining the mobile consumer.
In scale they see properties in all major cities and that all opportunities are well represented plus rail, they are assured that development will continue.
The consumer is being presented with an ever increasing sophistication of advertising with more interactivity plus facetracking.
To sustain the future more investment is needed, their growth expectation is 15% in 2011. Continued investment means they will retain and improve on flexibility, an important factor.

JWT
Paul Banham highlighted that today’s Poster/Billboard is well armed. With Bluetooth server, mobile, camera, touch and gesture interactivity it is well equipped to harvest marketing data by the bushel. Facial recognition is just scratching the surface. He agrees with other speakers that we’ve gone mainstream.

The future?   “Stop thinking it’s a poster”

James van Etten, Editor CLIPPINGs

En este día se reunieron profesionales del sector Publicitario, Agencias de medios, de publicidad, casas productoras, asi como grandes Operadores de redes, Bancos  y operadores de medios Outdoor como Clear Channel y PRN.

En el marco de este encuentro los temas se desarrollaron de manera Fluida, obteniendo una respuesta óptima de los participantes, creando un ambiente de networking, intercambiando dudas y experiencias del mercado en México y LatinoAmérica.

Contamos  con la presencia de empresas del sector provenientes de Colombia, Argentina e Inclusive de España.Esto demuestra la importancia de esta iniciativa en el mercado LatinoAmericano y a su vez  garantiza el segundo foro , que ya tiene fecha para el  2011 y se estará comunicando a la brevedad.

Boletin Prensa:

Digital Signage el siguiente paso en la comunicación colectiva

• La convergencia integra varias tecnologías que hacen más dinámica la transmisión de datos
• Esta interacción aumenta hasta un 30% las ventas en el punto de venta
• Se presentaron los temas clave para esta transición en el Primer Foro Mexicano de Digital Signage en América Latina

Representantes de Kolo Academy anunciaron durante el Primer Foro Mexicano de Digital Signage en América Latina, que este concepto tan revolucionario será el siguiente paso en la comunicación colectiva, donde más allá las personas pueden vivirla en el momento en la que se está efectuando así como también interactuar y obtener información deseada en tiempo real.
Añadieron que esta convergencia es un nuevo sistema que integra varias tecnologías para modificar y hacer más dinámica la forma de transmitir la información en pantallas como son espectaculares, carteles en puntos de venta, mupis, kioskos y todas las vías informativas que tengan que ver con la comunicación colectiva. El objetivo de este sistema es mostrar contenidos más dinámicos e intercambiar ideas que ahora permiten evolucionar al siguiente paso.
Andrea Mereghetti, Chief Executive Officer de Kolo Academy dijo “El Digital Signage aumenta las ventas hasta en un 30% en el punto de venta comparado con la forma tradicional de presentar la información. Creemos que para quienes se dedican a gestionar contenidos tendrán un mayor impacto en las áreas de comunicación como en la publicidad, marketing, gobierno e internet. Es un paso lógico en la forma de ver y producir en el punto de venta ya que además la información se puede modificar desde una computadora en tiempo real y eso genera mayor expectativa de los espectadores”.
Por último, German Robles, Area Manager de Kolo Academy y coordinador del foro añadió “estamos muy entusiasmados por la respuesta que obtuvimos con este primer foro. Esperábamos entre 25 y 30 personas en el evento y ahora tenemos confirmados más de 80 personas clave del área de producción de audiovisuales para la comunicación colectiva. Sabemos que este nuevo concepto realmente revolucionará la manera de percibir las cosas de manera diferente y que el sistema será un parteaguas en la manera de transmitir la información”.
Entre los temas que se desarrollaron durante el Primer Foro Mexicano de Digital Signage en América Latina estuvieron: Los mercados de USA y Europa, Desafíos y oportunidades del Mercado en México, Necesidades y aplicaciones en México así mismo presentó el caso de éxito de IMC en Costa Rica.

Autor: Esteban Perez

First Digital Signage Mexican Forum LATAM is scheduled for the beginning of the next week, November 29th 2010. There is a very nice idea that draw all these experts from Latin America at one place – presenting this “revolutionary concept of how to increase sales and manage advertising content and digital media on point of sale”.

But, this would be only marketing talk, if such a big names that are speaking at the event, aren’t supporting the whole story. Look at that line up!

• Mr. Eyal Rom, VP C-nario – speaking about Digital Signage in USA and EU markets
• Mr. Omar Orozco Osorio, NEC  Mexico, talking about challenges and trends in Latin America market
• Mr. Ulises Campos, ITP corporativo, covering digital signage needs and applications in Mexico.

So, tumbs up for the first Mexican Digital Signage Forum, and looking forward to many more!

The Screen UK held another informative special breakfast briefing event on November 18th at Harris’ new state-of- the-art Reading showroom and headquarters. ‘STADIUM MEDIA – DOOH & THE CROWD’ reviewed how the Stadium Experience is being changed by Digital Signage.

What the industry is experiencing and is being discussed today in all brand boardrooms is the fact that technology models are outpacing that of current business models. We have here the tortoise and hare effect, meaning technology is way ahead of current management. Most business models are still stuck in the paper and print environment, the advertising model needs to be burst out and new KPI’s set before major movement can be gained.

The Tipping Point in digital signage has not yet arrived. However the Sports sector is rapidly leading the way by commingling all channels simultaneously, firing on all barrels and touch points in synchronicity.

The Stadium’s mission is to improve the consumer experience, this will be reflected in return visits and climbing ROI. Not only is effective use of digital signage important within the stadium, but the effective broadcasting to an audience outside the stadium which is much bigger.

Communications, the core mission objective at Harris, adds to the dependability of this discipline. Harris is entering the digital signage segment with much knowledge and experience under it’s belt.

The main pointers in this review are a result of the presentations during this meeting.

The Presenters

Sports Revolution, Antony Marcou, MD
As in all networks and DOOH networks it’s the media rights that need to be carefully managed, Sports Revolution has the experience to assure compliance in an ever increasingly complex arena. They handle Content, Consultancy and Sales and are part of the Starcom Mediavest Group the world’s biggest media buyers with Publicis.

Harris – Michael Arthur, GM, Sports & events
The future of live event venues was discussed with it’s importance to major world brands. In essence no major world brand can afford not to be visible at top sports events. Your logo needs to be visible somewhere in the stadium, optimally on the screens broadcasting the event to the world.
Harris has been into the worldwide broadcasting of Olympic Games since 1976 with the architectural designing of sports platforms. They work in partnership with Cisco. The priority at Harris is picture quality and is their sector strength.

They place high emphasis on control rooms and the delivery of HD. This is a complex issue because of the idioms of American sports broadcasting and the technical systems involved. Their flagship control room can be seen in the Amway Stadium which is the worlds’ largest digital signage stadium. Their control room is also the largest of its kind in the USA. Unique to Harris is the Moment of Exclusivity, a situation whereby the whole stadium can be branded with a single logo on all screens.

From this special control room all advertising channels can be covered, i.e. broadcast, wifi, network and more recently mobile, not only outside but within the stadium.

Harris teams place special consideration to the touch-points within the Path of Travel. These are demographics, ingress/egress, Compliment & Behaviour patterns with respect to flow in & out of the game. Especially important is synchronisation of food and beer sales.

Michael feels the future of digital signage advertising is in oversize. This means the bigger the screen the better in gaining attention and implanting the brand. At the moment it is felt the conventional 42″ is beginning to be ignored because of its association with home TV.

Sports advertising is high-octane, fast paced and dangerously staked with high service level agreements. Harris and its partners have proven that they can handle this with perfection.

NEC, Jonathan Cooper, Business Development
Screens, the last millimeter to the viewers brain. Clarity, crispness, durability and dependability crucial in a digital signage application.

Barco, Russ Burling – Sports & OHM
Specialist screens, renowned for large LED applications – yet their screens can be found in the cockpit of airlines and medical consoles in hospitals.

The Challenge

Screen Placement
As in airports, which I consider a form of stadium in which the experience level is high, positioning of screens need careful attention. Here again we meet the eight Bernays touch points to promote mental branding. Placements to be considered are;
• Parking
• Main arteries to the stadium
• Box or ticket office
• gates
• Fan zones
• Public lobbies
• Concession stands (food/beverage)
• Private and Corporate boxes
• Main seating areas
• Rest rooms
• Perimeter walls

Emergency Announcement

Proper planning of sign content for emergencies will help preserve order and minimize injury at any public event. Because of the proper positioning of signage, emergency messages can be broadcast quicker and more effectively than loud hailers. As in stadiums, the control room provides centralization and the capacity of override signage messages instantly and consistently. Keeping the crowd updated is imperative. Integration with venue alert systems is rapidly becoming standard for digital signage.

Revenue Generation

A finely tuned digital signage system can increase overall stadium revenue to a high percentage. Good communications is important; Harris is a proven communications platform for all digital signage providers.

The extra revenue stream can be;
• Overhead Menu Boards – these can be changed to reflect stock, situational promos and much more.
• Stadium and club promotions, special tickets, contests, club memberships and the next event list.
• Core advertising revenue from parties outside the Stadium.

Targeted Content

A capacity to deliver the needed message to the right audience with split second timing is crucial in this environment. It cannot be left to computer automation and needs to be orchestrated from a control room. It is here where audience activity can be enhanced and controlled. Specific messages to the audience can heighten the experience and enjoyment with resulting revenue increase to all parties. The use of social platforms such a Facebook has become the norm alongside traditional signage content.
Target Segments are;
• Approach time to stadium before the event, parking lot and main pathways
• Post event on the same routes
• Facility entry points and Wayfinding signage to ATM, Rest room, security and Info desks.
• Breaks or intervals where directed messages can help concessionaires move product.
• Private box promotions
• Family area promotional content
• Exit information of next event dates

Rolling onwards

The day after the Screen Event there appeared an interview with a Stadium using full digital signage.
Video: Digital signage pointers from the new KFC Yum! Center

James van Etten, Executive Editor, CLIPPINGs

EDIT: And here is the moment when André Koitzsch, MDS Sales Director DACH, Baltics & Scandinavia, took over the prize! Pictures are taken from invidis.de website, pls see them at their source

The information gathered will help in forming an opinion for your own airport advertising. Heathrow T5’s notorious opening in 2008 and its resulting recovery is a study in management and consumer opinion. Digital Signage was a key influencing cause in regaining customer confidence. The early battle-plan and its outcome was reviewed at this same venue last year and had most of the attendees on seat-edge.

The Heathrow Channel
Ad revenue on the Heathrow screens has increased by 20%. Early adopters of the technology are part of the reason. Digital Signage, as an ad channel, is climbing because of types and numbers of screen available. At the date of this report there are 400 screen at Heathrow. Heathrow is the 4th largest airport in the world, just behind O’Hare Intl. Annual passenger total is over 38 Million.

Present dwell time at Heathrow is about 160 minutes. Of which about 100 minutes is in the departure lounge.
A different kind of info is expected along the chain of Touchpoints up to the gate. Main priority is flight information. Thus information provided needs to be contextual, real-time and in the appropriate language interspersed with flight warnings and alerts. A certain element of Wayfinding is paramount.

Bernay’s Touchpoints. Touchpoints are the signs seen by the public as they approach the airport and finally arrive in the departure lounge. The same is in reverse although with reduced dwell time.
• Large billboards outside the airport begin to influence the passenger’s mind-set to the event he or she is about to experience.
• The influence and conditioning begins also within public transport to the airport. Heathrow Express provides the first rail system in Europe with a LED tunnel advertising system. Major brands use this to enter branding messages into the subconscience and set anchors.
• Another point is the gathering area just before the check-in booths. Flight information boards provide catch points and extra anchors.
• The check-in desk is the beginning of a more personal approach. Here more details of flights are revealed. This period can also be used to firm brands anchors, also introduce offers
• Cafes and Restaurants provide another anchoring opportunity, with interactivity.
• Customs and security check areas provide more opportunity to dispense with flight information and advertising anchoring sessions.
• Air side retail areas further provide opportunity for branding (anchoring) and information.
• Departure lounge more branding and interactivity areas.
• Overall anchoring opportunities can also be broadcast on Wayfinding screens.

The audience is now becoming the Key Point of Difference. Heathrow has a special kind of audience. The majority are up- market and liquid. We could classify them into;
• Executives: High-end travelers, people who make decisions and set strategies for their companies. That is why airport advertising is so important for the world’s premium brands.
• Blue Chip Managers: Second-tier management
• MidLevel Executives.
• Holidaymakers. Refined.
• Avid Adventurers.

Heathrow Express Shares a station within Heathrow’s T5 with London Underground This is a special passenger commuting train from Paddington Station in London. The time from London to Heathrow is 15 minutes. The audience on these trains is upmarket, providing a £100 million turnover. Surveys revealed that passenger satisfaction is high.The passenger’s need to remain connected has been satisfied with extra investments into Wi-Fi equipment, as it’s becoming a key business driver.

In Summary
The discussion was not all about Terminal 5, but rather Heathrow in general. The word out this year is audience, Audience is fast becoming the Point of Difference, and this is positive at Heathrow.
A huge investment had been made with the result being that no cannibalization from standard advertising was made. ROI for most companies advertising at Heathrow was a healthy 16|% increase in orders from passengers passing through. This makes the setting a valuable real estate for any brand style advertiser.
To attain this not only was there a substantial monetary investment but also research. Eyetracking research using technology more at home in a fighter jet proved that screens were in the right locations. Content playing on the screens also attracted enough attention to satisfy the Bernay’s “8 Times” rule.
Finally with Heathrow placed in one of the financial centres of the world, the passenger passing through is not only interested in getting to his or her plane on time but has a keen need to remain connected. Heathrow has well catered to this service. Thus customer experience has been high on the agenda when planning this airport. This and providing the service the airport was built for, planes, will with digital signage, help preserve the focal point Heathrow commands.

James van Etten, Executive Editor, CLIPPINGs – Digital Signage Newsletter

Minicom Digital Signage presented DS Vision Digital, along with its Proof of Performance feature, which has been highly appreciated. We received excellent feedback on our new IP Streaming solution, which was exclusively presented for the first time at this event. Danny Lev, MDS Director of product Management, introduced MDS Proof of Performance innovative concept in the standard workshop. Please contact us to have access to the presentation Ronni Guggenheim, CEO of Minicom Digital Signage, gave at the conference on “Asset Management and Proof of Performance – How to increase your network’s uptime and efficiency“.

With the help of LG which provided us with 3 professional displays, we have been able to make live demonstration  of our new products and to show real time feedback from the display to the player when the player is not functioning properly, thereby allowing for immediate reaction.

The 4^th Munich Digital Signage conference has been a great opportunity to share interesting insights on future market requirements and trends on the DS industry with reseller/integrators, end user, network operators and vendors.

We are looking forward to seeing you in our next events soon!

Author: André Koitzsch, Sales Director DACH, Baltics, Scandinavia