ROANOKE, Va. — When students return to school this fall, many will notice something different underfoot at their local bookstore. Over 300 campus stores have been selected to be a part of the College Bookstore Network. The digital signage technology puts programming and advertising where students might least expect it, but where research shows is a highly effective location — on the floor.
The 30-inch, highly rugged screens can take a lot of physical abuse but also deliver highly targeted and effective marketing. Jim Currie, who helped launch Discover Card for Sears, Roebuck and Co., now heads LevelVision, which not only manufactures the screens but also operates the media network delivering the programming and advertising.
The programming includes short, information packed segments such as the "Top Five Ways to Go Green," "Cooking Segments" and up-to-the-minute weather forecasts. The programming is interspersed with high-value brand advertising. Campus bookstore managers say the screens immediately attract the attention of students, a feat not easily accomplished in this day and age by traditional media.
"It's just a cool medium that is very portable," said Jennifer Bennett, textbook manager at College Town Bookstore at The Ohio State University. "We can place it at the front of the store to greet customers, or place it in designated aisles for promotions."
Made with heavy-duty glass, the digital display devices have an anti-slip finish and are safety certified. The College Bookstore Network broadcasts its programming live from a headquarters control room and sends it through a wireless signal to each screen, which can change programming at a moment's notice.
