Article

Interactivity: key to digital signage?

Do consumers need interaction in order for the medium to succeed?

April 3, 2007

The writer is editor of Self-Service World and Kiosk Marketplace.

LOS ANGELES — Dave Jenssen's message to attendees of Digital Signage 2007 was clear, even if it is one that's not commonly held: Consumers interacting with what they see on digital signage is much more effective than static advertising.

"Digital signage is getting consumers closer to the products, but it's not just messaging," said Jenssen, the vice president of New York-based Times Square2, a partnership between Reuters news service and Nasdaq, the largest U.S. electronic stock market. "It's getting people to do something."

While the immediate future of digital signage is relatively clear, what's around the corner for digital signage is not, Jenssen said. He compared its current usage to five years ago, when the technology was still in its infancy.

"I can't see what will happen in the next two or three years, let alone the next five. Five years ago, no one thought we'd be at the point we're at now."

The conference was held at The Standard Hotel in downtown Los Angeles. Approximately 140 people from around the nation attended, representing 65 companies.

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Times Square2 has worked with its clients to produce and display an array of advertising in the heart of New York City.

According to the Times Square Alliance, a group which works to improve and promote Times Square, approximately 31.4 million people walked through Times Square in 2004, most having no choice but to see the digital signs that proclaim their messages 24/7. Times Square2's screens cover 19,200 square feet across three different buildings, viewable from all angles of the square.

The company's list of clients includes Nike, whose campaign enticed watchers to call a special number to design a pair of Nike sneakers while they watched the process take place on the screens. The interactivity reached its peak when Nike awarded 240 of the callers with the sneakers they designed. And Time magazine enhanced its "Person of the Year" campaign with an invitation to viewers to call a special phone number, upload pictures of themselves and then watch as their pictures were superimposed on magazine covers.

A different campaign, this one from Dodge, used the classic game Rock 'Em Sock 'Em Robots. Watchers were encouraged to call a phone number, log in as either the blue or red robot and wait for their opponents. Using a mobile-phone keypad, participants were able to control their digital robot and compete against other users.

Jenssen encouraged attendees to rid themselves of traditional thinking, namely the 30-second television spot, when it comes to digital signage. Jenssen called it a "barrier to growth," adding that the execution of the advertisement is the key to effectively reaching a target audience.

Other barriers include the concept of free-range interaction and the current level of technology, he said. But advertisers should take advantage of the technology available. Short Message Service, Web-based and GPS applications, the ability of consumers to take photos with their mobile phones, and bluecasting, which allows consumers to receive and download digital content on a Bluetooth-enabled devices, are all heavily used today.

"For consumers, digital signage should be all about being part of it, buying from it, competing on it, being seen on it, and using it," Jenssen said, regardless of whether it is in a store or on the street. There is a growing acceptance, he said, of seeing and doing things in public places, so consumers are more prone to get involved.

"If you can get the consumer to play, then you can get your message across," he said.

Also presenting

Warren Harmon, section head for video, audiovisual and photography for the Mayo Clinic, chaired the conference. Other presenters included Scott Kushner, chief executive of MediaPlace and developer of Harley-Davidson's digital-media campaign, and Pat Hellberg, director of Nike's brand design media who developed digital signage campaigns for Nike.

Synergex's Eric So, American Honda Motor's Ann Palmer, Aerva's Sanjay Manandhar, AccuWeather's Scott Homan, ISuppli Corp.'s Mark Kirstein, and Canadian Broadcasting Corp.'s William Atkinson also presented.

Panel discussions included "Choosing the right vendor partners for your digital signage," moderated by Jeff Porter, executive vice president of dynamic signage for Scala Broadcast Multimedia, and a Q & A discussion hosted by Aerva's vice president of business development, Uri Feldman.