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The top digital signage stories of 2008, Part 2
We highlight the movers and shakers, new technology and projects that made headlines in the past year.
December 29, 2008
Although 2008 will probably go down as "the year of the economic downturn," the digital signage industry saw its strongest year to date.Here are the top developments and headlines from the past year.
Digital out-of-home companies draw big funding
Several digital signage and digital out-of-home companies received some big money amid the economic struggles this year, so it will be even more interesting to see what these companies decide to do with the capital in 2009 as the economy continues to worsen.
In April, digital media agency ADCENTRICITY raised $3 million in Series A funding from its investors. STRATACACHE announced in September that it was setting up a $25 million acquisition fund to buy more companies down the road. EnQii received $18 million in Series B funding later in the summer. And Access 360 Media, a digital out-of-home network targeting young males at retail, secured $8 million in Series B funding in October.
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In one of the largest network rollouts of the year, Reflect Systems launched the GameStopTV network in 4,000 locations nationwide. GameStop TV features product promotions, game previews, developer interviews and other customized content, as well as advertising targeted to GameStop's 18 to 34-year-old male customer base.
Content is delivered by CBS Outernet and the network's 73 million monthly viewers doubled CBS Outernet's monthly audience to 150 million. CBS Outernet will manage advertising sales for the network. In addition, CBS Outernet is providing custom programming to the network each month, including content from CBS Television, CBS College Sports, Last.fm and other CBS Corp. properties.
The network has begun a rapid rollout and will be completed in 2009.
Ingram Micro launches digital signage division
When a $36 billion electronics distributor eyes digital signage, the we listen. Ingram Micro's Digital Signage Division was actually formed in Dec. 2007, but has formed a strong presence in the industry through an expansive network of digital signage-specific VARs and partnerships with some of the top hardware and software providers.
The most interesting and appealing part of the Division has been its digital signage services outside of just warehousing and shipping. The group hosts monthly Digital Signage Roadshow events in cities across the country designed for education and hands-on demos. It also provides financing, marketing services and tech support specific to digital signage.
OVAB releases Audience Metrics Guidelines for DOOH media
The Out-of-Home Video Advertising Bureau hosted a summit in October in New York City, where it revealed a set of guidelines for determining impressions for digital media. Several networks began using the Average Unit Audience metric immediately as a common currency for which to compare digital signage impressions with those of other media such as radio and TV.
The Average Unit Audience of a network takes into consideration the following criteria:
• Presence – How many viewers were physically present in front of the screen • Notice – How many of those present viewers actually looked at the screen • Dwell time – For how long did those viewers watch the screen
CBS, ABC, NBC are showing signs that they want their hands in the proverbial pie of digital signage with several significant out-of-home announcements in 2008. In January, CBS Outernet said it will expand its network by partnering with Ripple and SeeSaw Networks.
NBC rolled out NBC Everywhere in January as well with plans to run networks such as NBC@ The Gym and NBC on Campus through IdeaCast and the University Network, respectively. NBC Everywhere also expanded its deal with the Fuelcast Network over the summer. ABC also has a pump-top out-of-home presence through partnerships with Gas Station TV and Pump Top TV.
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