News

C-store digital signage ad network partners with mobile proximity ad network

Hundreds of convenience stores set to integrate proximity mobile solution with digital out-of-home advertising in partnership's first wave.

November 4, 2014

Interactive mobile advertising solution provider iSIGN Media Solutions Inc., its exclusive master distributor for the Americas, Graphic Media Inc., and their advertising sales arm, Engage Mobile Media Solutions LLC, have signed a strategic partnership with The Convenience Network, iSIGn announced.

TCN is owned and operated by Knoxville, Tennessee-based The Convenience Network Inc., a national digital sign network provider to the convenience store industry. Under this partnership, both companies have agreed to market a complete digital signage and mobile advertising solution, utilizing iSIGN's patented technology and hardware.

As a part of the alliance between these two companies the entire TCN Network of 300 convenience stores throughout the eastern U.S. will integrate iSIGN's Smart Antenna proximity to mobile solution and become part of the National Mobile Network.

"This strategic partnership is an important expansion of the NMN," said Ron Leman, Graphic's president and CEO, in the announcement. "It will add marketing strength to our efforts."

The first installations will be into the Golden Pantry Convenience stores, a 38-location network located in the greater Atlanta area. An undisclosed number of national advertisers are also participating in the expansion, according to the announcement.

As part of the partnership, the joint effort expects to announce a major expansion of the combined platform into 2,000 locations in the top 15 markets in the U.S. within the next few weeks, the announcement said. This expansion is expected to reach more than 25 million smartphones per day and offer advertisers and brands advertising reach combined with real-time anonymous data gathering and performance metrics.

"We are offering a very dynamic proximity marketing solution complete with ability to reach consumers inside and outside of the convenience store's location," said Rick Doyle, Engage's Managing Partner. "This total solution will drive foot traffic into the stores and will also provide actionable marketing data to our advertisers. This will greatly increase the value of our offering."

The NMN is projected to grow to at least 10,000 locations in the U.S. by the end of 2015, with additional locations in Canada and South America, all networked into one platform with geo-targeting capabilities down to an individual location. The network delivers cost-efficient ads 24/7 at or near point of purchase, the company said.

"We are extremely pleased to have reached this agreement with Engage and iSIGN," TCN CEO Steve Newman said. "This technology allows TCN to extend our in-store digital signage advertising offers directly to the store customers' mobile phone, smartphones or tablets, whether they are in the stores or at the gas pumps. The real-time data that this allows is something that our advertisers are very excited to receive."