Digital Signage: Is the Ad Industry Going the Way of Pluto?

If you read Advertising Age, you are probably familiar with Bob Garfield and his multi-year project entitled "Chronicles of the Media Revolution". As luck would have it, Mr. Garfield has added to his well authored series with a new article entitled “Chaos 2.0”.

This particular article is incredibly interesting to me because it does not simply predict (as some of his previous article’s have done) but references his “Chaos” article of 2 years ago and then diagrams out the time line of events that have taken place since that article was run. If you do remember the Chaos article, you will also remember the industry rumblings that surrounded it.

Chaos 2.0 is not only certain to send rumblings through the traditional advertising channels, but will most definitely send some for the hills. With comparisons to the recent demise of the planet Pluto and quotes from industry pros and even folks like Bill Gates chiming in, this is a must read for anyone involved in the advertising industry. And make no mistake; if you work with digital signage, you are in the advertising industry as well.

Digital Signage: LCD vs Plasma

I came across a great article in Self Service World about the use of LCD vs Plasma in digital signage applications. It does a good job of briefly explaining the differences between the technologies as well as outlining what industry folks have to say. You can find that article here.

Digital Signage: Are Digital Billboards a Driving Hazard?

I came across an article at MediaPlannerBuyer.com that goes over the growing concern with digital outdoor billboards. According to that article, digital billboards are expected to grow from a current install level of 400 to 4,000 over the next 10 years. I actually thought that projection was low but I should mention I have not seen any other numbers on which to base my opinion. The article goes on to suggest that digital billboards demand more attention from the driver therefore making them less focused on their driving situation. You can find the article I’ve referring to here.

This article was timely for my company. Captive Indoor Media recently became involved in a video wall project that faces a high traffic intersection in Downtown Louisville, KY. Although not a traditional digital billboard, that project needed a lengthy project review by the City of Louisville before approval. During that process, they invoked limitations on media that could be displayed but little else.

Our project involves eight, 46” LCD screens stacked 2x4 and positioned in a corner of the building that faces the street through floor to ceiling glass windows. The intent of this project is to grab and retain the attention of passersby and the potential hazard introduced at the intersection was a concern for everyone.

Iwill post a picture of our project once installed. That is scheduled to happen this week :-).

Digital Signage: A few tips for attaining good A/V contractors and a quality installation process

Digital Signage is all about software and content right? That is what your customers are seeing and ultimately the benchmark of success right? Easy to use software, great content and a plan to execute is all I need to get up and running right?

Ok, stop right there. If we can reverse that order and start with “A plan to execute”, now we are on pace. And one of the most integral yet often overlooked aspects of that “plan” is the question of who is going to hang the screen on the wall, hook up the player and service that equipment over the coming days, weeks and years. “No problem” you say, “we’ve got the guy to do it.” Ok, but what happens when you have an installation of 400 screens in 5 states on 200 walls within a tight time frame and in varied construction scenarios? Hmmm. It gets a bit more difficult doesn’t it?

With that question in mind and several scenarios which closely adhere to the above characteristics, I thought it would be beneficial to post a quick list of elements key to a good installation.

1- Work with a known partner

As a company we have used both individual A/V companies and networks of A/V companies provided by an aggregator. The aggregator’s job is to screen the contractor used for each installation and then help project manage the entire process. While this seems to be the most logical approach for implementing large orders, it also presents the most pitfalls. There always seems to be finger pointing and never a firm allocation of fault when a problem happens.

At Captive Indoor Media, we have assembled a team of A/V partners over the years which we work with on a regular basis. Today our network of partners spans across the country and we handle project management in-house. Through the combination of an existing relationship and a single point of contact (us) for our customers, our projects run much smoother and when we do have problems, we can handle them without all of the finger pointing.

2- Make sure the Audio/Visual contractor has experience with Digital Signage

This is absolutely critical if you cannot utilize an installer that either you as an end customer or your software vendor can provide. In these cases, it is necessary to have a qualified person on hand to check the basics from signal quality to the screen and dB levels for audio to network connectivity for the player. When you do use an unknown company, their experience with most any digital signage product should be a key component of your due diligence as to their ability to install a system cleanly, professionally and quickly.



3- Have a punch list

Here is the reference to my initial comments about executing a plan. Part of the process is the up front work which includes site surveys and a concrete set of requirements for each installation. Is the screen always 8 ft’ above the floor centered behind the tellers or are there deviations? What are the power requirements and is there any existing infrastructure the system can piggy back on? What happens when a truck shows up and things are slightly different than agreed upon when the punch list was created? Do you allow that vendor some flexibility to install anyway or do you have them come back at a later date? Who is responsible for configuring the network connection for the player and who will take the call when that connection is not allowing traffic for the player? These are just some of the obvious questions that need to be covered up front before work begins. Those questions set up the document which lists a set of requirements to be met when an installer begins at each location. When each of those requirements are met, a manager at the location should be required to check each to ensure they have been done and then agree that work is complete with their signature.

4- Have an experienced Software Vendor

As much as I would like to preach that Captive Indoor Media is in the software and content delivery business, we are also in the project management business. We carefully follow progress of each project, big or small, and manage constant communication (both verbal and documented) between all parties involved. Experience in this area should be a part of any vendor selection.

5- Maintain Consistency of labor

When large installations are taking place, we try to assign project teams that will gain efficiencies over the course of the installation project. It seems common sense to claim that 5 teams doing 40 locations each will be moving much faster on locations 30-40 than on locations 1-10. They gain confidence, relationships and knowledge which ultimately transcends to a good, clean installation. If there are constant changes in labor, it is more difficult to attain efficiencies and consistent quality.