Featured Articles

Integrating All Consumer Touchpoints

By David Polinchock, Brand Experience Lab

What we see much too often is that in the rush to use the newest tactics and technologies out there, brands frequently lose their own message (and sometime their identity too) in the process.And the proliferation of new technologies haven't helped, with so many cool ways to engage an audience, well why not use them all?
But, the consumer is also being bombarded by messages in every aspect of their lifes (we've even written talking urinals on our blog!) and we're training them to tune out to this clutter.   TV clutter is up; some magazines seem to have more ad pages then editorial pages; companies are looking at how to turn cell phones into an advertising channel. We've even heard about a cell phone company that will give you free calls if you listen to a commercial before your call gets connected.
So how do you use all of these tools and channels to tell a cohesive story in a compelling way to your audience?

From the Editor

Content is Not King

By David Keene, Executive Editor

As a well-known and unabashed promoter of “digital signage” in retail over the years–not the technology-for-technology’s-sake kind, but a firm believer in the new medium as a key part of a rising tide that will lift all retail boats–I found a recent presentation by the world’s top retailer both intriguing and sobering.

At the Digital Signage Expo held February 27-38 at the Las Vegas Convention Center, a special presentation was given by Mike Hiatt, Director In-Store Media Networks, Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. Hiatt spoke to a breakfast meeting on “The Past, Present & Future of the Nation’s Leading Retail Media Network.”

We’re all familiar with the basic economics of the Wal-Mart phenomenon. Wal-Mart accounts for 6% of Retail and Food sales in the U.S. 90 % of the U.S. population lives within fifteen miles of a Wal-Mart (and there is a trend toward more urban stores; most of U.S. is urban, and already, 65% of Wal-marts are urban/suburban).

Legislation

Retail, and the Healthy Child

By Jim Davidson, Polsinelli Shalton Welte Suelthaus

The year 2007 will go down as a benchmark year for food manufacturing and advertising industry achievements designed to address the issue of childhood obesity in America.  Nevertheless, in spite of major leaps forward to change the nature of advertising directed at children under 12 years of age, and the introduction of a broad range of new “better for you” products, the pressure continues to mount in Washington, D.C. to adopt new regulatory restrictions or enact new legislation designed to regulate the advertising of food products.  
All this is taking place during a year in which U.S. Senators Sam Brownback (R-KS) and Tom Harkin (D-IA), and Federal Communications Commission Chairman Kevin Martin, have overseen the collaboration by a Joint Task Force on Childhood Obesity and the Media that is working to complete a comprehensive report to document the numerous programs initiated by food manufacturers, advertising organizations and the media to promote exercise and better for you foods for kids.  At the same time the report is expected to set out some future objectives for the food, media and advertising industries to tackle.

Marketing At Retail Research and Metrics

In-store Content Strategy–Defining What Works

By Laura Davis-Taylor

Finally, digital signage for retail is becoming an accepted media. As our medium becomes more established, however, there’s no surprise that it’s starting to creep along the adoption path that many media venues before have already tread. And, as it does, a pesky question consistently comes up that some camps are far too quick to confidently answer: what works?

As an individual who spent 15+ years in the traditional and interactive advertising space, I’ve been down a bumpy road in how to answer this question. That road has never been bumpier than now, because even the things that have traditionally “worked” in mainstream media vehicles have begun to unravel. So, based on my experience, I would like to give those of you wrestling with this question in relation to digital signage a solid strategic foundation on which to operate.

Digital Signage

Overcoming “Keep your @#$% hands off my store”

By Adrian Weidmann, RMC; Jeff Dickey, SeeSaw Networks; and Rocky Gunderson, SeeSaw Networks

With the advent of retail based in-store digital signage networks, the promise of ‘free money’ through advertising revenue sharing, became a seductive rationale made by hopeful network operators. The logic was simple–the network operator would write the retailer a check every month for an agreed percentage of revenues derived from advertising fees in return for unlimited access to the retailer’s store–or more accurately, the shoppers in those stores. Some operators were, and continue to be, bold enough to get the retailer to purchase the requisite technology to build the network. From the network operator’s perspective this arrangement makes perfect sense. They find a home for their technology and the promise of an endless flow of millions of advertising dollars as shown by that single cell in their spreadsheet, while the retailers perceive a flow of new revenue completely risk-free. This makes perfect sense, right? Wrong.

Product Showcase

Rapid Displays Creates Mount Display Without Peer

When Peerless needed a point-of-purchase display to showcase its mounting brackets for flat-panel TVs, it looked to Rapid Displays for inspiration and execution.

Shopper Engagement

Experiential Shopping on the Strip

At almost two million square feet and sporting a massive LED-equipped "Cloud" at its entrance, the Fashion Show Mall in Las Vegas is a destination shopping venue that might only be possible in Vegas, you say. But is it? As experiential shopping becomes a major trend, don't bet that what happens in Vegas is going to stay in Vegas.