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The iPad as a tie-in. A lot cooler.

The iPad – What Can It Offer in Terms of OOH Capabilities?

With its recent release, the iPad brings the expected bells and whistles contained within the sleek exterior of all Apple products that we as consumers have come to know and expect. But, beyond these expected features, the iPad also brings an array of options and uses for new marketing and advertising initiatives. As the iPad is released throughout North America, companies are trying to think of new and innovative ways they can use the new technology to their advantage. Unlike the iPod Touch and iPhone, the tablet style computer allows for much more creativity in terms of marketing and advertising initiatives. A main use that is being discussed in the iPad, and the potential it has to play an integral role in OOH marketing.

• The touch surface offers countless options for creating an interactive experience for consumers.
• Whether it be in retail locations, out on the street, or anywhere else you can think of, the simplicity of the iPad’s tablet style, creates an easy to navigate experience for the consumer.
• The iPad also offers a unique opportunity to collect information/build a database on consumers; information can be gathered about each individual who interacts with the iPad. 

 This newly gathered information can then be used to build a database. These types of uses for the iPad can contribute greatly to creating a strong CRM within a company.

It seems relevant to not just look at the iPad in terms of person use, but to look at it in terms of marketing and advertising. You’d be surprised what it can do for you and your company! 

@ Bash! we're already integrating the iPad into other emerging platforms and customizing its functionalities with both d/i-OOH + events as well as other interactive marketing mediums and turnkey solutions.

iAd: The New Mobile Ad Interactivity Playground

Well, Steve Jobs has dazzled us once again with the introduction of iAd: the mobile advertising platform that allows users to stay in an app when they click on an advertisement, rather than kicking them out and leading to an external link.

Upon its announcement, Jobs showcased two wicked features of the iAd: 1) a fully interactive advertisement that looks identical to an app, and 2) the ability of the advertisements to have access to APIs, just like a native app (e.g. using location services, etc.). It's not too daring to say that the iAd will revolutionize the way it's iPhone users view marketing and advertising; rather than being annoyingly intrusive and redirecting, the iAd will let advertisements appear just like iPhone apps - interactive, fun, and a cool thing to be part of. 

Interactivity and engagement with the consumer is clearly the distinctive feature between iAd and other advertising server systems. iAd doesn't intrude and disrupts; it's easy exploration and make ads fun. 

Some quick facts about iAd that is sure to charm and wow you:

• Over $60 million has been committed to iAd in 2010 by major brands (AT&T, Best Buy, Chanel, Nissan, Sears, State Farm, Target, Turner Broadcasting System, Unilever and The Walt Disney Studios). That's not too shabby for a product that's been selling for only 8 weeks.
• This  represents almost 50% of the total forecasted US mobile ad spending for the second half of 2010.
• 60% of revenue goes to the advertiser, while Apple keeps 40%, the "industry standard"

The iAd is really just another example of the emerging trend of interactivity in mobile media. Jumping on the interactive mobile media bandwagon may not seem like a bad idea after all. Hey, Steve Jobs is doing it!

The Growing Potential of the Mobile Internet

Mobile devices and the mobile internet are proving to be a popular contender in the race to reach existing and potential consumers in new and innovative ways. With almost half a billion mobile internet users worldwide, and a forecasted one billion by 2011, the mobile internet is a fast growing medium available to be used in a variety of marketing and advertising initiatives.  A recent poll found that mobile devices were the second most popular way of accessing the internet, with 58% of respondents saying they used their phones to access the web.

Companies are now starting to notice the mobile internet trend. In 2009, the total mobile marketing and advertising expenditure was under half a billion dollars. Over the next five years however, this spending is forecasted to grow at an annual compounded rate of 40%. These few stats alone begin to clarify the popularity and potential that the mobile internet now has among mobile subscribers.

Phone applications are a popular way that some companies have already started harnessing the mobile internet’s potential. The free Night Navigator mobile application was launched for the 2009 Scotiabank Nuit Blanche in Toronto last October. The application allowed users to obtain event information, rate exhibits, vote for favourites, and obtain event locations and recommendations. Scotiabank, in partnership with Simply Good Technologies plans to launch another free mobile application for the upcoming 2010 Scotiabank Caribana, which will be available for iPhone, Blackberry, and Android users.

Another use for the mobile internet comes to us from Heineken. The company launched a mobi site to raise awareness about the effects of drinking.  The site encourages switching to non-alcoholic beverages before it’s too late to prevent embarrassing behavior. This is done through the introduction of five embarrassing types – the sleeper, the groper, the exhibitionist, the crier, and the fighter. The site also allows for interaction, by allowing users to share embarrassing videos, or send virtual glasses of water to friends.

Overall, it is clear that we can no longer ignore the huge growth in mobile subscribers, and mobile internet use. With its large growth, and increasing popularity, it is sure to be a medium that all companies will soon be using.

European Digital OOH

Recently, we have begun to see more and more digital OOH initiatives coming out of Europe. Some websites, including www.digitalsignagescene.com have forecast that digital OOH revenue in Western Europe is likely to quadruple in a five year time span, from 158 million euros in 2007 to a forecasted 626 million in 2012! This equals an annual growth rate of 32%.

A perfect example is Diesel’s Be Stupid campaign. A digital window display by Comtech has consumers photographing themselves with their mobile phones, so that they can MMS the photo into Diesel. The photos then go to the digital display, as well as the Facebook page. Want to know the scary part of it all? None of the photos are moderated. If the campaign, which is currently taking place in Denmark, is successful then it will be rolled out across Europe.

Another example of European Digital OOH comes from Stroer Kentvizyon, Turkey’s largest developer of OOH advertising. An Outdoortv digital ad network has been installed in 16 metro stations in Istanbul and Ankara, Turkey. The screens were developed to help make waiting for the metro more enjoyable. The screens, which are located in the centre of each metro station, also provide advertisers the opportunity to reach consumers through appealing digital content, and brand messaging.

http://en.ooh-tv.com/2010/05/05/turkey-strer-kentvizyon-installs-digital-signage-network-in-metro-stations-selects-scala/?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

One other example of Europe is harnessing the power of digital OOH comes from Portugal, where the mobile Internet service Vodafone 360 is being promoted through 360 degree, crystal clear LED displays. These displays are Litefast MAGIC, a product made by German Kinoton gmbH, and are located in malls throughout Lisbon and Porto.

http://www.digitalsignageuniverse.com/news_kinoton_120909.html

Digital OOH offers a multitude of advantages that suggest Europe might just have the right idea. Unlike traditional static formats that require manual maintenance, digital formats are fed remotely from a central server. The flexibility and creative allowances that digital formats offer, are also able to generate higher ROI. Another advantage to digital OOH is the reduction of entry barriers through the ability to run shorter campaigns, such as part-day campaigns that run in the morning commuting hours. It is clear that there is a lot we can learn from Europe and their current use of digital OOH technologies. When will we start seeing these types of initiatives here in Canada? 

Digital and Interactive OOH: The Perfect Media for all Target Markets

It's no secret that marketers far and wide have spent millions of dollars trying to reach specific target groups with the right medium; internet advertising for teens, television for adults, and mobile marketing for young, urban professionals. But as people start spending less time in their homes and more time outside, Digital and Interactive OOH media becomes more dominant in a world of unengaging and traditionally boring media. 

Digital OOH media reaches 19.2 million consumers monthly. Now that's a lot of exposure. 

Throughout this 19.2 million, several profitable target groups are reached through Digital and Interactive OOH - from affluent adults to college students to alpha moms right back to teens, Digital and Interactive OOH media has the stopping power to gain awareness from the consumer due to its innovative social and impressive technologies. 

Here's how people throughout all life stages/patterns effectively notice Digital and Interactive OOH media making it the ideal and perfect media to give your company a unique, trendy, and well-heard voice:

Affluents: 60% notice, 36 % take action. 

They make over $100,000 a year in household income and have enough disposable income to engage in high-end activities such as traveling, taking cruises and having mad spending sprees. They notice Digital and Interactive OOH media more than any other traditional media source.

Movie Goers: 69% notice, 51% take action.

18-55 year olds who attend movies more than once a month. 

Business Professionals: 67% notice, 30% take action.

Aged 22-55 they are more likely to have a college or graduate degree, very social and active. 

College Students: 65% notice, 49% take action.

Aged 18-34, they attend college, university, or graduate school. They also have a lot of purchasing power. 

Nightlifers: 65% notice, 43% take action. 

They like to go out at night and frequent visitors of bars and nightclubs, and are very social. 

Mobile Millennials: 63% notice, 43% take action

18-34 year olds with lots of purchasing power. They lead a more mobile, tech-savvy lifestyle. DOOH is an ideal medium for this group as they prefer communication with an interactive element. 

Teens: 54% notice, 55% take action.

Between 13-17 years old. A very social image-conscious group. Although they are the lowest percentile to take notice, they are the highest to take action. 

So there you have it. These groups were the highest among others to take notice of Digital OOH media. And these numbers are only going to rise - with social media websites such as Facebook and Foursquare engaging their users in a world of interactivity, Digital and Interactive OOH media will only boom and dominate the media landscape. And what more could a company want than massive appeal in a cool and shared manner?

*Statistics taken from OMAC "Engaging People with Digital Out Of Home Media" (http://www.omaccanada.ca/Sites/omac/multimedias/membersarea/SeeSaw_EngagingPpl_DOOH_Full_2007.pdf)

Are some brands forgetting the evolved marketing funnel?

In our world of cheaper and further-reaching marketing technology, consumers are now given more and more greater amounts of power. The world has now truly evolved to the point where the relationship is no longer advertiser – consumer; instead it is more like consumer – consumer.

This is the notion of brand democratization which is now here! Whats most surprising about this though, is that a lot of companies are still turning a blind eye of this phenomena, or are choosing to go against the grain while others are embracing it. It is becoming increasingly important to have 2 way dialgoues interacting with your consumer, as well as getting involved in comments/feedback/social reviews from your consumers talking about your brand.

Frustrated consumers, who have been brushed aside by companies/products or services, are turning instead to Twitter, Blogs, YouTube, and Facebook to voice their concerns not to mention text messaging their peers (keeping them in the loop is only natural these days).

In short every one who is online and who interacts with others becomes a brand ambassador, so can companies really afford to ignore this? Most likely  not, keeping in touch with the latest and greatest to keep consumers attention and satisfaction is becoming part of the marketing funnel.

Marketing Strategy '09 / '10

 Various studies are showing fluctuating trends in the digital world, Mobile marketing, Social Media. OOH and Micro-sites are still amongst some of the favorites.

http://blog.junta42.com/.a/6a00d834c5f4b969e20133ec5b013e970b-pi

The Retail-interactive digital experience, North America.

The retail environment is becoming increasingly competitive, and as a result more retailers and brands are looking to break away from the price vs product consumer mindset and 'being unique' has become more important than ever before in the fight for busienss.

Winning customers by delivering enhanced service, value and a quality customer experience can acheive this, especially in store. In order to do this retailers and brands need to harness their consumer research and find new ways of deploying and leveraging new and innovative in-store marketing technology.

In this evolving battleground for consumer mindspace, it is vital that retailers understand who is shopping in their store and when and then to tailor the communication to address their profile, shopping behaviour and their frame of mind. Industry research has identified a significant group of customer ‘clusters’ – customers that can be linked by mission rather than traditional demographics, and research like this shows that retailers will at last be able to truly accurately map customer flow and where/how they dwell. Furthermore, from the digital Out of Home industry’s perspective, it allows us to truly understand the shoppers’ ability to be aware of, engage with and respond to relevant external targeted messaging during different stages of their shopping journey.

This brings us to the next subject, 'Interactive-digital signage'. Allowing a brand message, sales specials, promotions etc is great, allowing users to interact with a virtual attendant or interactive-catalogue at your store glass window, subscribe to alerts via sms, enter their email address directly, or just browse anything you'd like  to show them is a whole different value experience.

We know the content not only has to be compelling it must also be extremely relevant and delivered when the shopper is receptive to such messaging, in order to interrupt, engage and influence behaviour. Attract, Draw, Engage, & Interact is our model for example, and with using technology such as i-glass (interactive touch thru-glass) allows retailers to use their existing real estate (their shop window) to display in HD and allowinstant  interactivity seemlessly.

Retail ooh/interactive signage models and campaigns:
The most effective campaign will see a retailer strike a balance between messaging browser-shoppers and mission shoppers. This can also mean the difference between further communicating with 'destination location' shoppers and 'mall-walkers and competition shoppers' and with this in mind, the primary aims of threshold screens should be to aid navigation, communicate your offerings, inviting customers deeper into the store, accelerating flow & maintaining a clear threshold, & create a possible CRM strategy/databasing, or further drivers including contesting/sweepstakes.

Another issue to keep in mind is that your messaging strategy always has to align closely to the needs and frame of mind of your customers. A common internal issue with all elements of in-store marketing is that it is not sufficiently aligned with the overall marketing message. While non-store marketing is planned and carried out at board level through well planned and an executed mutli-channel marketing programs, in some cases the in-store approach is carried out at a much lower level, meaning it misses out on expertise and consistency of message, this is where teaming with experts in the field can prove beneficial with a mult-prong approach including elements such as drivers, incentinces, visual appearance, interactive content tweaking, 1-3 year strategy planning, campaign integration and much more.

The key is communication of the store’s message and marketing strategy among all channels, so that the final solution is both aligned to the target audience and the retailer - communicating with brand affinity, loyalty, and recognition in mind. -Bash! Digital-Interactive Custom OOH Solutions, Toronto.

Why brand ad dollars are moving IN STORE

Not getting enough ad $$ bang for your buck?

•  Over 70% of BUYING DECISIONS are made in store, add INTERACTIVE DIGITAL SIGNAGE and manage / display / engage and track traffic while you move up your sales and awareness.

Digital signage revenues are expected to grow from $102 million US in 2004 to $3.7 billion by 2011 (Frost & Sullivan)

Over next 3 years P&G will TRIPLE spending at POP (Stéphane Drouin, SVM, Fall 2006)

Bash! helps retailers, brands and manufacturers along with media agencies.
           Maximize the customer experience
               Attract attention to their products
                 Provide the customer with product knowledge - either alone or with a sales person
                    Harvest customer data

Recent polls, surveys and industry experts reflect the loss of influence advertising has had on point-of-purchase decision-making.

• "In 1965, 80% of 18 to 49-year-olds in the U.S. could be reached with three 60 second TV spots. - In 2002,  it required 117 prime-time commercials to produce the same result."
  Jim Stengel, Global Marketing Officer, The Proctor & Gamble Company, AAAA Conference 2004

• "60% of all in-store purchases are unplanned…Consumers simply don’t have time to ‘study’ ad messages… [Consumers] want relevant brand information when and where it is convenient for them."
  James Maskulka, Associate Prof., Lehigh University, BrandChannel.com, July 8, 2002

• “4.7% of Canadians cite ads as a major influence on purchase decisions.”
  Strategy Magazine, “Ads Rarely Drive Purchases”, February 9, 2004

In-store marketing continues to grow as evidence indicates consumers want brand and product information when and where it is relevant to them - at shelf. 

Consumers are influenced by brand messages and packaging design at point-of-purchase.

• “13.9% of those corporations surveyed are pulling back media advertising budgets and moving increasingly toward other channels, including in-store marketing.”
  The Institute of Communications and Advertising Survey, May 2004

• “Companies in the U.S. are expected to spend about $18.6 billion on in-store marketing and in-store ads this year [2005], up from $17.6 billion last year [2004].”
  Veronis Suhler, Stevenson Partners LLC

• “P&G has cut its commitments to advertise on cable channels for the current season by 25% and its broadcast TV allotment is down by 5%. At the same time, overall ad spending rose slightly.”
  Veronis Suhler, Stevenson Partners LLC

• “In response to the fragmentation of television and print ads, it [Proctor & Gamble] wants to tout its brands directly to consumers where they’re most likely to be influenced: the store.”
  Emily Nelson and Sarah Ellison, The Wall Street Journal, “In a Shift, Marketers Beef Up Ad Spending Inside Stores”, September 21, 2005.

• “Last year [2004], 122 new products were launched on Wal-Mart TV.”
  Charlie Nooney, Chief Executive, PRN

• “Traffic jumped 23% in those stores using digital signage compared to those stores that did not use the digital signage.”
  “The Power of Point of Purchase Advertising: Marketing at Retail”, study by Safeway, Unilever and the Point of Purchase Advertising Institute

• “The combination of new merchandising layouts and P-O-P produced a 90% increase in the number of shoppers who interacted with the displays.”
  “The Power of Point of Purchase Advertising: Marketing at Retail”, study by Safeway, Unilever and the Point of Purchase Advertising Institute

• "There are opportunities to influence consumers on the final choice of brands at the point of sale."
  Prof. Sanghavi, Manchester Business School, BrandChannel.com, July 8, 2002

• “Impulse purchases are likely motivated by a variety of in-store marketing communications. In-store advertising also complements today’s hectic consumer lifestyle.”
  James Maskulka, Associate Prof., Lehigh University, BrandChannel.com, July 8, 2002

• “A consistent projection of the brand’s personality in the package, and wherever else the brand was encountered, was far more reassuring to the consumer than a persona that was constantly changing.”
  Randall Frost, Brandchannel.com, “Packaging Your Brand’s Personality”, October 3, 2005

7 tips for content marketing / reaching the right people & just getting out there!

• Understand who your customers really are and use effective narrowed marketing to reach them.
• Spread the love. Are you doing guest articles where your customers are at?  Are you sharing presentations? Are you consistently communicating with your target? Are you adding helpful comments on key blogs? 
• Don't rely on one channel, but focus on what works.  There are a thousand of social media outlets, but focus resources on the key ones where most of your customers are at - MySpace, YouTube and now Twitter (30 to 40 year olds...that's Twitter, Music target; MySpace, etc..).
• Synergies; Collaborate:consistently partner with others, even when you have to play second fiddle.  Are you partnering with other organizations and individuals in your market to create great content marketing?
• Consistently create new and  great content:.  No breaks.  Keep creating and delivering great content; sometimes its a numbers game - even if not you will provide great exposure and helpful insight, thus branding/recognition.
• Repackage and reuse: the best stories may be the old ones that need a new take on how they apply now.
• Know your audience, and how to effectively reach and connect with them, having an open/two-way dialogue creates the strongest connection to your brand/product/service.

Digital-OutOfHome

Beyond having a network of digital signage or properties, OOH targeted events with interaction can create more loyalty, recognition and engagement than any other medium.

From point of sales, signage while walking or driving, in shops, or even touch systems at malls that engage - its everywhere. Broadcast centers are now in existence where content can be dynamically controlled with changes on the fly remotely. Add-ons like web streaming, face tracking, mobile or social media tie-ins/synchronization to micro-site updates from user input are all offered to increase awareness, reach, and the ultimate user engagement.

While the future of other ad media channels maybe unclear as they become more fragmented there is no uncertainty about the continued strength and advancements in OOH. Its here to stay!

Ready to Bash in the New Year! To a successfull year in the interactive-out of home and digital marketing industry.
J.Joseph
Director, Interactive/New Media Sales
416 898 5537 (M)
416 479 0119 (W)
....sent from my BlackBerry

Merry Xmas everyone! Have a Bash!
..sent from my bberry

interactive signage?

When those in the digital signage industry talk about interactivity, they usually mean a touch-based kind of interactivity. Various technological efforts over the past years have focused on delivering this kind of interactivity on screens in a whole multitude of different sizes, shapes and materials. Through touch-enabled digital signage, one can guarantee that the user is engaging with the content on the screen because they actually INTERACT with it - however, getting the users to look at the screen in the first place is sometimes a problem for the digital signage industry, and if people don’t look at it, then no message can be delivered and the screen might as well not be there.

Well-designed, eye-catching content is, of course, one way to draw attention to a screen and get an audience for the content. Bash! suggests that using innate human response mechanisms to catch people’s eyes might be a better approach (gesture, ir motion and proximity/optical sensors are just some example)

Getting things setup for a great launch! Lots of cutting edge interactive out of home solutions Toronto!