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Volume 4, Issue 4 — April 26, 2012
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The 2012 Digital Signage CHAMPS
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Age of Convergence Puts Your “Face Identity” at Risk
By Steve Sechrist
Senior Editor and Analyst, Insight Media  The U.S. FTC (Federal Trade Commission) wants you to know the risks associated with living in an age of converging technologies, specifically cloud computing, social networks and face recognition. Based on a ground breaking study last year from Carnegie Mellon University (CMU), a group of researchers at the University’s Heinz College demonstrated the ability to recognize and then predict an individual’s "…sensitive personal data directly from their face in real time," and did so with a photo captured from a smartphone App developed by the group.
Over the course of three progressive experiments, the group successfully demonstrated starting with total anonymity (any face in the crowd) it was possible to end up with very sensitive information about that person, including name, address, social security number, etc. using a process they call data "accretion." This is all done mind you, with the current state of technology convergence using off-the-shelf hardware and software.
For the FTC’s part, the government agency sponsored a new report on the topic "Protecting Consumer Privacy in an Era of Rapid Change " with a March 2012 update to work published in 2010 on the subject. This includes a Final Report section that articulates best practices for companies that collect and use consumer data and outlined a privacy framework that includes recommendations to Congress for possible further privacy legislation. The group said they are also retaining their previous "privacy by design" recommendations with updates that include:
- Do Not Track-consumer tools to turn tracking off and alert vendors of customer’s intent
- Mobile Privacy Protection-improved self-regulation (including accessible Ad disclosures, workshops, etc.)
- Addressing Data Brokers with Targeted Privacy Legislation
- Large Platform Providers (ISP’s) invited to FTC sponsored workshop on privacy in May
- Self-regulatory Codes (sector specific codes of conduct)
So under these recommendations the FTC is calling on operators of digital signage and kiosks to inform the public of when and how personal images (photos etc.) are being used, as well as if and when facial recognition technology is being deployed. It also suggests deleting any collected personal data when not needed to perform specific tasks.
Also published in the FTC report was an implied warning for those who do not heed the call of self-regulation. It listed a litany of enforcement actions taken by the agency including activities against both Google and Facebook. Other efforts since 2010 include actions against online advertisers over not honoring "opt outs," mobile App vendors violating child online privacy laws, and several more.
Given the astonishing results generated by the study and continued pervasiveness of the technology, the future of privacy remains at risk. The question now is self-regulation or legislation that steps in to fill the gap in current law struggling to keep pace with technology’s rapid progress.
One thing is certain; the future of augmented reality is fast approaching and convergence with cloud-based data banks loaded with an individual’s social details is already  well-seated in the mobile space. Just how much we intend to share with these public outlets that wield the power of instantaneous face recognition may be in direct competition with the value advertisers place on knowing just who, and more importantly, how-to advertise to the eyeballs looking at the digital sign. (Pssst… hey buddy, want a 20 percent off coupon? Just let me take your picture…) and so it goes.
Steve Sechrist is a senior analyst and editor for Insight Media. Reach him at steve@insightmedia.info
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Essential Elements of a Successful Kiosk Solution Implementation: What Should You Ask Your Hardware Vendors?
By Craig Martin
CEO, Reality Interactive, LLC  The following is reprinted with permission from the Digital Screenmedia Association (DSA). For more information, go to http://www.digitalscreenmedia.org.
In the kiosk business, hardware is a "necessary evil." It's constantly changing; it's a moving target. Hardware breaks in the field, it needs upkeep, and it has power outages. Ouch.
All these scenarios reflect the need for a strong hardware partner for any digital merchandising program you take on. Ask the tough questions to get the best quality vendors.
Any strong hardware provider should embody these five competencies:
1. National Support Network
Most important during the pilot and initial program development, you'll need to find someone who can work quickly and easily to spec and test for the right hardware solution. The key is to find just the right combination of performance and form. There's no need to pay for what you don't use, but what you get must be up to the task.
2. Flexibility
Are they equipped to use off-the-shelf hardware for prototyping and a custom configured unit for rollouts? Will they allow you to vary RAM, CPU requirements and case size? Do they have the resources to image the units prior to delivery?
3. Turn-key Supplier for All Hardware
Will you use a monitor with a CPU or an all-in-one unit? If you are looking for a unit that has a touch screen, rugged keyboard, card swipe, and printer, all from different providers, it becomes complex quickly. Each part is likely to have its own warranty and service terms. In light of this reality, it's best to choose a hardware vendor that can act as your key contact and supplier.
4. Quality Warranty & Service
What is their typical service plan? Do they send you to the service depot or offer field replacement? Most digital merchandising projects have a minimum of a three-year lifespan. Are they committed to be your partner for the long term?
5. Trust
The hardware trade in the past has been very hit and run. Some suppliers will deploy thousands of units at a time, without offering the support necessary. When something goes wrong, they are nowhere to be found, or their resolution is, return it and we'll send you a new one. Getting 20 prototypes to work is easy, but keeping a fleet of 1,000 units in the field for three years is a very different task. It’s essential to know you are working with a hardware vendor that’s committed to you from beginning to end.
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Another (Scary) Reason that Technology Alone is Not the Answer
By Mike Cearley
SVP, Digital Strategy Fleishman-Hillard The following is reprinted with permission from the Digital Screenmedia Association (DSA). For more information, go to http://www.digitalscreenmedia.org.
Keeping digital signage content interesting and up-to-date has never been easier thanks to an explosion in the availability of RSS feeds.
The case against one-way push advertising keeps getting stronger and stronger. Intuitively and based on my own experiences, I feel like the time to capture someone’s attention, certainly to the point of engaging them, is dwindling at a rapid pace. Our lives are busier, we have more and more media choices, and as such, there is a premium put on content that we will give our attention to.
But there’s not tons of research out there to back this up. This year, in fact, I’ve seen more and more centered around multi-channel use and it is something that I anticipate seeing more and more of — bigger studies, looking deeper into consumer behaviors across channels/devices/media — in the very near future.
Sometimes these studies – and corresponding results — are staggering. Like this one: “commissioned by Time Warner’s Time Inc. and conducted by Boston’s Innerscope Research. Though it had only 30 participants, the study offers at least directional insight into a generation that always has a smartphone at arm’s length and flips from a big TV set to a smaller tablet screen and back again at a moment’s notice.”
The study “found that consumers in their 20s (“digital natives”) switch media venues about 27 times per nonworking hour — the equivalent of more than 13 times during a standard half-hour TV show.” This, compared to “digital immigrants” (consumers who grew up with old-school technologies, such as TV, radio and print, and adapted to newer ones). Immigrants switched media venues just 17 times per nonworking hour. Put another way, natives switch about 35 percent more than immigrants.”
Either way, there is no doubting that with the availability and adoption of so many different media choices (through technology) + our yearning to consume only what we want, the expectations of content delivery — despite what “channel” — are higher than ever. And it’s going to continue getting higher and higher.
When we think about the idea of interactive out-of-home, the places and things around us being turned “on,” and having the ability to interact with whatever we want, when we want, it’s clearer than ever that the technology alone will do nothing. It simply enables more noise or more engagement.
Question is – what are you producing? Are you producing content that just “goes” with the screen/channel? Or are you producing content that enables a deeper connection to the story? Something that is relevant and engaging? Something that is not pushed down someone’s throat?
This is where we’re going. We are a connected society who gets connected quicker and more seamlessly every day. As such, the substance of what we’re connecting with is going to always rise to the top.
This is gut and experience talking. For those of us who might need the data to be convinced, hold on. It’s not a matter of when that data will come, it’s a matter of what that data will say. Are you ready?
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Where Does Digital Signage Fit in a World Where TV is Ubiquitous?
By David Little
Director of Marketing, Keywest Technology The following is reprinted with permission from the Digital Screenmedia Association (DSA). For more information, go to http://www.digitalscreenmedia.org.
Digital signage communicators must begin looking for ways to leverage the ubiquity of smartphones and media tablets.
If you are like me and drawn to science fiction, fascinated by quirky views of the future, you might remember a mid-1980s TV show called Max Headroom. While the particulars of the series have blurred in my memory over the years, the one thing that hasn’t is the ubiquity of television in the society portrayed in the show.
I’m not talking television simply being convenient; in the world explored in the series, TV literally seemed to be everywhere. Not just in homes and apartments, but on the streets, resting on a pile of trash, in the trunk of a car. You get the idea. It was impossible to get away from the blasted things.
That feeling of society being overwhelmed by the tube — now there’s an antiquated term — seemed so impossible, so remote, so “sci-fi” just a couple of decades ago. But today, I would argue, we are well on our way to similar television omnipresence.
In May 2011, the Nielsen Company estimated the number of TV households in the United States to be more than 114 million, or 96.7 percent of all households in the country. In January of the same year, Nielsen estimated there to be on average 2.5 TVs per U.S. household. Impressive, but nowhere near ubiquitous — at least not by “Headroomian” proportions.
But TV households don’t tell the whole story. According to an online Time Business article published a few weeks ago, Apple has sold 55 million iPads in the two years they have existed. When all media tablets –- not just the iPad — are factored in, market research firm IHS iSuppli projects that 275 million tablets will be sold by 2015, or about 16 times the number shipped in 2010.
Getting a little closer to ubiquity? Perhaps, but don’t forget about smartphones. A CNN report from July 2011 quotes a report from the Pew Internet and the American Life Project estimating 35 percent of Americans own a smartphone. Another study from research firm In-Stat, quoted in an August 2011 CNET article, forecasts that 65 percent of Americans, some 200 million people, will have smartphones and/or tablets by 2015.
Now, it seems to me, we are approaching the Headroom threshold of TV ubiquity. Granted they are more likely to take the form of a sleek tablet, smartphone or flat panel TV than a beat up set teetering on a mound of broken TVs in an alleyway, but ubiquitous nonetheless.
This sort of near omnipresence would seem to raise a fundamental question for digital signage communicators: What is the value of communicating via a digital sign, if hundreds of potentially competing screens are literally a few feet away in the pockets and purses of passersby?
I would argue digital sign communication is not threatened by the broad availability of smartphones and media tablets, but potentially enhanced in at least three important ways.
First, those portable devices offer a means for digital signage communicators in the future to continue their dialog with their audience once they leave the store, arena, lobby or other venue.
Second, if television-viewing habits are any indication, many people don’t replace their TV viewing with online viewing, they complement it. Millions of people today regularly interact with their friends online via Facebook and other social media about a show while they are watching. It’s not too far-fetched to envision similar sorts of interaction while in front of a digital sign, depending upon the circumstance.
Third, total viewing time of video entertainment is increasing. Rather than cannibalizing an existing audience, new media devices are driving greater viewing. For digital signage communicators, this increased viewing means it should be easier, not harder to attract people who have demonstrated a willingness to watch media on flat screens.
To me, it seems the Headroom-like availability of screens on the whole will complement the communications efforts of those who market and message with digital signs. Not embracing the ubiquity of these screens and looking for ways to leverage them would represent a major missed opportunity.
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A New Perspective on ADA: Empathy Rather than Compliance
By Sheridan Orr
VP Global Sales + Marketing, Meridian Zero Degrees The following is reprinted with permission from the Digital Screenmedia Association (DSA). For more information, go to http://www.digitalscreenmedia.org.
After hearing reports that Whistler got four feet of snow in March, my son and I changed our Spring Break plans and headed for the slopes. After five days of amazing skiing — SNAP! — I hit a mogul wrong and ripped my ACL (in lieu of flowers, send chocolate). For the trip home, I was in a wheelchair, ferried by a 13-year old through the airport.
When creating customer experiences, I emphasize the importance of empathy work. I use the Design Thinking methodology religiously which emphasizes research, observation and 'putting yourself in your customer’s shoes.'
Therefore, I thought I understood what it meant to go out and observe how customers truly behave. However, this skiing accident gave me a new perspective on ADA compliance and consideration of those with disabilities.
When I’m not in the wheelchair, I love the self check-in kiosk at the airport. I figure that I travel 100,000 miles a year which means I’m gone at least once a week. On average the kiosk saves me 10 minutes in line. That means that kiosk saves me 1,040 minutes per year or roughly 17 hours (translated to mean the entire season of Game of Thrones plus Downton Abbey).
However, when I was in the wheelchair my perspective changed drastically. They were still my same beloved kiosks. However, now I realized how critical placement was. They were angled in a way that made me hard to get at them through the alley that the bank of kiosks created. There was a cordon ropes leading up to the kiosk banks that made it hard for me to maneuver to them. I had trouble reading the screen when I had to get close enough to it to swipe my passport and frequent flyer card. From that vantage point, the kiosk now looked imposing rather than friendly.
After we got through security (which is a whole separate blog post!), I went to get my son something to eat. Again, I encountered the same convoluted customer flow. I had to wheel through the tables and chairs to get to the ordering line. Even though the payment pad was at ADA height, it was flat on the counter, rather than angled. That meant that I could see none of the numbers for my total on display. All I could do was enter my pin and pray my total was accurate.
Many of us who work in crafting customer experiences take a great deal of time and effort to ensure that we are ADA compliant. At Mzero we do extensive testing and always check to ensure we’ve met the standards. However, do we really think about what the experience for these people is — rather than seeing them as a list of specs?
I know that given my recent experience, I will start spending time in the wheelchair when evaluating prototypes. I will also create a set of placement and installation guidelines for the customer. I will ensure that the experience is as visually appealing from that vantage point. Furthermore, I will encourage the executives with whom I work to also do empathy work after the units are in the field. All it takes is someone to create a cordoned queue in front of the kiosk to suddenly alter what is otherwise an elegant experience. I also vow that my son shall never drive me anywhere if his wheelchair steering is any indication of his future driving ability.
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Digital Place-based Media Revenue Growth Rate Exceeds That of Overall U.S. Ad Industry  The Digital Place-based Advertising Association (DPAA) announced that growth rates for the industry sector remained strong in 2011, exceeding overall U.S. ad industry growth by a more than 17:1 margin.
Based on information collected by Miller, Kaplan, Arase from DPAA members and non-members, advertising revenue for the digital place-based sector grew by 14.2 percent in 2011 over 2010, more than 17 times the 0.8 percent growth rate for the U.S. ad industry overall, as reported by Kantar Media. Among all media types, growth for digital place-based was second only to that of syndication, which recorded a 15.4 percent gain.
Digital place-based media's strong showing in 2011 boosted total industry revenues to an estimated $1.4 billion, including cinema advertising.
"2011 was a challenging year across the media landscape, but it was also a year that further solidified digital place-based as a highly desired media choice because of its ability to engage consumers on the go," said Mike DiFranza, president of Captivate Network and DPAA chairman. "With the advent of new measurement tools and growing recognition among agencies that place-based media is an effective tool to influence consumer behavior, we expect to see a continuation of strong growth in 2012."
Susan Danaher, president and CEO of the New York-based DPAA, added, "Digital place-based media engages consumers at the right time, in the right place and in the right mindset. In today's fast-paced world, it's easy to see why the ability to reach on-the-go consumers in contextually relevant settings resonates more powerfully than ever among advertisers."
Advertising Revenue Growth
| Media | Percent Growth (2011 vs. 2010) | | Syndicated TV | +15.4 | | Digital Place-based | +14.2 | | Cable TV | +7.7 | | Outdoor | +6.5 | | Network Radio | +2.7 | | Internet | +0.4 | | National Magazine | 0.0 | | Network TV | -2.0 | | National Newspapers | -3.6 | | Local Newspapers | -3.8 | | Spot TV | -4.5 | | Spot Radio | -5.4 | | Total U.S. Advertising | +0.8 percent |
Sources: Miller, Kaplan, Arase for digital place-based media, and Kantar Media for all other media
This column was reprinted with permission from the Digital Signage Connection and originally appeared here.
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NEC Launches 100 Percent Mercury-Free 22" LCD  The EA223WM is a 22-inch, mercury-free monitor geared to high-performance enterprise users in corporate, government and education settings, as well as kiosk digital signage applications. Using LED backlighting, spec'd at a 25,000:1 contrast ratio and boasting ENERGY STAR 5.1 and TCO 5.2 compliance, it's the first in this size category to be both green and mercury free.
Specs of the $300 monitor include:
- 22-inch, 16:10 TN panel with LED backlighting
- Slim and light design with touch-sensitive OSD controls
- 1680×1050 native resolution
- 25,000:1 dynamic contrast ratio (1000:1 typical)
- Fully adjustable stand with 130-mm height-adjust, tilt, swivel and pivot
- Inputs for DisplayPort, DVI-D and VGA
- Integrated 4-port USB 2.0 hub
- Integrated speakers (1W x 2)
- Smart sensing technology (ambient light and human sensors)
- ECO Mode carbon footprint meter and cost meter
- ENERGY STAR 5.1 and TCO 5.2 compliant
See all the details here: http://www.necdisplay.com/p/ea223wm-bk
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Times Square Starbucks Connects to Customers via Cutting-Edge Digital Display Applications  International coffeehouse chain Starbucks wanted to provide its New York customers in Times Square with a high-tech customer experience that is consistent with the Times Square experience. Starbucks’ goal was to engage shoppers with user-generated content that was self-sustaining, while also enhancing the Starbucks brand experience with content that appeals to a wide range of international visitors. The chain also wanted to connect consumers to the brand through engaging experiences by delivering their content to high-profile, large-format displays immediately, and allow consumers to share content through established social media networks.
CHALLENGES
To avoid having to manage content, the solution needed to be evergreen and self-sustaining, and utilize real-time, user-generated content. Starbucks’ Time Square location is a high-profile location heavily frequented by tourists. The solution needed to be appropriate for both the geography and the demographic. It was important to highlight the real-time conversation that the public was engaging in, showcase relevant information for the tourist and allow them to take a digital "souvenir" with them.
SOLUTIONS
Wireless Ronin provided Starbucks with three unique applications within the location that satisfied their list of requirements for the Times Square location:
Product Promotion Video Wall
- Features a 2×2 video panel presenting Starbucks product promotions in a video playlist, in addition to video of farmer stories describing where the coffee is sourced
- All of the content is controlled through the RoninCast Content Management System, allowing Starbucks to update videos regularly to match current promotions and brand direction
 Interactive Photo Booth and NY Times Square Timeline Application
- Enables users to toggle between Times Square historical interactive timeline and Photo Booth applications on one of two 42-inch touch screen monitors
- Using the Photo Booth application, users can take a Times Square-themed souvenir photo, which can be retrieved with a Smart Phone using a QR Code-triggered web interface. Users can download their photo or share on their favorite social media site.
- Photos taken using the Photo Booth application are also displayed on a social media feed featured on the in-store video wall, providing another avenue for user-generated content
Social Media Video Wall
- Has visibility within the store and also from outside to passersby on the street
- Integrates live data feeds from Starbucks-related Facebook, Twitter and Instagram social media posts
- Incorporates images taken from the interactive Photo Booth Application
- All of the content shown on the Social Media wall is user generated, so no long-term content maintenance is required
RESULTS
The results have been positive. Starbucks messages reached 55 countries in six continents within two weeks. In addition, more than 2,000 photos were taken in the first 48 hours. Customer activity has been heavy and responses have been very positive.
The project recently won the Silver Food & Beverage Award in Digital Signage Expo's 2012 APEX Awards.
This article was reprinted with permission from the Digital Signage Connection and originally appeared here.
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So, that's rAVe DS [Digital Signage] for this month! Remember, we are here to HELP the AV market penetrate the DS market. Only 12 percent of the DS market is integrated by AV companies. The other 88 percent is IT-based. Now, there are AV publications and even an association that would like to draw those IT people in to AV (it would increase readers, right? – and more readers means they can charge more for ads). That is NOT what we are doing. rAVe DS is specifically designed to pull AV into the DS market and teach AV companies how to take business away from the currently dominated by IT market.
For those of you NEW to rAVe, you just read a 100% opinionated ePublication that's designed to help AV integrators. We not only report the news and new product stories of the digital signage industry, but we stuff the articles full of our opinions. That may include (but is not limited to) whether or not the product is even worth looking at, challenging the manufacturers on their specifications, calling a marketing-spec bluff and suggesting ways integrators market their products better. But, one thing is for sure, we are NOT a trade publication that gets paid for running editorial or product stories. Traditional trade publications get paid to run product stories — that's why you see what you see in most of the pubs out there. We are different: we run what we want to run and NO ONE is going to pay us to write anything good (or bad).
Don't like us, then go away — unsubscribe! Just use the link below.
To send me feedback, don't reply to this newsletter — instead, write directly to me at gary@ravepubs.com or for editorial ideas: Editor-in-Chief Sara Abrons at sara@ravepubs.com
rAVe [Publications] has been around since 2003, when we launched our original newsletter rAVe ProAV Edition. rAVe HomeAV Edition, co-published with CEDIA, launched in February, 2004. rAVe Rental [and Staging] launched in November 2007. rAVe ED [Education] launched in May 2008. rAVe DS [Digital Signage] was launched in January 2009.
To read more about my background, our team, and what we do, go to https://www.ravepubs.com Back to Top
Copyright 2012 – rAVe [Publications] – All rights reserved – All rights reserved. For reprint policies, contact rAVe [Publications], 210 Old Barn Ln. – Chapel Hill, NC 27517 – (919) 969-7501. Email: sara@ravepubs.com
rAVe DS [Digital Signage] contains the opinions of the author only and does not necessarily reflect the opinions of other persons or companies or its sponsors. |
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