Digital Signage Insights

Physical App Store Presents Digital Signage Opportunities

noreply@blogger.com (David Weinfeld) — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 17:59:00 +0000

The app store is making its way from the digital world to the physical. Openspace, a startup focused on making app discovery easier and more efficient, has opened a bricks-and-mortar retail presence in Colorado. At first glance, this may appear to be a ridiculous idea. "Why do I need to visit a physical store when I can purchase apps right from my phone?" some of you may be asking. But, I happen to think that Openspace is on to something.

Apple's app store has over 500,000 apps, whereas the Android marketplace is cresting over 300,000. Those numbers are only getting bigger. It's clear that app discovery is broken. It's becoming ever more difficult to identify the best apps in a sea of copycats and gimmicks.

Openspace's digital platform is aiming to match users with apps according to interest-based collections. Companies like Appsfire and Chomp are attempting to solve the app discovery problem as well. With this in mind, Openspace has made a calculated strategic decision to open a physical retail store. The store is staffed with "App Gurus" who make recommendations and direct customers to the most useful apps for their unique needs.

The cost of the store is likely marginal, and the benefits are already being seen. The company has received a significant amount of press coverage stemming from its retail gambit, from the likes of Techcrunch, Mashable, CNET, and All Things Digital. That alone is worth it.

Where Does Digital Signage Fit In?

With a folder of press clippings tucked away, now it's up to Openspace to realize even more value from its retail presence. That's where interactive digital signage comes in. The Openspace retail store is pitch perfect for an array of interactive displays and kiosks. As the entire idea of the venue is to merge the digital and the physical, next-generation retail technologies should be employed to take customers' app discovery process to the next level.

An installation similar to Obscura Digital's Hard Rock Wall would be perfect. The Rock Wall is all about discovery, acting as a digital gateway to the Hard Rock Cafe's global memorabilia catalog. Carrying the same idea to mobile apps would create both a rich and engaging user experience.

Even if the Rock Wall may be beyond Openspace's scale, it's impossible to deny the vast benefits the company would realize in maxing out its digital signage potential. From the photographs of Openspace's retail store, it's clear that they are using computer stations to facilitate app discovery. What I'm recommending is taking that idea to the next level. Openspace could become a leading paradigm for virtual meets physical retail.

Mobile Strategy Discussions at #CETW

noreply@blogger.com (David Weinfeld) — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 22:46:00 +0000

At last week's Consumer Engagement Technology World conference, I led round table discussions on the topic of "Demystifying the Mobile App Ecosystem." My topic was part of a round robin Mobile Strategies Workshop in which I met with five different groups over the course of two hours.

I really enjoyed the musical chair nature of the workshop, answering a range of questions as diverse as the attendees' business backgrounds. While each of my conversations were centered around mobile apps, they all ended up being very different. The attendees at each table ultimately shaped unique discussions around the opportunities and risks inherent in launching a mobile application.

I started each conversation with a few charts that highlight accelerating smartphone adoption in the US. These statistics provided the foundation for why each attendee, whether he worked for a retailer, an out-of-home company, a display manufacturer, or a media agency, needed to think about the evolution of mobile engagement through the lens of a smartphone user.

As you can see from the charts above, smartphones are becoming the norm in our increasingly mobile society. With that in mind, companies need to think about how once standard mobile initiatives (where's the short code?) must evolve to take advantage of the unique features of smart devices. In many cases, those conversations have revolved around thinking about APPS.

Mobile applications present opportunities to create an ongoing conversation with consumers that reach far beyond a mobile website. The caveat, however, is that the hurdle for initial adoption is significantly higher than driving a person to a mobile site. Once the app adoption hurdle is overcome, the path beyond that obstacle can be significantly smoother than the road offered by a dedicated mobile website. The mobile website hurdle, getting a consumer to navigate to your URL, is a challenge that never goes away.

The mobile app versus mobile web debate isn't an either or proposition. The two aren't mutually exclusive. In reality, with the optimal strategy in place, each channel can be used to strengthen the other.

To be continued...

Taxi TV Targets Audience Purchases

noreply@blogger.com (David Weinfeld) — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 16:49:00 +0000

There's a solid article on Ad Age today that looks at new features being offered by VeriFone Media Group's Taxi TV. The ad enhancements include in-cab commerce, coupon printing and user-specific targeting.

Given VeriFone's market share in the payment processing space, which is a fundamental component of the company's Taxi TV platform, it's easy to see the genesis of these new features. The integration of direct product purchases within Taxi TV's ads is a solid step for any DOOH network. With the frequent promotions for broadway shows that run on Taxi TV, tapping into the purchase funnel at the point of engagement could, in theory, produce strong results.

I happen to be very bullish on VeriFone Media's long-term prospects. With the parent company's giant reach across a diverse range of venues, I envision a day in which small consumer-facing screens are directly integrated into all of the company's point-of-purchase terminals. We are beginning to see this already, with screens primarily being used to display purchase information to each customer. The long-term play is the distribution of place-based ads to consumers, in which VeriFone's payment processing systems provide real-time data for just-in-time targeting. This, in essence, represents the evolution of some of the features Taxi TV is now rolling out.

Is Mobile a Threat or Opportunity for Taxi TV?

Even though Taxi TV offers one of the most "captive" audiences in all of DOOH, the media network's biggest threat is the screen we have in our pockets. What could be viewed as a threat, I see as an enormous opportunity. It's impossible to deny people's impulse to take their phones out of their pockets the moment they step into a taxicab. Rather than viewing mobile as a competing medium, I believe Taxi TV needs to embrace it as a channel for audience interaction.

My recommendation is to extend the network's new features to mobile, thus allowing passengers to purchase items from their phones based upon on-screen content. With an optimized second-screen mobile experience, Taxi TV could leverage people's smart devices to enhance and extend its core content. This could include everything from multi-player social gaming, location-based alerts, single-click mobile purchasing, to exclusive content layers.

Digital Signage Investor Conference is Right Around the Corner

noreply@blogger.com (David Weinfeld) — Fri, 07 Oct 2011 16:56:00 +0000

Strategy Institute's Digital Signage Investor Conference is less than two weeks away. The event is a must attend for digital signage and digital out-of-home practitioners in the New York area and beyond.

Having attended the Digital Signage Investor Conference on multiple occasions, I find it to be a great event for networking and gaining powerful insights on the future of DOOH. You will also have the opportunity to meet investors with sizable experience and knowledge of our sector.

The Strategy Institute has brought together an enviable collection of speakers. I am proud to say that Screenreach's CEO, Paul Rawlings, will be in from the UK to speak at the event. Given that Paul and I communicate all of the time via Skype and email, it's always fun for us to be in the same country.

I know that attendees will garner incredibly valuable information from Paul; Rishi Shah, CEO of Context Media; Niko Drakoulis, CEO of Akoo; Virginia Cargill, Venture Partner at Alerion Partners; and the entire crop of conference speakers. When combining the event's educational focus with its commitment to creating a a vibrant networking atmosphere, the motivation to attend is impossible to deny.

Wired's Social Media Clash at Advertising Week

noreply@blogger.com (David Weinfeld) — Thu, 06 Oct 2011 18:16:00 +0000

It's the tail end of Advertising Week in New York. I have attended a handful of sessions in person, and have watched a bunch online. I highly recommend taking some time out of your day to watch the pre-recorded mobile sessions.

This morning I attended Wired's Social Media Summit. It was designed to be an hour-long session about social media innovation through the eyes of sector thought leaders. It turned in to something much different.

The panelists included agency CEOs and senior executives. Wired's NY Bureau Chief served as the session's moderator. He certainly fueled an active discussion, but one that saw the panelists argue with one another. The panel devolved in to a philosophical look at what social media is and isn't. The moderator threw gas on the fire by declaring that advertisers seek to "take advantage of" social network users. It's safe to say that this wasn't a comment warmly received by the panelists.

While the Chief Evangelist from social analytics company MicroStrategy used his spot on the panel to pitch his product, other panelists, including Y&R's Global Chief Executive, tried to focus the conversation on enriching the user experience. In my mind, that should have been the focus of the entire session.

The days of brands inserting themselves into our social streams, using Facebook as a broadcast channel, are giving way to a framework that champions value-added brand engagements. It's no longer about just "liking a brand." It's about weaving a brand into a user's digital and physical lives, such that an enriching experience defines the engagement.

Interactive Technology Engages at NBC's Education Nation

noreply@blogger.com (David Weinfeld) — Mon, 26 Sep 2011 19:34:00 +0000

Having just moved to Manhattan with my wife, we decided to take a stroll around Rockefeller Center yesterday. The journey took us through an interactive technology exhibit highlighting the state of education in America. Part of NBC News' Annual Education Nation Summit, the experience center welcomed visitors into a digitally rich environment of interactive quiz stations, seamless video walls, and beautiful infographics.

Given the wealth of content NBC News had at its disposal for such a project, the execution succeeded in making the information easily digestible. NBC achieved this through a heavy focus on rich graphics and visual menus. Each interactive station, whether it were question and answer driven or video-based, featured an intuitive user interface. I do wish, however, that I could have changed the height of the displays. Standing roughly 6'3" tall, I found myself crouching down a lot to effectively navigate each content pane.

I was really struck by the breadth of information presented within the exhibit, as well as how much I was able to take away from it it. Because of the rich visual nature of each interactive zone, users of all ages had the opportunity to mold a unique experience for themselves.

As my wife and I navigated to the end of the exhibit, we encountered two user-generated content stations. The interactive UGC displays gave visitors the ability to record a video response to specific questions about the future of education. I couldn't help but jump at the chance to, not only, voice my opinion, but to also gauge the user experience of the impromptu video booth. Follow the link below to see my video.

Can you guess what element of our society I believe presents the best opportunity for improving education in America?

http://bit.ly/o5AVhf

The overall video recording experience was good, but not great. The display touted the ability for a user to share his video to Facebook and Twitter, but the Facebook feature failed to work correctly. The other issue of this feature was that it required a user to enter his FB username and password to ultimately share his video. I don't think this is behavior that the average person would ever feel comfortable doing. As Facebook's utility and value increases, people are becoming ever more reticent to log into their accounts from public workstations.

I would have greatly welcomed the ability to use my mobile phone as part of the interactive exhibition. There were countless opportunities for the integration of mobile calls-to-action, including QR codes, app-based experiences, augmented reality, or something as simple as SMS. In a time of high traffic, when all of the interactive displays are in use, I imagine that NBC would love to continue to engage waiting visitors. Is there a better way to achieve this than through the delivery of mobile content, such as quizzes, videos, and location-based experiences?

Overall, I would rate the Education Nation Experience Center as above average in its use of interactive technology and very good in terms of its content. It succeeded in making strong use of available information, which walking a fine line between providing users ample knowledge without making it overwhelming. The lack of a mobile component is still really surprising. Given the role mobile plays in our lives, including the mobile channel would have spoken to the technology's place in augmenting the education experience.

Facebook Retires the Check-In to Unlock Location Relevance

noreply@blogger.com (David Weinfeld) — Mon, 29 Aug 2011 10:39:00 +0000

Facebook's recent decision to change its approach to location awareness is an interesting step for the company. When the company's check-in feature, known as Facebook Places, launched, I thought that it would become the center of the location-based world. It's safe to say that I was wrong. Only 6% of Facebook users ever tried its Places feature.

Now, FB is scrapping the mobile check-in all together. In and of itself, the check-in is an arbitrary action. It's something that you may be drawn to do initially because of the newness of the act, but it ultimately becomes a monotonous activity to do at every location you visit. While I noticed some FB friends utilizing the feature, often people who I never thought would "check-in" to a location, such usage has waned considerably.

Location is most important when it's grounded in something larger: a night out with friends, camping with your family, attending a live sporting event, or going out on a first date. In each of these examples, the "Where" of the activity is something that you would like to know.

Even though Facebook is retiring the manual check in, the company is still bullish on location. It has just made the decision to approach location awareness from a different angle. Rather than viewing the check in as an activity unto itself. FB is making location an outgrowth of broader user actions. Essentially, FB is saying that it's what you do at a geographic place that gives weight to the actual location. FB is making location a persistent characteristic (one that a user must activate) of any, and all, status updates, wall posts, and photos.

The question now is whether or not users will embrace FB's new location functionality or ignore it like the company's mobile check-in feature. I remain optimistic about location awareness in the context of Facebook user activity. Once you know the "What," the "Where" becomes that much more important.

Purchase eBooks Through a Kiosk

noreply@blogger.com (David Weinfeld) — Wed, 03 Aug 2011 19:12:00 +0000

I came across an interesting article on PSFK recently that highlighted a kiosk that facilitates the review and purchase of eBooks. Kiosks are an ideal platform through which to market digital items and virtual goods. When you think about purchasing books through your Kindle, it fails to engender the same feelings as searching through shelves at a bookstore. Moving through the artistic covers of the week's new arrivals and bestsellers is very difficult to convey through a black-and-white eReader.

The ease of purchasing a book through the Kindle store is hard to match. Being able to access Amazon's full library of eBooks from the comfort of one's home, lying in one's bed, or sitting in a chair, is one of the greatest benefits of owning an eReader. While the convenience can't be matched, the experience lacks the vibrance of a traditional bookstore. Now, one could argue that this problem is solved through color eReaders, like the Nook or tablets like the iPad, but it's easy to see how eBook kiosks could supplement the purchase of literary content through one's personal device.

These kiosks would be a complement to the eBook ecosystem rather than a replacement. They could help you pick out and purchase books in the absence of having your eReader with you. Or they could give you a larger viewing canvas through which to make your selection. eBook kiosks could offer unique user interfaces, such as interactive relational maps that connect books according to their underlying themes.

I find that I still venture to Barnes & Noble bookstores. Since purchasing a Kindle, I no longer buy physical books. I use my trips to Barnes & Noble as window shopping for items that I will eventually purchase on my Kindle. I assume that many eReader owners do the same thing. Merging the traditional bookstore experience with the convenience of an eReader can be realized through a next-generation kiosk solution. Think of it as a multi-faceted digital vending machine for eBooks and virtual goods.

You could even imagine a fully interactive digital bookcase lining the wall of an airport terminal. Multiple users could interact with the digital books resting on the virtual shelves. Mobile payment capabilities could facilitate a seamless purchase experience.

Intel Capital Invests in Omek Interactive's Gesture Technology

noreply@blogger.com (David Weinfeld) — Wed, 13 Jul 2011 12:30:00 +0000

As I have noted frequently on this blog, Intel is a company to watch in this space. From the company's cutting-edge proof-of-concepts to its extraordinary booth at NRF, Intel is committed to showcasing how diverse technologies, such as touch, gesture, and anonymous video analytics, are going to transform a range of sectors.

Intel made a big splash with its acquisition of Cognovision, a startup specializing in anonymous video analytics and facial recognition software, last year. Intel featured the technology in a variety of interactive retail concepts at NRF, DSE 2011, and Screenmedia Expo. With the company's recent investment in Omek Interactive, a provider of tools that enable companies to incorporate gesture recognition and full body tracking into their applications and devices, we are likely to see more gesture-based executions in Intel's future.

It's important to note that Intel Capital, the company's investment arm, led Omek Interactive's $7 million Series C funding round. While Intel Capital is a distinct business unit, I think we can all agree that its investments are done strategically for the benefit of the whole company. It's in this regard that I believe we will see the fruits of this investment realized in a greater number of Intel's next-generation retail and digital signage executions.

Intel's Digital Signage Endcap, which the company featured prominently in its "Future of Retail" trade show exhibit, made strong use of gesture recognition. What's interesting is that the company never identified who provided the gesture recognition technology included within the proof-of-concept. Given the company's close relationship with Microsoft, I assumed that Intel made use of a Kinect-based system.

With its recent investment in Omek Interactive, Intel is taking a shot across Microsoft's bow. Microsoft's gesture-based Kinect system has been an amazing success. As realized in the release of a Kinect for Windows SDK, Microsoft sees a bright commercial future for gesture recognition. Intel clearly does as well.

A very small investment, relative to Intel's size, in Omek Interactive isn't likely to have a material impact on the company's long-standing relationship with Microsoft. It does, however, highlight Intel's desire to have an ownership stake in technologies the company believes are set to transform our relationship with computers.

Do you think Intel Capital's investment in Omek will reduce the company's use of Microsoft's Kinect technology in future interactive digital signage executions? How do you think Microsoft views Intel's investment in Omek Interactive?

Can Crowdsourcing be Applied to DOOH?

noreply@blogger.com (David Weinfeld) — Tue, 05 Jul 2011 17:37:00 +0000

Crowdsourcing is one of the hottest buzz words in tech right now. By definition, crowdsourcing is the outsourcing of tasks to large groups. Actions traditionaly handled by a single person are now being completed by the masses. Crowdsourcing leverages the power of the whole to more efficiently, and at a lesser cost, complete tasks. Kickstarter, GigWalk, GetAround, 99Designs, and Waze are just a few of the startups leveraging crowdsourcing as a major function of their business models.

Today's hottest crowdsourcing startups make strong use of social media, real-time communication, and mobile technology to fulfill their objectives. Our increasingly always-on and connected world is the ideal breeding ground for companies seeking to source everything from content creation and location-based tips to startup capital from the community-at-large.

Could such actions be applied to the out of home sector? Could we crowdsource the creation of DOOH content, or could we apply crowdsourcing principles to track proof of play?

I emphatically say, "Yes!" Tapping into the talents and skills of the collective is something that DOOH networks should definitely pursue. Given the significant investment capital and time required to get a DOOH network up and running, crowdsourcing certain tasks would enhance operational efficiency.

Check-In Services are Not the Only Location-Based Answer

noreply@blogger.com (David Weinfeld) — Thu, 16 Jun 2011 19:39:00 +0000

Check-in services need to define a complete value chain. In order to exist beyond tech circles, these services need to champion key lifestyle utility. Whether that be in the form of real-time discounts or functionality that takes the place of analog actions, the check-in is really an outgrowth of a much larger experience. It's not the end all and be all. It's a byproduct of different behaviors that apply greater context to physical environments.

The significance of a check-in pales in comparison to actions that bubble up naturally. I'm more interested in experiences born from serendipitous discovery. Forced behavior becomes tired and monotonous, independent of the virtual trophies a user gets to put on his non-existent mantle.

Location-based experiences need to enhance a user's relationship with a specific environment. They need to speak to the unique characteristics of a user while respecting the shared understanding and goals that permeate distinct places.

Screenmedia Expo, Thinking Digital, TEDx, and Everything in Between

noreply@blogger.com (David Weinfeld) — Tue, 14 Jun 2011 11:49:00 +0000

It's been a whirlwind couple of weeks. I made my first trip to the UK, spent time in London for Screenmedia Expo, spoke at 3 conferences (including a TEDx event), and spent awesome face-to-face time with the Screenreach team.

My Experience at Screenmedia Expo

I really enjoyed my time at Screenmedia Expo. Since I was manning a booth, I, unfortunately, didn't get much time to walk the show floor. Next time I'm going to block a piece of my schedule out for this very activity. I did have some great conversations with attendees and other exhibitors on the show floor. Overall, I would say that the conference was a success.

I had a full session for my talk around mobile and digital signage convergence (I'll post the slides on Slideshare). I posed some questions to the session attendees around location-based services, mobile applications, and social media. Only a handful had ever used a check-in app like Foursquare or Gowalla. When I asked the audience how many people accessed Facebook on their phone, everyone raised their hands. I used that information as a foundational part of my discussion. The mobile-social connectivity realized through accessing Facebook on one's smartphone embodies the fullness of the cross-platform opportunities that exist for digital signage.

The Diverse Group of Speakers at Thinking Digital

Paul Rawlings, CEO of Screenreach, and I shared the stage at Thinking Digital in Newcastle, UK. Thinking Digital was a really interesting conference, with speakers that spanned a myriad of sectors and disciplines. The speakers included a Carnegie Mellon University Roboticist, the CEO and Founder of Wolfram Research, the Director of Microsoft's Applied Science Group, the CEO of Wordnik, and a Cisco VP - an eclectic group, to say the least.

Through the event's diverse range of speakers, Thinking Digital illustrated the various ways technology is impacting our lives. By looking at the subject from a collection of different perspectives, it provided a holistic view of technology's transformative effects. It did so by looking at the anthropological, societal, academic, and scientific forces leading us toward an increasingly digital future.

Using Mobile Interactivity to Tell a Dynamic Story at TEDx

A little over a week ago I had the privilege of speaking at TEDx Chapel Hill. The theme of the event was Global Health & Technology. While the subject matter was just a tad different (gross understatement alert) from my typical day-to-day musings, the event's overarching philosophies toward technology's global reach run parallel to my own.

I demoed a Screach trivia experience, which included questions from the other speakers and IntraHealth (the event's organizer). I polled the audience on topical global health issues in a manner that elicited dynamic audience feedback which was visualized on the venue's large projection display.

The purpose of the demonstration was to illustrate mobile technology's ability to put power in the hands of the audience. It showcased how "Serious Games" could be embedded across healthcare to engage, inform, and learn from an audience. I have embedded the video of my presentation above. Rather than describing every aspect of the experience in text, watching the video will give you a deeper understanding of mobile technology's reach and potential.

Joining Screenreach - Bringing the Worlds of Mobile, Social, and Digital Signage Together

noreply@blogger.com (David Weinfeld) — Fri, 20 May 2011 15:22:00 +0000

I am extremely excited about joining the amazing team at Screenreach as the company's Chief Strategy Officer. Screenreach made the announcement on Tuesday in conjunction with Screenmedia Expo. I spent a whirlwind couple of days in London for Screenmedia Expo, speaking at the event about interactive experiences beyond the check-in, manning the Screenreach booth on the show floor, and ultimately meeting a wealth of great people.

As evidenced through this blog, my passion for digital signage has always resided at the medium's convergence point with mobile, social, and online. Screenreach sits at that exact spot. Becoming an official member of the Screenreach team is the realization of a long-term dream to work within a startup aiming to transform digital signage through mobile and social interactivity.

I have been a friend of Paul Rawlings, the CEO of Screenreach, for a few years. We connected digitally over shared interests - pretty much geeking out over where we saw the mobile, social, and DOOH worlds headed: a perfect storm of industries colliding to create a world of opportunities for enterprising companies. Paul has always been someone with whom I have had amazing conversations about emerging technology, the future of media, and this crazy thing we call digital signage.

When Paul presented me with the opportunity of joining the Screenreach team it was an offer that I just couldn't pass up. I have loved my time at Obscura Digital. It is a fantastic company with an unbelievable team. Obscura's awe-inspiring work, from 3D mapped projections of iconic buildings around the world to Hard Rock's 18' multi-touch wall, is a testament to the company's innovative and holistic approach to immersive customer experiences. I am leaving on great terms, and will be filling an advisory role with the company's Retail group.

I share Paul's overall vision of the future of mobile, social, and digital OOH interactivity. I have been a fan of Screenreach since the company's start at the Difference Engine, a startup incubator in Newcastle, UK. Over the last year, the company has continued to push the boundaries of digital signage and mobile interactivity. Between projects with New Castle United and its announced deal with RMG Networks, Screenreach is well positioned to emerge as a major player in a variety of sectors.

The company is being built on the vision that we should be able to interact freely with the world around us; that any content, on any screen, can be interactive. The platform has been built for open development, giving creatives and designers the ability to build experiences on Screenreach's programming language, ScreachML. Screach experiences are free to use and deploy. It's that open mindset that has furthered my passion for the company and its products.

As Screenreach's CSO, I will be supporting the company's overall vision and global strategy. I will be heading up the company's US office in New York. Screenreach is an opportunity that directly matches with what I want to accomplish in the digital signage industry and beyond. It really is a dream job.

#NFC Developments Showcase DOOH Opportunities

noreply@blogger.com (David Weinfeld) — Fri, 13 May 2011 21:26:00 +0000

There has been a lot of really exciting NFC news this week. From NFC-powered Foursquare check-ins at Google I/O to "Tap to Follow" interactions in Japan, the emerging wireless technology is being showcased across the globe.

There have been rumblings for a couple months now that Foursquare has been experimenting with NFC check-ins at its headquarters. It's a natural progression for the location-based leader to enable "Tap to Check-In" functionality as more phones come equipped with NFC chips.

“NFC is, obviously, a long way from being available everywhere and in all phones,” reads a Foursquare update on the news, “but we’re excited by some of the potential.”

The news this week, though, that Google and Foursquare were partnering on NFC check-ins caught me a little off guard. Google, of course, has its own location-based service, Latitude, that would appear to be a more logical choice.

Not only is the Foursquare/Google tie-up compelling in its own right (especially given the supposed ill feelings 4Sq founder Dennis Crowley has toward Google for killing his service Dodgeball post-acquisition), but where the initiative was launched - at the developer conference Google I/O - makes it all the more interesting.

Foursquare posters with embedded NFC chips were placed throughout the conference center. All a user had to do was place his phone in close proximity to a poster, and "Voila!" he was checked-in. The caveat being that said user would have needed an NFC-equipped phone to make the entire interaction possible. Good thing Google I/O is destination numero uno for Nexus S owners. Let's just say that the US market for NFC phones is in its nascent stage.

Google executives have touted the benefits of NFC for a while now, including major love for the technology from former CEO Eric Schmidt. Google is committed to supporting NFC adoption, showcased by the technology's inclusion within the Nexus S (one of the few phones in the US market with NFC). Google's Nick Pelly, the technical lead for NFC in Android, told delegates at Google I/O today that "dozens of NFC phones are in the pipeline" for later this year.

NFC is going to play a huge role in the world of location-based services. I know this is something I have been saying a lot lately. But, since it's 100% the case, I am happy to repeat myself. From mobile payments and check-ins to single-tap social logins, NFC lowers the barrier to entry on many LBS interactions. Now, just imagine when posters like the ones Foursquare distributed at Google I/O are digital. "Tap to Check In" will be one of the most basic things you will be able to do.

Does Digital Signage Have a Technology Problem?

noreply@blogger.com (David Weinfeld) — Thu, 28 Apr 2011 17:13:00 +0000

The title of this post may lead you to believe that I am going to lambaste the current state of digital signage technology. It is instead meant to highlight digital signage's image problem. For many, digital signage is thought of as just another technology rather than a powerful marketing and communications platform.

Just as a company's website once resided under the direction of the IT department so too has digital signage fallen into the world of switches, routers, and servers. Digital signage is oft looked at as another pick or shovel in a company's technology tool shed. It's a problem that has kept an organization's digital signage operations siloed from other departments, such as internal communications, graphic design, marketing, and advertising.

Digital signage must speak to the needs of visual merchandisers, brand marketer, and media planners. To do so it needs to become less about the technology and more about what digital signage delivers. It's my contention that we are trying to communicate to two very different audiences with a single broad message. Non-technology folks care little about the ins and outs of what makes a DS system tick. They just want to know that it works.

There will always be a place for IT in the world of digital signage; in the same way that IT has always remained a key component of a company's online efforts. In order to get the necessary monetary, creative, and strategic attention from business leaders, digital signage needs to shed its techno-centric layers.

When digital signage is only framed by its technological guts, company's miss the opportunities that can be realized in letting interdisciplinary teams participate in the platform's refinement. Could you imagine what the web would look like today if it hadn't expanded beyond a company's IT department?

The look, feel, and direction of a company's website is lead by digital marketing teams for a reason. The creativity and vision such individuals bring to the platform make its technological underpinnings disappear. The technology fades away and the experience becomes the driver.

I have had conversations with marketing executives who lamented the fact that their companies' digital signage networks were designed solely by the IT department. They would tell me of the time, effort, and money it would cost them to make these systems suitable for their marketing needs. It's like trying to fit a square peg in a round hole.

Most people only care about technology when it doesn't work. That's not how digital signage should be thought of. The more the digital signage conversation is framed around brand engagement, customer experience, and marketing message, the greater attention the platform will attract.

CNBC Highlights Supermarket Biz, Misses Broader Tech Story

noreply@blogger.com (David Weinfeld) — Tue, 26 Apr 2011 19:12:00 +0000

I recently watched a special on CNBC about the $500 billion supermarket business. The program highlighted the challenges that retailers and brands face in reaching today's price-conscious shopper. The show focused significant attention on the changes supermarket store environments are undergoing to better meet their customers' needs. I felt, however, that CNBC missed a major opportunity to highlight the new technologies impacting customers at shelf-edge.

CNBC discussed the data-mining capabilities of loyalty cards and traffic counters. The special identified the benefits to retailers that these technologies bring, and the fact that the average consumer has no idea how much information is being stockpiled on him as he shops. Extending upon the technology focus from a customer research perspective, CNBC made special mention of Modiv Media, a technology solution that allows customers to price check and purchase products by scanning items with a handheld device.

What I found interesting about the segment is that it made little mention of the smartphone applications and social media integration opportunities that make up the fabric of next generation retail. CNBC didn't talk about the utilization of check-in applications such as Foursquare, Gowalla, Loopt, or SCVNGR. There wasn't any mention of AisleBuyer, Location Labs, or Simple Geo, just a few of the startups that are aiming to transform how we interact in the physical world.

In a perfect world CNBC would produce a second segment focused on technology's transformation of the supermarket industry. Are you surprised to hear that CNBC didn't make any mention of the growth of digital signage in grocery environments? I sure was. Even though super market digital signage is in its nascent stages, in terms of creativity, strategic framework, and effectiveness, its long-term potential to impact shoppers at the point of decision cannot be denied.

Social Photo Sharing, DOOH, and You

noreply@blogger.com (David Weinfeld) — Tue, 12 Apr 2011 20:51:00 +0000

This pic was taken with a Motorola Droid X on February 24, 2011. It was processed with the Enhanced Definition filter.

I love telling people about new mobile applications. As of late, two of my favorite applications to recommend to people are Instagram and PicPlz. The social photo sharing apps with built-in filter effects are as addictive as they are cool. Not only that, but I find great utility in the apps due to their all-encompassing focus on social sharing. Automatic location-tagging, on-the-spot photo editing, and seamless connectivity to social networks make these apps incredibly valuable to individuals and brands alike.

PicPlz and Instagram are just two of a growing breed of social photo sharing applications. Path, Color, and Foodspotting are just a few of the other mobile photo apps fighting for users' attention. On top of that, the majority of these companies are making their APIs widely available so people can develop on their platforms. From interactive screensavers that pull pictures from Instagram to maps with geo-tagged photos that exist as beautiful mosaics, these applications foster the expansion of vibrant communities and experiences.

While bringing in feeds from Instagram, PicPlz, and Foodspotting is the simplest example of how DOOH networks could leverage social photo sharing apps, these applications present countless opportunities to place-based media networks. Everything from location-based gaming to augmented reality photo booths could be explored at the convergence of DOOH networks and social photo sharing applications.

Why Google's Abandoning QR Codes in Places

noreply@blogger.com (David Weinfeld) — Thu, 07 Apr 2011 16:17:00 +0000

News came in last week that Google will no longer support QR codes within Google Places. It was a little over two years ago when the company sent 100,000 window stickers with QR codes to top local businesses across the country.

Through Google's Favorite Places program, business owners received stickers sporting Google's logo, a scannable barcode and a message reading "we're a favorite place on Google."

Before you do your local shop owner a favor and peel the Google sticker from his window, it's important to note that Google will continue to support the "Favorite Places" QR codes. You just won't be seeing any new ones in the near future.

My feeling is that the "Favorite Places" QR codes must have been either a huge failure or luke warm success to have Google end its future application. Wouldn't you just love to see the user numbers? Boy, that would be an amazing insight into QR code usage at the local business level.

You might be asking yourself, "If the stickers still work, what's the big deal?" The big news is that Google has pulled the QR code option from the entire Places ecosystem. For local businesses, who are not known to be the most technologically savvy, this was a way for them to experiment with QR codes from within the Google platform. The ease and accessibility of the option is what Google had hoped would make it successful. It's termination is either a result of lack of utilization by the businesses themselves, or poor use numbers from the public.

I'm sure Google's support of NFC also played a role in its decision to discontinue QR code support in Places. NFC, a short-range wireless technology that allows for the immediate transfer of content from active or passive tags, is going to have a major impact on how we interact with the world around us. From smart tags in posters to mobile payment systems, NFC has a bright future ahead. Every major technology company under the sun, from Amazon and Google to Intel, is pushing forward with NFC initiatives. Rumors are swirling that NFC functionality will be built within the next iPhone. That, my friends, would be a game changer.

Google is already experimenting with NFC tags at the local business level. The company sent NFC-enabled stickers to businesses in Portland last December. The caveat here is that Google's Nexus S is about the only phone on the market that currently supports NFC. That's going to change, but the question remains as to how long that will take. Some think six months to a year, while others think rapid NFC adoption is at least two years out. I, for one, think that we're in the six months to one year range. Again I say that if Apple includes NFC within the iPhone 5 then NFC will be off to the races.

***I would be remiss if I didn't highlight that there are a myriad of QR code generator tools available to businesses and individuals. Type "QR code generator" into a Google search and you will see what I mean. There are countless free options, but a business user should go with one of the major QR players, such as Scanlife. I am also a big fan of startup Sparqcode which helps businesses create 2D tags linked to their social media profiles.

Back from Honeymoon, Ready to Blog!

noreply@blogger.com (David Weinfeld) — Wed, 06 Apr 2011 14:47:00 +0000

I haven't posted a new article on this blog for a few weeks. To my loyal readers, I promise that things are poised to go back to normal. While I was away getting married, and enjoying a beautiful honeymoon in the Bahamas (I highly recommend the Cove at Atlantis, by the way), the mobile, social, and DOOH industries have continued to be as exciting as ever.

From the launch of Google+1 (more on that later), Foursquare's SXSW partnership with American Express to the buzz swirling around mobile application Color, I have been swimming in some very interesting tech news. Add in Google's announcement that the company is no longer supporting QR codes within Places, and you have the makings of some major technology shifts.

The jury is still out on Google+1. While I have read many opinions that call the initiative a poor attempt to garner a larger piece of the social pie, it may prove to be effective. It's neither the worst nor best idea I have ever heard in the social media space. Any way that Google can provide greater context around its search results enhances the company's ability to go toe-to-toe with Facebook.

The mobile and location-based sectors are as hot as ever. Social photo sharing has taken off like a rocket. Thanks to services like Instagram, Path, and PicPlz, users are augmenting the physical world with greater data about their behavior and social connections.

All of the activity around the technology sector is leading some to say we are smack dab in the middle of a bubble. Yes, some valuations are a bit frothy. It still floors me that companies with little revenue to speak of can be valued at hundreds of millions of dollars. Even with oversize funding rounds, I believe that the current environment is due to the evolution of market-changing technologies. So, while the ride may get a little bit bumpy, it's sure to be very exciting.

Japan Relief Effort from DOOH Community

noreply@blogger.com (David Weinfeld) — Tue, 15 Mar 2011 20:55:00 +0000

How fantastic is it when people come together to support a great cause? Our conference call at 2:00pm couldn't have gone better. All of the attendees were ready and willing to do everything they could to support the effort. My Preset Colleague in Crime, Dave Haynes, has a recap on his blog that covers all of the next steps.

Thank you to everyone on the call. Now, the fun really starts. As the spots roll in, the next phase is garnering commitments from DOOH networks far and wide to air them.

If you run a DOOH network, whether it be a single screen or thousands, please take the opportunity to run a Japan Relief spot and get your audience involved. You have a powerful communication platform at your fingertips. There couldn't be a better way to take advantage of its reach and power.

Conference Call to Discuss DOOH Spots for Japan Relief

noreply@blogger.com (David Weinfeld) — Tue, 15 Mar 2011 14:35:00 +0000

I sent out a tweet on Sunday asking for help in developing a free package of DOOH content for Japan relief. Not being a content developer myself, I knew that this would have to be a collaborative effort across the industry. I'm thankful to say that the response was immediate. My fellow Preset Grouper Dave Haynes even wrote a blog post based on my tweet to rally further support for the initiative

After putting our heads together, Dave and I decided that an open invite conference call to discuss the effort was the best way to proceed. So that's what we have done. We have set up a conference call bridge for today at 2 PM Eastern to coordinate development and distribution of public service ads to aid in raising funds for Japanese victims of last week’s earthquake and the horrific tsunami that followed.

The number to call at 2 PM Eastern, 11 Pacific, is: (415) 796-0198 PIN#: 2878.

The intent of the call is to identify who can do what, and try to make completed spots available before the end of this week. The spots would be available to any Digital OOH network that wants to use them, and hopefully the source files would also be available should a network need to tweak the shape for their particular needs.

The files will not contain any branding for the producer or network operators, as this is all about helping the people over there.

The effort needs:

- Creative people willing to develop spots. We think h.2g4 video makes the most sense, as doing Flash introduces questions about CPU speeds and on and on;

- A distribution mechanism, like a public FTP server or download site. We are aware of thewww.psacasting.org site, but don’t seem much sign of life on it. Thoughts?;

- Networks willing to run the spots.

Anyone is welcome on the call, but we need participation more from the production side than people ringing in to say they will run the spots. For the latter, that’s hugely appreciated, but watch this space and we will post all the info as to how to access the video spots when they are ready.

The number to call at 2 PM Eastern, 11 Pacific, is: (415) 796-0198 PIN#: 2878.

Technology's Evolution is Like a G6

noreply@blogger.com (David Weinfeld) — Sat, 12 Mar 2011 12:59:00 +0000

Daily deals, social gaming, mobile coupons, smartphone applications...etc., etc. It's a lot to keep track of. Technology is evolving at a rapid pace. It's both daunting and exciting. Social media is turning everything on its head. Universal connectivity enables a world in which environments serve many different purposes. A coffee shop is no longer just a coffee shop. It is a gateway to an expansive set of tools and resources.

The world is getting larger by the millisecond. It is growing exponentially larger right in front of our eyes. It is twisting and turning into new forms. Content is morphing into commerce and vice versa.

Inverse Relationship Between App Saturation and Value?

noreply@blogger.com (David Weinfeld) — Mon, 07 Mar 2011 20:48:00 +0000

I read an interesting article over the weekend that questioned whether or not having too many mobile applications within the same spectrum diminishes the value of each. The crux of the author's argument was that having too many applications with similar user features, customer objectives, and gaming mechanics caused him not to use any of the check-in apps. Rather than choosing between the likes of Foursquare, Gowalla, Loopt, SCVNGR, or ShopKick, the author selected "none of the above."

Having so many apps to choose from that are near mirrors of each other creates a clear market problem. The difficulty inherent in selecting a single app from a world of near clones is that a user often decides not to make a selection altogether. On the opposite end of the spectrum from not downloading an app, is the common occurence of downloading multiple location-based applications and then only making use of each one sparingly.

I find myself gravitating toward Foursquare, but, in some cases, the option of checking in on Foursquare, Facebook, ShopKick, Google Places, or Gowalla leads me to not check-in at all. It's an issue that likely extends to a large number of apps within common verticals. The near-identical functional aspects of services like Checkpoints, Barcode Hero, and ShopKick causes user confusion and limits mainstream adoption.

The question then is, "How do we fix the problem?"

While an application like Foursquare continues to find success in increasing its user base amongst the tech set, does the over-saturation of check-in apps limit the company's long-term trajectory? The thought from many is that the rise of Facebook Places will push many check-in apps from the market. At the end of the day, the name of the game is scale.

Perhaps it will end up being all about feature and offer aggregation. A centralized app could emerge that pulls in the most relevant components of each underlying service per an individual user's profile. It could all come down to owning market niches. While competition challenges a company such as ShopKick to continually improve its application, it diminishes the company's overall ability to focus on what's most important.

Will these applications learn to play nice with one another, or is the market destined to sink under its own weight?

(To be continued...)
.

Shelly Palmer's Keynote at #DSE2011 was Great!

noreply@blogger.com (David Weinfeld) — Wed, 23 Feb 2011 18:56:00 +0000

I must admit that I didn't really know anything about Shelly Palmer prior to today's keynote. I, of course, read his bio in the DSE materials - Host of Digital Life w/ Shelly Palmer and MediaBytes - but I didn't know what his true philosophies were toward digital media and emerging technology.

After this morning's keynote, I can emphatically say that Shelly Palmer and I see eye-to-eye. He spoke passionately about the importance of people in the digital signage industry living their lives digitally. He got visibly and audibly fired up over the fact that few among the audience used Google Alerts (I was in the minority of people who use the service daily) to track real-time information about the industry, competitors, their own companies, prospects, etc. He went off on the audience, in a good way, and implored all of us to make use of a wide range of digital tools every day.

I captured a lot of notes during the session, primarily through posting updates on Twitter. Rather than regurgitating everything that was said during the keynote, I have attached some of my favorite quotes below. Feel free to visit my Twitter feed (@davidweinfeld) to view all of my notes and thoughts from the session.

"All technology is meaningless unless it changes the way we behave."
(my favorite quote from the entire session)

"It is unacceptable to be at a Digital Signage Expo and not be completely digital in your life." YES!

"Only two kinds of people and two kinds of devices in the world: CONNECTED and NOT CONNECTED."

"The number one show at 10pm on Friday night is TiVo. People make choices!" #dse2011

"He who is closest to the sale wins. Now people are taking their signs with them."

Kinect Hacks Highlight Technology's Future

noreply@blogger.com (David Weinfeld) — Thu, 17 Feb 2011 21:00:00 +0000

Kinect hacks are coming fast and furious. Ever since Microsoft launched its game changing gesture-based peripheral, enterprising developers and coders have taken it upon themselves to stretch the boundaries of what the device makes possible.

These hacks showcase the creativity of the developer community, and how access to once cost-prohibitive technology accelerates innovation. It's in these hacks that I see the future of media and technology. These interactive executions are not about hacking for malicious ends. In the case of Kinect. these hacks epitomize the best of what it means to be a hacker: One who radically redefines technology through iterative exploration and a profound focus on figuring out a technical solution to a problem.

The video below takes a colorful look at some of the best Kinect hacks to date: