Monster Media has earned the “Network Operator of the Year” recognition for 2012 from the Digital Screenmedia Association, an independent, not-for-profit trade association that advances the growth and excellence of the global digital signage, interactive kiosk and mobile community through advocacy, education and networking.

“Network

Operator of the Year” is part of the DSA’s Industry Excellence Awards, which annually recognize the best digital signage, mobile, self-service and interactive kiosk technology projects in the industry. The Network Operator of the Year award and others were presented last week at a gala event in conjunction with the Customer Technology Engagement World tradeshow in San Francisco. Our own Ritch Shamey was present to accept the award on behalf of the Monster Media team.

Monster Media has announced that its recent interactive advertising campaign for Maynards Candy in three Canadian Malls has been awarded a Gold Media Innovation Award (MIA) for Digital Out-of-Home and/or Digital Place-Based Media.

The MIA Awards salute outstanding work in the Canadian media community that stand out because of their unifying idea, the experience they provided to consumers, the quality of the execution, the business results and for invoking an “I wish I had done that” feeling among judges. The panel of judges included employees of Rogers Media, Maxus Canada, Y&R, MediaCom, Best Buy Canada and OMD.

For the “Make Your Face a Maynards” campaign, Monster partnered with MediaVest, The Hive, Jungle Media, Pattison Outdoor and RocketXL to execute an interactive experience that ran in three high traffic malls in Canada in late 2011.

Using Monster iPOPTM digital kiosks, the campaign invited shoppers to create candy versions of themselves, with the winner’s face actually replicated as Canada’s next Maynards candy sensation. The units instantly recognized the presence of a face and used augmented reality to place it within a Maynards candy bag. Users were able to customize their candy by choosing one of four flavors before taking a photo of themselves and submitting.

After submitting their photo, users entered an e-mail address to receive their photo. They were then enticed to get involved in the rest of the program, prompted to visit the Maynards Facebook page, interact with the app and enter the contest to be Canada’s next Maynards candy.

After only two weeks in market, the units clocked a total of 7,177 interactions and delivered 3,040 e-mails to users. They also helped drive Maynards’ Facebook page likes to more than 19,000 in three weeks (an increase of 34%).

The one-week ad campaign, customized for MEOW by Katy Perry, was designed and bought by Los Angeles-based marketing and media agency, StreetVirus. They partnered with interactive advertising company Monster Media to place the ad on their portable digital storefront unit called the POD, located at The Grove.

A video of the ad in action can be seen here: http://monstermedia.net/portfolio.php?#436

Shoppers used touch interactivity to initiate the ornament creation process. A built-in camera then showed their mirror image on the screen along with an outline of the Katy Perry fragrance bottle. After aligning their face inside the cat shaped bottle, the camera snapped their picture and allowed them to take as many as needed to get their image just right.

They were then prompted for an email address, which they entered using a virtual keyboard on the screen. Upon completion, their ornament joined others on Katy Perry’s Christmas tree, which was showcased on a 2×3 matrix of LCD screens within the POD. They then instantly received an email with a link to download an image of their ornament and instructions on how to print it out to hang on their own Christmas trees.

The campaign yielded positive results during its duration. In one week, analytics from Monster Media recorded 2,836 activations and 5,134 photos taken. More than 2,200 photos were saved and the campaign gathered 1,766 email addresses.

“Due to the high end nature of The Grove, media placements aren’t always easy, but this one stood out.” said John Payne of Monster Media. “The Katy Perry campaign is a great example of the cross channel combination of digital signage, interactivity and email marketing in a high-end retail setting.”

Monster Media has installed its first Monster Wall in Vancouver City Station as part of our new partnership with Lamar Transit Canada. First reported yesterday by DailyDOOH , the Monster Wall allows travelers to engage with advertising through a variety of interactive technologies. TELUS, a Canadian Telecommunications company, will be the first client to launch a campaign on the interactive wall and their ad will run for the next 16 weeks.

The Vancouver installation is just the beginning of our expansion plan to install Monster Walls in locations throughout Canada, including transit, subway and light rail stations during 2012. Next on the list is Union Station in Toronto, in partnership with IMA Outdoor, which can deliver more than 3.5 million potential impressions each month.

Social networking juggernaut Facebook more than doubled its ad revenue in 2011 and it is expected to hit one billion users early this year. But in this ever-evolving industry, numbers are only half the story. Facebook is pushing to increase user engagement. This move reveals an emerging trend—through engagement on a personal level, advertisers and marketers will turn to social media to enrich the consumer experience and ultimately drive buying decisions.

What gives this trend major potential for a significant return on investment for advertisers is its effortless ability to interweave into the mobile realm. Smartphones keep us constantly connected to the internet and make social media more accessible through mobile apps; some apps like Foursquare and Instagram are even driven by mobile.

It’s not farfetched to say we always have our phones on us—I dare to say we’d even feel naked without them. A study from WSL/Strategic Retail reports about 50 percent of all smartphone owners use their device while shopping, and an increasing number are downloading shopping-related apps. Thirty-five percent of those apps are used to receive in-store alerts on deals and sales. Given this trend, advertisers, and the brands we work for, need to embrace the real-time marketing opportunities social media and mobile offer to reach consumers.

Take me for example. I’m a 22 year-old social networking junky. Facebook, Foursqaure, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest. I’m on them all, and most of the time access them from my phone. Over the holiday season I stopped by Macy’s and, being the Foursquare addict that I am, I checked in. Once I did, I saw I had unlocked an in-store deal—15 percent off any item. I’m a sucker for a deal, and I’d be lying if I said it—even if only for 15 percent—didn’t sway my buying decision.

I’m not alone either; an increasing-number of shoppers are turning to social media in search for rewards before—even while—shopping. The WSL/Strategic Retail study also claimed the amount of members of social networking sites searching for discounts or coupons increased 31 percent during 2011, while those looking to sign up for member-only benefits climbed 50 percent. This is a big contrast to the mere 14 percent of social networking site members who search for product information and reviews.

But how does this emerging trend translate into the DOOH arena? Well, marketers using out-of-home media need to be savvy by reaching consumers across channels and integrating those platforms. At Monster Media we provide clients an opportunity to reach consumers in an unconventional way. We just wrapped up (holiday pun intended) a campaign for MEOW by Katy Perry on a Monster POD that also included a take-home element in the form of an email. Shoppers at The Grove in Los Angeles took their picture at our Monster POD and were able to email themselves a custom holiday keepsake. At the end of our week-long campaign, we collected more than 1,700 user emails.

We’re also able to take full advantage of social media’s reach by incorporating avenues like Facebook and Twitter into our interactive campaigns. Speaking to the increasing mobile savviness of consumers, we’ve even integrated QR codes into creative executions. By the end of the four-week campaign for EA’s Cut the Rope this past year, users activated QR-code selections more than 11,000 times.

At Monster Media we’re always thinking of ways consumers can continue to interact with the brands we work with even after they’ve left our interactive systems. Tying in mobile and social media elements allows our clients to engage consumers even after they’ve left the out-of-home space.

Sources: Social Media Today, Adweek, Screenmedia Daily, Social Media Examiner

– Gustavo Marrero

In recent years, advertisers have increasingly turned to interactive, innovative and eye-catching campaigns to promote their brands to reach a largely jaded, ‘I’ve-seen-it-all-before’ audience. This engaging platform allows would-be consumers to stop and connect with a product in a customised and personal way, with users now being able to walk away with a piece of this campaign in their pocket, via systems having the capability to snap photos, upload messages to social networking sites, enter to win one-of-a-kind prizes or even vend physical merchandise!

Nonetheless, as we make our way to peddle our interactive wares across the UK ad agency circuit, inevitably the same questions keep cropping up. The top 3 most popular queries include, “why would I make such a large investment on one unit, when I can stretch it to cover the country in 6 sheets?” or “your products are really cool, but how would they work for [insert banking/travel/fashion (or any other non-gaming/consumer electronic sector) here]” and my own personal favourite “you Americans love all this showy stuff, us Brits are much more reserved. What if no one will want to interact with the units?”

In the interest of saving my breath and focusing on the truly incredible potential of interactive advertising at these meetings, let me address these issues once and for all:

1. Why would your client spend money on a piece of kit that is capable of capturing each and every activation of the content, can mine and store detailed user data, is monitored around the clock and can be fixed remotely (often before a fault actually occurs), is able to create excitement and buzz about the brand through positive PR and consumer takeaway elements, and runs bespoke content which allows the brand to dictate a consumer’s journey from start to finish? Over 2 million people may walk through Waterloo Station per week, but do any of them actually notice the posters? Or will they be more likely to pause at a 3m x 2m interactive screen that gives them a chance to win a dream holiday getaway?
2. People seem to get stuck on the gaming element of many of our units and are unsure about whether their brand would be the ‘right fit’ for the space. One look at our client list and those fears are quickly allayed. Who would have thought that banks could actually poke fun at their industry by addressing their hidden fees, as well as taking consumers on a journey filled with choices? Or a cabinet manufacturer would arrive at a trade show equipped with one of our products to showcase the durability and functionality of their wares? All of these examples speak for themselves. From sports, to investments, to hospitality, to film releases, and yes even gaming, Monster Media has worked with them all.
3. Some food for thought from a recent Samsung in-window display positioned in Carphone Warehouse windows across the UK: 90% of users that interacted with the unit said that it was easy to use and they enjoyed the experience. Half of those who were present (in close proximity to the store) interacted with the touchscreen. An additional 13% of shoppers went into the store because of the display. Of those who enquired about a phone in store, an impressive 75% of all enquiries were about Samsung phones. Need I say more?

It can be challenging to conceptualise the true potential of interactive advertising for those who have yet to experience it, so I don’t judge the naysayers and skeptics too harshly. All I can say is look at the overwhelming evidence, dare to be innovative and give it a go! You won’t be disappointed.

In an effort to apprehend former U.S. Marine Charles Alan Dyer, the Bureau posted wanted signs in about a dozen states in the South and Southeast, according toOklahoma News 9 and Houston’s KHOU 11 TV. Dyer was wanted by the FBI in Oklahoma City for unlawful flight to avoid prosecution.

The use of digital billboards as wanted posters was a novel approach, but not, apparently, a completely new one.

According to Darrin Friskney, director of digital billboard manufacturer Watchfire Digital Outdoor, the digital signs have been used for similar purposes before, and can have significant utility for other public safety messaging.

And while it doesn’t seem that the billboards led to Dyer’s arrest — according to the FBI, a Fort Bend County (Texas) Sheriff’s Deputy questioned a man on foot fitting Dyer’s description before arresting him, and a fingerprint check at the Fort Bend County jail confirmed his identity — they have before.

“The role of digital billboards in public service has been tremendous. In addition to generating tips that have led to the arrest of 41 fugitives sought by the FBI, digital boards have also helped communicate timely emergency messages during extreme weather and helped promote public issues such as Amber Alerts and DUI campaigns,” Friskney said in an email. “Whether the message is public or commercial, there isn’t a better medium for reaching mass audiences with up-to-the-minute information than digital billboards.”

SOURCE

Evolution of a Stalker

I like to think that my lifelong road to stalker status was a natural progression, as I transferred my people watching from the physical to digital world.  After all, there’s so much more to learn about people from the digital medium! Photos, interests, favorite movies -judge if you will, I know we all do it! Good news is that my evolved passion for “stalking” has served me quite well at Monster.  As a Client Services Coordinator, my day involves facilitating communication between clients and our creative, sales and logistics teams, making sure that everyone gets what they need.  Mostly, this involves repeatedly hounding my team for a deliverable, requesting a deliverable from clients, or simply reiterating a point until I get a response.  Of course, all this stalking is all done very nicely and always with a smile on my face – no one likes a mean (or rude) creeper! =)

Stalker Power!

Even more interesting to me is the magnitude of stalkerness that is required for this business to function and continue to grow. With no mal intent implied, it’s completely true! The sales team hunts for contracts and new clients, without which there would be no Monster.  Our operations team is in constant contact with suppliers, shippers and various team members, ensuring that everything is running smoothly and on-time. HR is OTP (on the prowl) for fresh talent that keeps us on top of our game. Creative and R&D stays on top of technology to ensure that, creatively, we’re always one step ahead of the competition. And client services is pretty much the pain in everyone’s butts as we hunt for the bits and pieces to make sure all parties are happy.  I imagine that this principle remains true for companies across the board – at its heart, any company needs strong, determined and sometimes downright pushy people to keep things moving forward. All in all, we stalk because we truly believe in what we do.

Driven by a Stalker Industry

Now that I’ve gone and called everyone I work with and for a stalker, I’m going even further by saying that our creepy company ways are due to the fact that we are driven by a creeptastic (one of my fave made-up words) advertising culture and society in general. Think about it- we now have phone apps that tell everyone where you are, what you are doing and who you are with.  What differentiates us as an advertising society is that we use these stalking capabilities for professional gain, especially in the DOOH industry. We can collect crucial information that helps each client better understand their consumers and directly engage them even after they walk away from an ad. With users’ permission and appropriate disclaimers, we can provide clients with user photos, email addresses, names, phone numbers and any other information entered via touch interaction. Recently, clients have been coming to us wanting to integrate social media. Doing so opens an entirely new window of stalk-you-very-much opportunities.  For example, when users post their experience to a social media site, we are able to track their profile demographics (i.e. gender, age, hometown, etc.) and share that info with our clients. Foursquare, Twitter, Facebook; they all serve a purpose for us as individuals. Now, they are also guiding the future of advertising.

Stalking: the Future

So what’s next? As our stalker society continues to evolve, technology emerges that furthers our creeping capabilities. I’ve seen tracking cameras that can detect gender and age range. I’ve heard of ads where users can plug in a phone memory card so they can take information from the ad with them (and the ad takes their information as well). Technology evolves according to society’s current and future needs. The evolution of society itself is driven by what’s available to us. It’s a vicious cycle, and all signs point to the continued evolution of “stalking.” Back in 2002, Steven Spielberg illustrated this in Minority Report; ads that read users’ retinas and bring customized advertising to each passerby. While this may not be achieved by 2054 as Spielberg predicted, we’re definitely on our way there.

A Stalk-Filled Synopsis

To anyone I’ve offended by lumping you into my “creeper” category, I apologize. But, keep in mind, it’s been redefined by an authority on the matter (me) and I’m willing to bet that if you take the time to look at your daily actions, even outside the advertising world, you’ll find that you’re more of a stalker than you thought. And it’s a good thing! Its people watchers and creepers (the harmless ones!) like us that truly succeed not only in our jobs, but in life.

Lastly, I’d like to thank my roommates for being the inspiration for this blog. Remember to keep your knees flexin’ and your arms t-rexin!

It’s been a rough year on planet Earth: an earthquake and tsunami in Japan, tornadoes in the U.S., and now drought and famine in East Africa, resulting in billions of dollars in damages and countless lives lost or shattered.

And the digital out-of-home industry continues to pitch in to do what it can to help.

After the latest horrible headlines, a volunteer collective of digital out-of-home operators and suppliers calling itself DOOHgood has activated an effort to help raise awareness and drive donations to help ease the drought and health crisis in the Horn of Africa.

United Nations Emergency Aid Coordinator Valerie Amos today called for another billion dollars in donations to aid drought victims in Somalia and the general region of East Africa.

According to Amos, 12 million people in Somalia, Kenya, Ethiopia and Djibouti are suffering under the drought and resultant famine. Sending money, active volunteering or spreading the word about the need would all help, Amos said.

DOOHgood, which started out as DOOH4relief after the Japanese tsunami, is coordinating development and distribution of public service ads for DOOH networks to help raise funds and sustain awareness for the victims of disasters around the world.

A video Public Service ad for Canadian network operators is now available on the DOOHgood website, available for use by DOOH networks in Canada that have otherwise unused advertising time. The first spot was developed for theCanadian Humanitarian Coalition – consisting of several relief agencies pooling their resources. (You can view the first ad here.)

DOOHgood is also working with U.S. agencies and hopes to have spots for U.S. DOOH networks developed and available soon. DOOHgood is in need of a creative team to produce a spot for at least one agency, and would welcome any offers to help with a few free studio hours, according to an email from digital signage expert Dave Haynes, who helped start DOOHgood.

DOOHgood was formed in the aftermath of the Japan disaster in March, producing numerous free video ads and running them on dozens of networks in several countries. The effort delivered millions of free advertising impressions for the Red Cross societies in several countries. Since then, DOOHgood also has helped drive donations for local Red Cross groups helping people in the aftermath of the terrible rash of tornadoes in the Southern U.S. this past spring. DOOHgood provides a central distribution point and archive for the videos and related material, and helps to get creative produced if none is otherwise available.

“We’ve had tremendous support across the board,” Haynes said in an email today. “The collective networks delivered millions and millions of impressions in the weeks after the Japan tsunami, and some amazing creative was developed out of that, as well, by people just looking to somehow help.”

According to Haynes, the DOOH community “has been great.” Haynes approached Susan Danaher, president of the Digital Place-based Advertising Association about getting a few minutes of microphone time at the DPAA summit this fall, “and she urged us to get in to see the DPAA membership months ahead of that.” Digital signage consultant David Weinfeld, who also co-started DOOHgood, went to New York and presented at a DPAA meeting earlier this summer, Haynes said, “and we really appreciated the time and attention they provided to us.”

“Where we could REALLY use help is on the creative side,” he said in today’s email. “Most of these relief organizations are great at logistics and care, but they have little or no media capability. We could really use a few donated hours from some small production houses or graphic design teams within networks to produce additional video PSAs. Most of the companies directly involved with DOOHgood have donated design time, but that’s not sustainable. PSA videos are a great platform for getting creative, so we think this presents a nice opportunity.”

Haynes said he’s heard it suggested from network experts who would know that most DOOH networks run at 20-40 percent of sold inventory, so there is programming time available.

“If we can provide good creative, for really important causes, I think DOOHgood can live up to its name,” he said.

Jose Avalos, the director of retail and digital Signage for Intel Corp. in its Embedded & Communications Group, applauded the DOOHgood effort in an email:

“This initiative illustrates the power and potential of organizations using digital signage solutions for public service announcements and other public and civic services,” he wrote. “Digital signage can be deployed for more than commercial reasons and really make an impact while ‘doing good.’”

And the interconnectedness of the still-growing DOOH sector comes out in the DOOHgood effort, said Dawn Rahicki, SVP and CMO for DOOH firm rVue.

“From tragic circumstances like need for Japan and African relief, the DOOH community has shown its strength and compassion by uniting for very worthy causes and leveraging the power of place-based media and the reach of our collective screens,” she wrote in an email. “In this the community has shown its ability to respond quickly to raise awareness. From this need, DOOHGood.com was born and serves the sole altruistic purpose of raising awareness of causes and giving back. What an incredibly important use of a medium we hold dear.”

To find out more or to learn how to help out, visit the DOOHgood website.

 SOURCE