TV ON THE FLY: DIGITAL OOH TAKES OFF

This is the first of three guest postings from Tom Eley of Eley Media Management and describes the types of Digital OOH

Minority Report here we come! Digital signage now encompasses:

• Posters
• Bulletins
• Malls
• Airports

And pretty much any other high traffic location that OOH companies can plug in with:

• LED’s for the larger formats
• Plasmas or LCD’s for the smaller and closer formats

There are also some exciting new technologies like digital ink on the horizon from companies such as Magink: www.magink.com.

Many of these new screens are hooked up to wired or wireless networks that facilitate copy changes in seconds not weeks.

Indoor Networks

On one end of the spectrum are indoor tightly-targeted networks offering video formats and featuring non-advertising as well as advertising content. Examples of this include:

• The Hotel Network
• In Stadium network
• In airport Networks
• A variety of networks in hospitals and doctors offices
• All Over Media in gyms
• Ad Space in movie theatres and shopping malls
• Wal-mart’s In-store Network operated by PRN
• Captivate in elevators owned by Gannett
• Video at gas pumps backed by NBC
• etc. etc....

Two OOH Associations Have Different Roles

‘Having non-ad content is the differentiator for why a company joins our Trade Association versus the OAAA’, says Kim Norris, former cable executive and since April President of the new Out of Home Video Advertising Bureau, ‘Although that point of difference between us and larger format outdoor digital networks won’t last long. They will want to try content too at some point,’ she says.

Mass Digital OOH: Subway Entrances, Bus Shelters

In the middle of the spectrum is CBS Outdoor’s high resolution LED network of Urban Panels above subway entrances in New York City. These screens show full motion video with no sound and only show advertising content. CEMUSA is experimenting with LCD screens implanted in bus shelters as is Decaux with airport dioramas.

Digital Bulletins

On the other end of the spectrum are small networks of large outdoor bulletins converted to an LED format that are only allowed to show static images, due to traffic safety concerns.

At this time, they only show advertising content, but many of the outdoor companies have agreed to make them available to broadcast emergency information such as Amber Alerts.

In Minneapolis this summer when the bridge collapsed, within 10 minutes ClearChannel’s digital network alerted drivers to avoid the area.

Demand for advertising on these new super-bulletins is high and locations seem to sell out as soon as they are built.

TV on the fly? Digital OOH is taking off.

Next post: Where to go for availabilities and other information.

The post is the work of Tom Eley, President of Eley Media Management and is edited by Gene DeWitt. For more information contact Tom at teley@mindspring.com.

Tags: Digital Outdoor, OOH, Advertising, Media