The Case for Advertising:

Marketers and digital signage experts will tell you that using in-store TV solely for entertainment is a lost opportunity to reach your customers at a key point in the decision-making cycle: when they’re physically in your store and primed for purchase.

To an extent, they’re right. The purpose of digital signage is first and foremost to sell. A recent digital signage study conducted by InfoTrends found that digital in-store advertising has 47.7% effectiveness on brand awareness, increases the average purchase amount by 29.5%, creates a 31.8% upswing in overall sales volumes, generates a 32.8% growth in repeat buyers and generates 32.8% more in-store traffic. It’s hard to argue with those numbers.

The Case for Entertainment:

But in many cases, the view that digital signage is for direct selling and direct selling alone is short-sighted. What many retailers, dealers and service facilities already know is that there is indeed value, both short- and long-term, to entertaining customers by showing the broadcast content they want to see, not just what we, as sellers, want them to see.

Keeping clientele happy and occupied with the big game or breaking news while they wait or shop benefits your bottom line in ways that are more subtle than overt advertising, but arguably just as valuable. It makes customers’ wait time pass more quickly and their overall shopping experience more enjoyable. It turns your store into a place where people feel comfortable and like to be. And happy customers come back, spend more, and recommend you to their friends.

It’s About Time: The Best of Both Worlds

It’s true that both entertainment and advertising are valuable uses for in-store TVs and digital displays. But historically, these two use cases have been mutually exclusive by necessity. Limitations in technology meant you had to pick one over the other; either televise the race so your customers don’t have to miss a minute while spending time in your store, or promote your wares with non-stop looping marketing messages.

That’s why our engineers developed dB TV™—to provide dealers and retailers with a way to capitalize on the best of both worlds. dB TV displays a retailer, dealer or brand’s customized product and service messages alongside live TV programming of the retailer’s choice, so you can televise the game while still reaching your customers with unobtrusive yet effective marketing messages.

It’s an ideal solution for use in waiting and retail areas for automotive, motorcycle, power sports and outdoor power equipment dealers and aftermarket providers.

Learn more about dB TV and watch a video of how it works here: www.whiletheywait.com/m/dbtv

“dB TV exposes customers to the ideal blend of entertainment and relevant, timely marketing messages while they wait, maximizing each and every sales opportunity,” said Stagg. “Not only does it inform, remind and influence customers at the point of purchase with digital ads, but it entertains them with live TV programming as well. When customers are entertained, their perceived wait time is shortened, which reflects positively on their overall experience and encourages repeat business.”

dB TV, the latest digital signage solution from Vital Media

For its inaugural dB TV program, Vital Media is partnering with MICHELIN® and BFGoodrich® tires to offer the solution to MAST. MICHELIN and BFGoodrich advertisements will rotate across the bottom portion of the screen, while full-motion dealer ads will rotate across the right-hand side of the screen. The remaining 70% of the screen will function like a normal TV, enabling dealers to tune the channel and utilize cable or satellite service if desired. Available as a turnkey solution complete with 40- or 46-inch television display and installation, or as a conversion solution able to retrofit to an existing television, dB TV is eligible for 100% co-op and AMF reimbursement.

For more information or to watch a video demonstration of how dB TV works, visit www.whiletheywait.com/m/dbtv,  or contact Christopher Beatty, business development manager, Vital Media, at chris.beatty@vitalmedia.com.

For media information, please contact Katie Hendrick, Koroberi, Inc. by phone at +1 919-945-0548 or by e-mail at katie@koroberi.com.

About Vital Media:

Vital Media® specializes in digital advertising solutions that help independent retailers increase customer transaction values, make the most out of every customer interaction and compete effectively against large, big-box establishments. Their proprietary dBoard® and digital Message On-Hold® solutions provide the strategic advantage of selling from the point-of-contact all the way to the point-of-purchase.

Vital Media has active customers in all 50 states, Puerto Rico and Canada, and is the only national company focused entirely on full turnkey digital signage and Message On-Hold with an expertise in manufacturer endorsed Co-Op eligibility. The company has experienced three year growth of 473% by empowering independent retailers with global, strategic brand support to maximize their brand and sales opportunities with innovative advertising solutions. Vital Media has been recognized by numerous marketing and business associations, including the 2011 Charlotte Addy Awards, the Charlotte Business Journal 2011 Fast 50 Awards and the 2011 Inc. 5000 List.

Alissa Grasso, new director of marketing at Vital Media

“Our in-store digital signage solutions benefit retailers, brands and customers by providing a channel for relevant, customizable messaging at key points during customer wait-time, decision-making and transaction,” said Wil Putt, president at Vital Media. “Under Ms. Grasso’s guidance, we will strengthen the communication of our value proposition to the Tire and Automotive Service categories which we currently serve, as well as expand our positioning to reach
adjacent vertical markets.”

Grasso brings 15 years of marketing experience to Vital Media, specializing in strategic planning, brand marketing, diversification strategies, and out-of-the-box solutions to business problems. Her experience includes success across various industries, most recently in the home improvement retail space as senior marketing specialist at Lowe’s Companies, Inc.

”Vital Media has a sterling reputation for deploying cutting-edge in-store digital advertising solutions that empower brands and retailers to reach, inform and influence their customers in powerful and effective new ways,” said Grasso. “These solutions are the future of POP messaging. I’m excited to join this team of innovators in helping our current and prospective clients achieve new levels of retail marketing success for considered purchase products.”

For more information, please contact Christopher Beatty, business development manager, Vital Media, at
chris.beatty@vitalmedia.com.

For media information, please contact Katie Hendrick, Koroberi, Inc. by phone at +1 919-945-0548 or by e-mail at
katie@koroberi.com.

About Vital Media:

Vital Media® specializes in digital advertising solutions that help independent retailers increase customer transaction values, make the most out of every customer interaction and compete effectively against large, big-box establishments.  Their proprietary dBoard® and digital Message On-Hold® solutions provide the strategic advantage of selling from the point-of-contact all the way to the point-of-purchase.

Vital Media has active customers in all 50 states, Puerto Rico and Canada, and is the only national company focused entirely on full turnkey digital signage and Message On-Hold with an expertise in manufacturer endorsed Co-Op eligibility. The company has experienced three year growth of 473% by empowering independent retailers with global, strategic brand support to maximize their brand and sales opportunities with innovative advertising solutions.

As a connected society, we are constantly barraged with information. E-mails, texts, calls, pop-ups, advertisements and conversations all vie for our limited attention most of the day. Our brains have a limited capacity for the consumption of information flooding in from our senses. Our brains are adapting to filter out the irrelevant. Ray Carlin, vice president, Retail Solutions Global Business Unit, HP, asserts that “to remain competitive and profitable in today’s connected society, retailers must be able to engage with consumers at all points of service throughout the shopping experience with real-time, personalized information.” The bar has been raised for what shoppers are willing to let pass through the filter and the only way to remain top of mind at POP is to maximize the relevance of our messaging.

Relevant and timely content creates engagement

We must first pass the relevance test in order to reach the next gate of the in-store relationship: engagement. Technology allows brands and retailers to personalize messaging using shopper insights for better targeted communication, focusing on shopper-specific criteria such as demographic intelligence. This intelligence is driven by time of day or environmental conditions including daily weather or seasonal sales windows. The ability to market products or features such as tire chains in a snowstorm or windshield wiper blades during a rainstorm is not just conceptually possible, but a reality based on current technology.

One of the major benefits of dynamic digital messaging is that it is able to receive various sources of information and tailor appropriate content, embodying hyper-relevance. It is then able to go a step further and truly demonstrate feature and benefit claims using images, animation and full-motion video. Because we are still in the central, primitive area of the brain in our attempt to prove relevance, anything we can do to inspire trust is valuable.

In a June 2010 Internet Retailer survey, nearly 64% of respondents reported watching a user-generated video review, and more than 75% of that group said it helped them make a purchase decision — either for or against a product or brand. The integration of dynamic messaging with other third-party applications such as Facebook, Twitter or YouTube promotes relationship building by allowing (moderated) locally-generated content. When technology is enabled with two-way communication it can multiply the relevance on screen by merging video demonstration and user reviews, offering the shopper a powerful marketing message with a near-zero production cost.

Relevance is more than just a way station on the road to influence — it allows for engagement. Engagement is sustained when shoppers feel “heard”, and relevance must be sustained in order to maintain engagement and enable influence. The longer and deeper the relevance, the longer and deeper the engagement can be held.

Digital in-store technology allows shoppers to personalize messaging and offers a closer version of a one-to-one conversation. Utilizing current technology such as day-parting and camera-based real-time audience measurement, brands and retailers are capable of delivering extremely targeted, demographically-relevant content to shoppers nearly automatically. An example could be personally-targeted messaging conveyed by an interactive kiosk application which ties to a login, loyalty program, e-mail address, phone number or even just your face!

About the author:

Ben Stagg, Director Research & Development, Vital Media Inc. (www.vitalmedia.com)

A Digital Signage Certified Expert, Ben Stagg is responsible for the technology solutions and deployment infrastructure that keep Vital Media digital signage solutions ahead of the curve. With a history of fierce curiosity coupled with a keen intellect, at 14 Ben was the youngest freshmen ever at Mount Vernon Nazarene University. At 18, Ben joined the Air Force where he continued to immerse himself in challenging technology, ranging from the nuclear Cruise missile program to top-secret classified projects. After leaving the Air Force, Ben focused on network design before starting his own digital signage company in 2004. Selling the company in 2007 Ben joined the Vital Media team, where he continues to work his magic, ensuring that the industry can look to Ben and Vital Media for the latest in platforms, applications, and media that will keep digital signage technology an essential element of today’s and tomorrow’s retail POS environment.

When it comes to fostering engagement at the point of decision, conventional and digital point of purchase (POP) have some obvious similarities and differences. Similar to conventional POP marketing material, content is delivered to the shopper at the crucial moment where interest, means and opportunity come together. Unlike conventional POP, digital in-store POP has the ability to do more. This is important as the digital universe becomes more mainstream and shoppers’ perceived benchmarks for how and what information they choose to digest escalates and they begin to expect more from marketing communications.

By delivering multiple messages per shopper and full-motion video support of the advertising message, digital in-store is better able to capture and retain viewers. One of the more compelling reasons to use digital in an informative capacity is the ability for full-motion video to reduce the mental effort required to learn complex mechanical concepts. Too much information, no matter what its value, can become cumbersome, overly technical and written essentially from one PhD to another. Educating a shopper on the topic can be a hurdle most efficiently overcome with the use of animation and video.

The marriage of technology and shopper adoption of technology has provided an avenue to educate and inform shoppers like never before. True interactive applications such as kiosks and touch-enabled devices allow the shopper to select the most relevant information and continue the engagement by giving shoppers control. No longer do they feel like they are being pitched, but instead informed and educated on their terms during their shopping experience.

Though it is important to recognize the positive aspects of digital experiences from the shopper perspective, don’t overlook one of the most powerful aspects of applying technology to the POP marketing mix. This is the fact that digital has the ability to deliver the same relevance, engagement and influence back to the brand or retailer by tracking and reporting how, when and for how long shoppers are engaged. In fact, likely the most interesting technology integration seen to date is the ability for signage solutions to work directly with POS and inventory databases. This provides a level of targeted messaging that can be updated practically in real time.

While the significant components of the path to purchase remain the same, the stops along the way are evolving, with significant and growing influence from digital mediums:

• 65% of consumers report a digital brand experience has changed their opinion of the brand. 97% report a digital experience influenced their purchasing decision. (Razorfish Digital Brand Experience Study, 2009)

• Mobile devices are used by 32% of consumers to browse or research products or services at least once a month. (ATG, March 2010)

• In a study conducted by myYearbook, a social networking site, 81% of respondents said they’d received advice from friends and followers relating to a product purchase through a social site; 74% of those who received such advice found it to be influential in their decision. (Click Z, January 2010)

• People think digital signage is more attention-grabbing (63%) and more entertaining (48%) than most other mediums. (OXT Study, 2007)

• 74% of respondents noticed the monitors at the point of sale (POS). The awareness rate for digital in-store is thus 23% higher than the average benchmark of other POS media analyses. (Nielsen, 2009)

Digital in-store programs attract shopper attention by combining divergent information channels to initiate relevant, engaging and influential communication with shoppers at POP.

So how does digital in-store do this? Technology makes it possible. Today’s computing and playback devices are smarter, faster, cheaper, greener and better built than ever. As confidence grows and risk shrinks regarding the viability of the digital in-store concept, adoption will naturally increase and give us even more component options in the future. And that’s just hardware.

Where the real magic happens is in the software, where we are able to integrate with inventory databases, and adjust content based on geography, weather, time of day, day of the week, you name it. It’s where we can offer control of a digital device’s content to shoppers via their mobile device, allow them to tie in their social persona and really capitalize on the in roads to those three critical functions: relevance, engagement and influence.

As technological advances continue to push the most capable devices closer to commodity, developers, designers and integrators of retail applications are witnessing the creation of a very unique opportunity. Utilizing current technology and the modern trend of “self publishing” (such as Facebook and Twitter), brands have more access to the attitudinal, anecdotal and factual sales conversion and marketing effectiveness intelligence than ever before. Two-way communication between digital devices has changed the way those informational transactions are delivered and received. As the customer side of the informational ecosystem drives faster response times, nearly instant transfer of information constructs the framework for businesses to be on the receiving end of these transactions as well as the distribution – making the path to purchase more interactive and information-rich than ever before.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (Nov. 15, 2011) – Digital signage innovators Vital Media^® are looking forward to 2012 and planning their New Year’s resolutions for more effective digital in-store for the automotive aftermarket and brands. Here are the top five.

In 2012, I promise to:

1. Provide cutting-edge content — Ensuring that your content developers can straddle the two worlds of brand-compliant, corporate advertising as well as showcasing special and seasonal offers desired by the independent automotive aftermarket facility is a vital step in keeping the program satisfaction ratings high.

2. Build in metrics — Accountability and quantifying program success can be implemented through the use of end-user surveys that measure brand awareness, quality of retail experience, dealer satisfaction and any incremental sales that can be attributed to the program. This step is often left out before deployment, but is key to a successful program.

3. Recognize the importance of…location — Over the years, we found that the primary location for a display is behind the sales counter. This location serves the dual function of raising brand awareness and driving parts, service and maintenance sales and specials, and at the same time serves to reduce the perceived wait time for customers preparing to make a purchase. Mounting considerations, ceiling height and other location variables need to be taken into consideration.

4. Centralize management — The beauty of a well designed, centrally-managed digital signage network is that the message can be modified at any time to reflect special, seasonal or even weather-related offers with tailored content. Simple message modification can decrease the time between when a customer is introduced to a message and the point of purchase. Centralized management also provides continuous monitoring of the display and display content, ensuring usage compliance and quick response to any maintenance issues.

5. Make a difference — Sounds sweet, doesn’t it? It is. In our experience with automotive aftermarket marketing managers, the importance of POP that communicates their product differentiation, and lets the brand message stand out, comes up time and time again. A typical parts and service facility environment has competing brands, competing POP, varying levels of sales staff knowledge as well as other customers vying for attention and service. It is a distracting environment that demands eye-catching, creative content in order to attract consumers to your brand, your products and to the offers of your facilities.

Happy New Year from Vital Media!

For more information, please contact Christopher Beatty, business development manager, Vital Media, at chris.beatty@vitalmedia.com.

For media information, please contact Katie Hendrick, Koroberi, Inc., by phone at +1 919-945-0548 or by e-mail at katie@koroberi.com.

About Vital Media

Vital Media^® specializes in digital advertising solutions that help independent retailers increase customer transaction values, make the most out of every customer interaction and compete effectively against large, big-box establishments. Their proprietary dBoard^® and digital Message On-Hold^® solutions provide the strategic advantage of selling from the point-of-contact all the way to the point-of-purchase.

Vital Media has active customers in all 50 states, Puerto Rico and Canada, and is the only national company focused entirely on full turnkey digital signage and Message On-Hold with an expertise in manufacturer endorsed Co-Op eligibility. The company has experienced three year growth of 473% by empowering independent retailers with global, strategic brand support to maximize their brand and sales opportunities with innovative advertising solutions.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (Nov. 15, 2011) – Digital signage innovators Vital Media^® are looking forward to 2012 and planning their New Year’s resolutions for more effective digital in-store for power sports dealers and brands. Here are the top five.

In 2012, I promise to:

1. Provide cutting-edge content — Ensuring that your content developers can straddle the two worlds of brand-compliant, corporate advertising as well as showcasing special and seasonal offers desired by the independent power sports equipment dealership is a vital step in keeping the program satisfaction ratings high.

2. Build in metrics — Accountability and quantifying program success can be implemented through the use of end-user surveys that measure brand awareness, quality of retail experience, dealer satisfaction and any incremental sales that can be attributed to the program. This step is often left out before deployment, but is key to a successful program.

3. Recognize the importance of…location — Over the years, we found that the primary location for a display is behind the dealership sales counter. This location serves the dual function of raising brand awareness and driving ATV, PWC, boat, motor, gear and maintenance sales and specials, and at the same time serves to reduce the perceived wait time for customers preparing to make a purchase. Mounting considerations, ceiling height and other location variables need to be taken into consideration.

4. Centralize management — The beauty of a well designed, centrally-managed digital signage network is that the message can be modified at any time to reflect special, seasonal or even weather-related offers with tailored content. Simple message modification can decrease the time between when a customer is introduced to a message and the point of purchase. Centralized management also provides continuous monitoring of the display and display content, ensuring usage compliance and quick response to any maintenance issues.

5. Make a difference — Sounds sweet, doesn’t it? It is. In our experience with power sports equipment marketing managers, the importance of POP that communicates their product differentiation, and lets the brand message stand out, comes up time and time again. A typical dealership environment has competing brands, competing POP, varying levels of sales staff knowledge as well as other customers vying for attention and service. It is a distracting environment that demands eye-catching, creative content in order to attract consumers to your brand, your products and to the offers of your dealers.

Happy New Year from Vital Media!

For more information, please contact Christopher Beatty, business development manager, Vital Media, at chris.beatty@vitalmedia.com.

For media information, please contact Katie Hendrick, Koroberi, Inc., by phone at +1 919-945-0548 or by e-mail at katie@koroberi.com.

About Vital Media

Vital Media^® specializes in digital advertising solutions that help independent retailers increase customer transaction values, make the most out of every customer interaction and compete effectively against large, big-box establishments. Their proprietary dBoard^® and digital Message On-Hold^® solutions provide the strategic advantage of selling from the point-of-contact all the way to the point-of-purchase.

Vital Media has active customers in all 50 states, Puerto Rico and Canada, and is the only national company focused entirely on full turnkey digital signage and Message On-Hold with an expertise in manufacturer endorsed Co-Op eligibility. The company has experienced three year growth of 473% by empowering independent retailers with global, strategic brand support to maximize their brand and sales opportunities with innovative advertising solutions.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (Nov. 15, 2011) – Digital signage innovators Vital Media^® are looking forward to 2012 and planning their New Year’s resolutions for more effective digital in-store for outdoor power equipment dealers and brands. Here are the top five.

In 2012, I promise to:

1. Provide cutting-edge content — Ensuring that your content developers can straddle the two worlds of brand-compliant, corporate advertising as well as showcasing special and seasonal offers desired by the independent outdoor power equipment dealership is a vital step in keeping the program satisfaction ratings high.

2. Build in metrics — Accountability and quantifying program success can be implemented through the use of end-user surveys that measure brand awareness, quality of retail experience, dealer satisfaction and any incremental sales that can be attributed to the program. This step is often left out before deployment, but is key to a successful program.

3. Recognize the importance of…location — Over the years, we found that the primary location for a display is behind the dealership sales counter. This location serves the dual function of raising brand awareness and driving outdoor power equipment, gear and maintenance sales and specials, and at the same time serves to reduce the perceived wait time for customers preparing to make a purchase. Mounting considerations, ceiling height and other location variables need to be taken into consideration.

4. Centralize management — The beauty of a well designed, centrally-managed digital signage network is that the message can be modified at any time to reflect special, seasonal or even weather-related offers with tailored content. Simple message modification can decrease the time between when a customer is introduced to a message and the point of purchase. Centralized management also provides continuous monitoring of the display and display content, ensuring usage compliance and quick response to any maintenance issues.

5. Make a difference — Sounds sweet, doesn’t it? It is. In our experience with outdoor power equipment marketing managers, the importance of POP that communicates their product differentiation, and lets the brand message stand out, comes up time and time again. A typical dealership environment has competing brands, competing POP, varying levels of sales staff knowledge as well as other customers vying for attention and service. It is a distracting environment that demands eye-catching, creative content in order to attract consumers to your brand, your products and to the offers of your dealers.

Happy New Year from Vital Media!

For more information, please contact Christopher Beatty, business development manager, Vital Media, at chris.beatty@vitalmedia.com.

For media information, please contact Katie Hendrick, Koroberi, Inc., by phone at +1 919-945-0548 or by e-mail at katie@koroberi.com.

About Vital Media

Vital Media^® specializes in digital advertising solutions that help independent retailers increase customer transaction values, make the most out of every customer interaction and compete effectively against large, big-box establishments. Their proprietary dBoard^® and digital Message On-Hold^® solutions provide the strategic advantage of selling from the point-of-contact all the way to the point-of-purchase.

Vital Media has active customers in all 50 states, Puerto Rico and Canada, and is the only national company focused entirely on full turnkey digital signage and Message On-Hold with an expertise in manufacturer endorsed Co-Op eligibility. The company has experienced three year growth of 473% by empowering independent retailers with global, strategic brand support to maximize their brand and sales opportunities with innovative advertising solutions.

Charlotte, N.C. (Nov. 15, 2011) – Digital signage innovators Vital Media^® are looking forward to 2012 and planning their New Year’s resolutions for more effective digital in-store for motorcycle dealers and brands. Here are the top five.

In 2012, I promise to:

1. Provide cutting-edge content — Ensuring that your content developers can straddle the two worlds of brand-compliant, corporate advertising as well as showcasing special and seasonal offers desired by the independent motorcycle dealership is a vital step in keeping the program satisfaction ratings high.

2. Build in metrics — Accountability and quantifying program success can be implemented through the use of end-user surveys that measure brand awareness, quality of retail experience, dealer satisfaction and any incremental sales that can be attributed to the program. This step is often left out before deployment, but is key to a successful program.

3. Recognize the importance of…location — Over the years, we found that the primary location for a display is behind the dealership sales counter. This location serves the dual function of raising brand awareness and driving motorcycle, gear and maintenance sales and specials, and at the same time serves to reduce the perceived wait time for customers preparing to make a purchase. Mounting considerations, ceiling height and other location variables need to be taken into consideration.

4. Centralize management — The beauty of a well designed, centrally-managed digital signage network is that the message can be modified at any time to reflect special, seasonal or even weather-related offers with tailored content. Simple message modification can decrease the time between when a customer is introduced to a message and the point of purchase. Centralized management also provides continuous monitoring of the display and display content, ensuring usage compliance and quick response to any maintenance issues.

5. Make a difference — Sounds sweet, doesn’t it? It is. In our experience with dealership and brand managers, the importance of POP that communicates their product differentiation, and lets the brand message stand out, comes up time and time again. A typical dealership environment has competing brands, competing POP, varying levels of sales staff knowledge as well as other customers vying for attention and service. It is a distracting environment that demands eye-catching, creative content in order to attract consumers to your brand, your products and to the offers of your dealers.

Happy New Year from Vital Media!

For more information, please contact Christopher Beatty, business development manager, Vital Media, at chris.beatty@vitalmedia.com.

For media information, please contact Katie Hendrick, Koroberi, Inc., by phone at +1 919-945-0548 or by e-mail at katie@koroberi.com.

About Vital Media

Vital Media^® specializes in digital advertising solutions that help independent retailers increase customer transaction values, make the most out of every customer interaction and compete effectively against large, big-box establishments. Their proprietary dBoard^® and digital Message On-Hold^® solutions provide the strategic advantage of selling from the point-of-contact all the way to the point-of-purchase.

Vital Media has active customers in all 50 states, Puerto Rico and Canada, and is the only national company focused entirely on full turnkey digital signage and Message On-Hold with an expertise in manufacturer endorsed Co-Op eligibility. The company has experienced three year growth of 473% by empowering independent retailers with global, strategic brand support to maximize their brand and sales opportunities with innovative advertising solutions.