#dse2011 Harris 7-Eleven Deployment
Gail Chiasson, North American Editor
Ah, hah! We were right! Just as we said a week ago, Harris Corporation has partnered with Digital Display Networks to accelerate a nationwide deployment of 7-Eleven TV.
7-Eleven Content at DSE 2011
Under a 10-year agreement valued at $75 million, with additional revenue-sharing potential, Harris is providing its award-winning Digital Out-of-Home hardware and software, InfoCaster and Punctuate, in addition to its Managed Services offering to Digital Display Networks. DDN is providing turnkey services, as well as managing content production and advertising sales for 7-Eleven TV.
Launched in 2010, 7-Eleven TV provides 24/7 programming in 7-Eleven Inc.’s convenience stores, featuring national and local entertainment, news and weather, as well as advertising highlighting 7-Eleven proprietary brands, in-store and out-of-store brands, and special 7-Eleven promotions.
7-Eleven TV already is operating in 500 stores in some of the top DMAs and highest traffic volume 7-Eleven stores in the U.S., including New York, Los Angeles and Chicago. When fully deployed, it will be carried in 6,200 stores. Based on an analysis of various Nielsen ratings data, the GRPU (gross rating point units) of 7-Eleven TV will make it the fourth largest broadcast TV network when fully deployed.
“With its rich and consumer-relevant content, huge scale, and precise measurements, 7-Eleven TV offers precisely the qualities needed for a highly effective, high-reach and high-impact digital advertising network,” says Thomas Harrison, chairman and CEO of Diversified Agency Services, Omnicom Group Inc.. “It’s not just a vision into the future: it’s the vanguard of how new, high-ROI advertising channels will be shaped going forward.”
7-Eleven TV delivers programming and promotional advertising tailored to specific markets, customer segments and day parts. Harris DOOH software provides the scheduling flexibility for network programming to be divided into multiple day parts, making it possible to promote specific items at times most relevant to customers. To maximize viewing, each store features two strategically placed LCD high-definition TV monitors and directional audio to attract consumers, and display promotions and products that shoppers can take advantage of in-store.
“Our aim is to offer 7-Eleven customers up-to-the-minute shopping choices at the point where they are making purchasing decisions,” says David Veckerelli, DDN’s co-CEO. “The Harris DOOH software makes this possible by enabling content programming to be highly targeted, right down to the zip code and profile of a specific 7-Eleven store, while providing sales metrics to endemic advertisers.”
“7-Eleven TV is an incredibly powerful new medium for both 7-Eleven and its advertisers,” said Harris Morris, president, Harris Broadcast Communications. “Our integrated digital signage network solution with its rich DOOH software, combined with our 24/7 managed network services – which are proven daily in the world’s most demanding production environments and live broadcast and live event venues – are driving 7-Eleven TV today, and are architected to expand with the network and support new applications, such as mobile and social media.”
Harris is building 7-Eleven TV around its InfoCaster DOOH software, which provides content creation, network management and media player monitoring with flexible proof-of-play reporting, and its Punctuate DOOH business management software for content scheduling and campaign management to facilitate advertising and scheduled distribution tuned to specific demographics, geographies, and day parts. The Harris DOOH software can manage 40,000 playlists, national and local ads, and all the software supporting transactions on a network.
Harris is supporting 7-Eleven TV with its Managed Services offering for 24/7 monitoring, data hosting and support via dedicated network operations centers in Dallas, Texas, and Melbourne, Florida. These highly secure networking services are similar to those used by major enterprises, from the new Amway Center in Orlando, Florida, to the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration.
“With the partnership of Harris, the nationwide deployment of 7-Eleven TV will become complete, and a milestone for the DOOH industry will be reached,” says Darren Mann, co-CEO of DDN. “This network truly signals the arrival of this advertising platform as one that can efficiently and effectively motivate purchases on a very large scale, not unlike broadcast networks.”
In addition to 7-Eleven TV, Harris technologies support enterprise-class DOOH networks for McDonald’s and the Amway Center in the U.S; the Marina Bay Sands integrated resort complex in Singapore; and the Venetian Macau Resort-Hotel, among others.
February 24th, 2011 at 16:19 @721
Who brought the capital?
February 24th, 2011 at 16:28 @727
who will sell the ad inventory??
February 24th, 2011 at 19:20 @847
They owe people a lot of money
February 24th, 2011 at 19:26 @851
What is the latestscoop on the legal action against them?
February 24th, 2011 at 19:39 @860
WHAT ABOUT ALL THE SERIOUS PROBLEMS THAT ARE COVERED UP? So much that is rotten is NOT mentioned in a press release. SNAKES are SNAKES. Don’t get bitten.
February 24th, 2011 at 19:47 @866
There is much more darkness to this deal that is not stated here.
February 24th, 2011 at 19:49 @867
Hey CENSOR– don’t worry, the real story will come out. Go ahead and delete this comment. You will hear about it elsewhere. Probably in the courts.
February 24th, 2011 at 20:34 @898
who sells the ads?
February 25th, 2011 at 20:47 @907
They’ve already burned through $120M, earning only $20 in that entire span, and originally had no audio – so major ad sales partners couldn’t get any advertisers to bite. Anyone know if they’re adding audio? Also, if half the customers live in mobile homes within walking distance, does that drag down ad values?