DailyDOOH

NEC Display Solutions of America announced this week that VUKUNET, its ad serving platform for the Digital out of Home (DOOH) industry, has expanded its presence in the DOOH market to more than 1.8-billion ad impressions in 100,000 locations since launch.

VUKUNET, a global platform, connects advertising agencies, ad trading desks and On-Line DSPs (Demand Side Platforms) with DOOH network operators. VUKUNET facilitates the execution of ad campaign planning, flighting, proof-of-performance delivery, and reconciliation of payments.

Media buyers that formerly had to contact network operators themselves now use VUKUNET to identify network screens with the right demographics and availability for their clients.

Jim Caruso, Vice President of Product Strategy at Varick Media Management, said “The rate at which consumers are being exposed to DOOH media is growing quickly, and will only continue to grow as the media ecosystem transitions. We are excited about the opportunity it allows to reach consumers with relevant messaging in locations that matter. VUKUNET is making that task easier.”

Doctors’ offices, health clubs, office buildings, movie theaters and retailers are just some of the places maximizing investments in their digital signage networks and realizing incremental revenue growth through advertising. VUKUNET makes it easier to connect the screens that have time/space available on their networks with advertisers.

Mike Zmuda, Director of VUKUNET Global Systems and Operations said “While VUKUNET automates the DOOH advertising process, we also take very seriously our role as consultants to our target audiences. That means guiding media buyers and network operators to realize the full benefits of VUKUNET. Even though many people are new to the burgeoning trend of programmatic DOOH advertising, VUKUNET takes the guess work out of the process.”

Ethical investment company Abundance is launching its new ‘Consequences’ campaign by depositing a branded pink shipping container outside London’s Canary Wharf underground station supported by a targeted out-of-home (OOH) campaign co-created with Ambient Media and Kinetic Worldwide.

This unmissable installation, situated in Londons’s biggest business area, is emblazoned with the slogan ‘Consequences – the least used word in the investment world‘ and spearheads the wider campaign, planned and bought by independent media agency the7stars.

Digital screens in and around Canary Wharf mirror the container’s provocative style with the message “What’s big and pink and will make you think about how you invest?” to support Abundance’s drive for ethical investments.

Consumers passing by the container in Canary Wharf will also receive digital media via Wi-Fi connections, as well as being targeted with stand-out formats in City AM, the city’s free financial newspaper. The activity will run for one week..

More outdoor ads will appear throughout the London Underground and around Waterloo Station from June 15 and will be supported by online activity and a targeted newspaper campaign with ads appearing in titles including the Guardian and the Independent.

Oli Tame at the7stars, told us “We’re really excited to be involved in such an unusual and dynamic project. Thanks to the hard work of Kinetic and Ambient media we have come up with a genuinely original out-of-home solution which really strikes at the core of what Abundance stands for as a brand, while advances in digital targeting have allowed us to run one of our most tailored campaigns ever.”

Abundance is an ethical P2P lender and crowdfunder offering an alternative way to invest than is offered on the high street. Its founding ideology is to leave clients safe in the knowledge that their investments are made in worthwhile, ethically sound endeavours, as well as offering a good rate of return (av. 6-9% APR).

Signagelive announced today it has become a Google for Work Partner. Under the programme Signagelive is extending the reach and functionality of Google Chromeboxes when used for digital signage applications.

Signagelive announced its support for Chrome OS in March this year and has been collaborating with Google for Work teams in the US, EMEA and APAC to increase the functionality of Chromeboxes manufactured by vendors such as ASUS, Acer, HP and Dell.

Signagelive CEO, Jason Cremins told us “The Google for Work Partner Programme will help us enhance the value of our cloud based software for users of digital signage applications. Signagelive for Chrome offers a broad set of powerful APIs that enable our partners to incorporate Chrome devices into their product portfolios and create highly appealing digital signage packages for different vertical markets.”

Using Signagelive powered Chrome devices, Chrome resellers and distributors can offer low cost digital solutions to end users, thus broadening their overall market share.

Being part of the Google for Work Partner Programme gives Signagelive access to Google’s partner ecosystem, enabling it to gain further recognition as a major developer of low cost digital signage technology. The partnership is also generating collaboration opportunities for existing Signagelive resellers by exposing them to an extensive supply chain of Chrome device manufacturers.

Google Chromebox, powered by Signagelive for Chrome, eliminates the need for expensive media players to run and manage digital signage campaigns and offers significant installation, operational and energy savings. Additionally, it provides full support for different content formats including static images, HD video, web pages, IPTV, multi-zoning for different media types, image layering, RSS feeds, portrait support and screen on and off control.

Using Signagelive for Chrome, digital signage technology users can quickly create, schedule and display eye-catching content for a range of digital signage applications for a single Chrome device through to a global network of many thousands.

Signagelive for Chrome licences are available bundled with Chromebox and Google Chrome Management licenses through major distributors and resellers worldwide.

Back in November 2014 we (last) wrote that the JCDecaux acquisition of CEMUSA (announced March 2014) still hadn’t closed and that we had heard from several people close to the deal that the new #LinkNYC arrangement / CityBridge contract was not helping matters either.

Word then, was that JCDecaux allegedly went back to NYC seeking to change some of the underlying covenants of the original CEMUSA deal but that the City stood firm on the original contractual obligations.

Anyway, it appears that all has been sorted (wow, yes it has taken a long time – over a year in fact since the original announcement) but we now hear that the JCDecaux / CEMUSA deal is likely to close this week.

As usual you heard it here first.

As part of the City of Ottawa’s Public Art Programme and its 30-year celebration of providing public art opportunities for artists in Ottawa, the Public Art Program is partnering with Art in Transit, PATTISON Outdoor Advertising’s arts program, on the cARTe blanche pilot project, a new public arts initiative.

This pilot project will display, on PATTISON Outdoor advertising billboards, images that outline artists’ imagined concepts for future public art projects within Ottawa.

cARTe blanche projects were selected by an independent professional arts Peer Assessment Committee.

The five selected artworks by local artists will appear for eight weeks on billboards in various locations:

• Jean-François Lacombe, A Beacon in a Concrete Sea;
• Christos Pantieras, Clickbait;
• Alisdair MacRae, Billboard for the Homeless;
• Annette Hegel and Timothy Hunt, The Group of Seven, Set Adrift;
• Tony Fouhse and Paul Cavanaugh, Poster, Rebel Action Plan.

“PATTISON Outdoor is delighted to help celebrate Ottawa Public Art Program’s 30th anniversary and the enrichment of the city’s cultural landscape,” says Eric Schaff, sales manager, PATTISON Outdoor Advertising. “Ottawa has been at the forefront of arts and cultural enrichment in Canada, and the opportunity for our Art in Transit programme to partner with projects like cARTe blanche and to feature outstanding works of art that promote creativity and innovation is a pleasure.”

The billboard pilot project began on May 18, and the artworks will be on display for eight weeks until early July.

City Councillor Diane Deans, Chair of the Community and Protective Services Committee, says, “As a pilot project that will showcase imagined concept images for future public art, each of the five selected images will connect residents and visitors to the work of Ottawa’s dynamic visual artists. The goal is that the work will provide new and unexpected visual experiences for one-time or repeat viewers, and will spark a creative vision for future public art in Ottawa.”

New York based Reuters’ journalists’ Liana B. Baker and Greg Roumeliotis reported exclusively on Friday that Welsh, Carson, Anderson & Stowe owned Titan was a likely acquisition target from former Bloomberg chief executive Daniel Doctoroff, who has allegedly partnered with a private equity firm in an effort to buy the business “according to three people familiar with the matter”.

Now it’s probably highly unlikely that anything will come of this but it does just go to show the interest in the out of home industry at the moment. You can see all of the industry M&A rumour and fact in one click here (as, like always, we prepare well in advance for The DailyDOOH Investor Conference which takes place as part of New York Digital Signage Week, Nov 2-6, 2015).

John Pizzamiglio, Lead for Advertising Strategy at the Commercial Development Directorate, Transport for London, gave a very frank analysis of the current state of out of home advertising on the TfL estate and announced the company’s ambition, we quote “to create an agile flexible partnership that meets the ever-changing needs of our customers in a truly connected world.”

John believes that the current industry status quo will no longer adequately serve them or their customers needs and he wants to move to a more collaborative way of working with the industry, in which risk and rewards will be shared more evenly.

All of the main rail contracts are up for renewal by September 2016, which represent over 1.5 billion passenger journeys and over 450 stations.

Peel Advertising has agreed a sales partnership with UK airport advertising expert Eye Airports, which will see Eye Airports sell national agency and specialist portfolio deals at three airports – Birmingham, Robin Hood Airport Doncaster Sheffield and Durham Tees Valley.

Last year, Peel Advertising secured a seven-year media sales contract at Birmingham Airport, which attracts more than 10 million passengers a year, according to Civil Aviation Authority figures.

The agreement with Eye Airports means that Peel will continue to lead on advertising sales, promotional and sponsorship opportunities for local, regional and national businesses but Eye Airports will provide access to multi-venue portfolio deals for advertisers.

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The worldwide Internet of Things (IoT) market is expected to grow 19% in 2015, led by digital signage, according to a new forecast from International Data Corporation (IDC).

The second annual forecast focuses on growing IoT use in 11 vertical industries, including consumer, retail, healthcare, government, manufacturing, transportation, and other industries (the report also sizes IoT opportunities for 25 vertical-specific use cases as well).

This new forecast specifically highlights worldwide spending across IoT; including smart appliances, automated public transit, remote health monitoring, digital signage, connected vehicles and air traffic monitoring, amongst others – we’d note that the comprehensive spending model was designed here, to help vendors clearly understand the industry-specific opportunity for IoT technologies today.

Other key findings from the new forecast include:

• The IoT market in manufacturing operations will grow from $42.2 billion in 2013 to $98.8 billion in 2018, a five-year compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 18.6%. Growth will be driven by ongoing efforts to increase efficiency and link islands of automation.
• Digital signage use in retail outlets will grow from $6.0 billion in 2013 to $27.5 billion in 2018, a 35.7% five-year CAGR, as retailers continue to digitize the consumer experience.
• The hottest US market is in connected vehicles, with 34.8% year-over-year growth anticipated in 2015.

Bob Kraus, Senior Research Analyst, Global Technology and Industry Research Organization, IDC said “Working in concert with both IDC’s technology and regional analysts, we have built IoT market models for key vertical-specific use cases from the ground up. This forecast is an invaluable tool for those business leaders evaluating the vendor opportunities in IoT for a 12-layer technology stack, which includes modules/sensors, software, installation/ongoing services, and connectivity.”

A forecast update is planned for November 2015 which will evaluate additional vertical-specific use cases, including smart agriculture.

About IDC

International Data Corporation (IDC) is the premier global provider of market intelligence, advisory services, and events for the information technology, telecommunications, and consumer technology markets. With more than 1,100 analysts worldwide, IDC offers global, regional, and local expertise on technology and industry opportunities and trends in over 110 countries. IDC’s analysis and insight helps IT professionals, business executives, and the investment community to make fact-based technology decisions and to achieve their key business objectives. Founded in 1964, IDC is a subsidiary of IDG, the world’s leading technology media, research, and events company.

Beframeus, the editorial brand at JCDecaux has teamed up with Guest Editor Andrew Harrison, former editor of Q and Select Magazines and co-founder of The Word Magazine to create a massive visual showcase of UK talent called ‘Meet the Band’.

From London to Liverpool, Edinburgh to Eastbourne, Birmingham to Beckenham – across screens in over 1,000 rail stations, shopping malls and Tesco stores – JCDecaux be showing the 12 featured bands, chosen by Andrew Harrison and inviting the public to hear their tunes on facebook throughout June.

The featured bands are: Bianca, Du Blonde, The Bohicas, Is Tropical, SOAK, Sugarmen, Gengahr, Mr Mitch, Jane Weaver, Yak, LA Priest, Hooton Tennis Club

Andrew Harrison, told us “There’s a wealth of thrilling talent around in British music now, but young bands often find it hard to cut through the noise and get noticed. So we’ve handpicked a selection of exceptional new artists and we’re giving them a new kind of exposure. Linked to social media and playlists, these digital billboards are a brand new way to discover your new favourite band.” 

Janet Guest, Editorial Director at JCDecaux added “In the digital world there are more ways than ever to discover new bands, and British music has never been as diverse as it is now. Our digital screens reach 40% of the UK population and so we wanted to use them to bring musical inspiration to the public when they are out and about this June. Andrew has chosen a broad spread from pop to alternative, and they’re all making an impact in different ways, so there will be something for everyone.”

The gallery will be shown across massive landscape and portrait screens, including major rail hubs nationwide including: Euston, King’s Cross, Liverpool Street, London Bridge, St. Pancras, Victoria and Waterloo, in London as well as Glasgow, Liverpool Lime Street, Manchester Piccadilly, Newcastle, Nottingham, York to name but a few.

It will also be showcased across major shopping malls such including: Bluewater, intu Lakeside, Bullring (Birmingham), St David’s (Cardiff), Liverpool One and Eldon Square (Newcastle) and at 400 Tesco stores.