Real-time metrics that evaluate the effecetiveness of in store promotoinal campaigns delivered via digital signage networks are helping build the out-of-home advertising industry.
As a way to further guage the effecicacy of in-store promotional campaigns on a digital signage network, Intel Corporation's Audience Impression Metric ("AIM") software is now being trialed by iSIGN Media and 5th Screen Digital.
The system, first developed by CognoVision (the Richmond Hill based company was later purchased by Intel) uses digital video cameras and other technology to help measure audience reactions to in-store marketing pitches, while tracking insights into shopper behaviour. The system can react to such input and change display content and ad messages in response, and on the fly, developers say.
The software can track, in real time, the age, gender and size of an audience exposed to a particular message or screen, aand deliver those metrics to increase effective brand advertising and generate higher revenues and ROI. The trial has successfully measured customer digital signage engagement, gender, age and dwell time on advertisements displayed on screens in the Mac's Milk test stores, as well as the effectiveness of the mobile reach created by iSIGN's own Interactive Marketing Solution ("IMS") software.
iSIGN wireless IMS system usess antennas installed in approximately 500 Mac's Milk locations and to 41 of the digital signs located within the City of Calgary to interact with cellphone or smartphone carrying customers. iSIGN will continue to rollout the system into an additional 500 Mac's Milk locations by mid-February 2012 and that the remaining 400 locations at Mac's Milk and 35 locations in the City of Calgary will have antennas installed by the end of February 2012.
During the month of December 2011, iSIGN's IMS 3.1 software logged approximately 305,000 mobile devices within the digital signage network in the City of Calgary's municipal recreation buildings, with a count of approximately 8,000 unique devices, for an average daily count of approximately 10,000 devices logged and 268 unique devices.
Such gathered metrics will be used to confirm to potential advertising clients the actual audience of the digital signage network and purchase redemption in real time.
Intel's Anonymous Video Analytics ("AVA") package is a software-based technology that uses a sensor to gather viewership metrics for digital signage. The system is used to measure total viewer counts, viewing times and demographic information such as gender and age.
The companies described the recent results gathered at one location over a three day period, noting that the system detected some 12,000 phones, with a unique handset detection rate of over 1,800 daily.
The results also detected that 4,055 unique viewers viewed the point of sale digital screen, located by the store's cash register. Of these viewers, 2,314 were identified as males and 1,741 as females. The young adult segment spent the most time looking at the point of sale screen, averaging slightly more than 3 seconds, followed by the senior segment at 2.9 seconds, and the adult segment at 2.7 seconds. The overall average viewing time was an approximately 2.9 seconds.
"Mac's Stores have been using our digital signage network for product promotions over the past three years," said Alex Romanov, Chief Executive Officer of iSIGN. "This study will provide advertisers and brands with unique and exclusive metrics that will optimize campaign effectiveness of their in-store digital promotions. The combination of iSIGN's and Intel's two solutions generate a high level of real time metrics never before available. This will make the Mac's network the only one delivering proof of audience and sales redemption to constantly increase ROI and revenue for all parties as well as a convenient experience for new and loyal customers." California-based 5th Screen will also assess the digital media assets including colour & font usage, product showcasing, transitions, screen layouts, zones and themed messages. Based on the analysis of AVA viewer metrics, playlist construction and digital media assets, 5th Screen and iSIGN will develop a digital media 'Blueprint' including media production 'Best Practices' for advertisers and brands to help increase the number of impressions and viewer exposure. The study is expected to continue and all final metrics will be available at the end of February, 2012. It is expected that the metrics will be of great importance to advertisers and their advertising agencies as well as to resellers.
The study also correlated these metrics which will be released in detail in a report prepared by 5th Screen once the date is fully complied by the end of February 2012. iSIGN's network includes just over 5,600 digital faces in 1,400 plus convenience stores across Canada and additional digital screens in the City of Calgary's parks and recreation building.
iSIGN is based in Richmond Hill, ON.
For more Mediacaster Magazine coverage related to this topic, please see:
Intel Acquires Digital Signage Company CognoVision
http://www.mediacastermagazine.com/news/intel-acquires-digital-signage-company-cognovision/1000392819/
Advertisers Embrace Wi-Fi and Bluetooth Mediacasting to Mobile Phone and Tablet Devices
http://www.mediacastermagazine.com/news/wi-fi-and-bluetooth-mediacasting-to-mobile-phone-and-tablet-devices/1000792318/