By Sanjay Manandhar

The proliferation of increasingly sophisticated mobile handsets offers the opportunity for a variety of interactive campaigns. To succeed, mobile engagement requires an integrated marketing mindset and attention to scalability, reliability and security.

Digital signage and mobile handsets are made for each other, but outdoor displays and mobile interactivity are particularly well-matched. Working together the attention grabbing outdoor display becomes a dynamic call to action. With such a successful pairing it is critical that both mobile and outdoor displays be consistent parts of a marketing mix—“a holistic approach” according to Bill Donabedian, managing director of Fountain Square Management Group that manages a 28 foot x 42 foot outdoor LED display in Cincinnati, Ohio.

Integrated marketing or the “holistic approach” is easier said than done. For one thing, marketing groups as well as agencies historically have had different teams handle various marketing avenues with labels such as TV, Print, Radio, Outdoor, Internet, Mobile, etc. These demarcations have to be dissolved. The end users don’t see these distinctions and are expecting marketing messages to be more integrated. Brands and some innovative agencies are starting to integrate various marketing methods and busting the proverbial “silos.” Kodak, who is powering a digital LED at Times Square, New York, and clearly has marketing programs in all imaginable media, says they integrate the outdoor display in Times Square as part of their overall marketing mix, not a distinct, one-off display. Hence, it was easy for Kodak to introduce campaigns that integrated mobile and digital out-of-home (as most marketers call the outdoor display) to sharpen their marketing message and enhance their branding.

Figure 1. Kodak LED Display at Times Square, New York, using Picture-to-Screen application that uses email to submit images and SMS to call up the approved images up to the giant display. This “Smile Gallery” campaign by Kodak is free to the public—send pictures to kodak@aerva.com

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By Sanjay Manandhar

When entertaining key clients, companies want to make sure it is a memorable event. This is exactly what a major company was faced with when they were entertaining their top clients the day before the industry’s pre-eminent tradeshow/conference.

The audience was set: 250 of the most important clients. The location was set: a very high end sports bar with 40 or more LCD screens and state-of-the-art AV control room. The date was set: 3 weeks away. And the goal was set: To ensure the clients came away thinking the company throwing the party was innovative and cutting-edge.

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