I called it “in your face communication”. This is the name that I decided to assign to the examples of Digital Signage networks that I found in California during my trip to Los Angeles for E3 2011.

Here they don't install the displays looking only at the walkability of the locations, the facilities to facilitate the installation or even worse they don't install the displays just because it's "fashionable". Furthermore, they don't try to maximize the spectacle effect and hit as many people as possible. In the US the agencies focus on two aspects. The first is the content, absolutely quality, full of useful information and mixed with advertisements for products that can be purchased on site. The second is what I have defined as "in your face communication", that is, the very often simple displays, with a maximum size of 21" are positioned to carry out one-to-one communication trying to capture the attention of at least one person as much as possible viewer at a time. A total immersion, direct and punctual with fast and clear information.

It can be deduced that from this last aspect it is difficult to imagine a few dozen displays in a shopping center or in a store. We are talking about hundreds of displays that are small in size and often positioned in places where people stop completely or in any case there is a very low speed of passage, for example queues and waiting. The contents are weighted to satisfy the various cases, but in most cases they are a mix of territorial information, breaking news, advertising and commercials lasting a few seconds, sports news (there is an important competition here at every hour) and commercial promotions locals. There is so much information that it broadens the audience and captures attention for longer.

At JFK airport in NY, even the gates were rented to local bars which maintained the typical layout of these areas but colored the floors and walls, installed highly equipped counters and tables with even usable iPads. Proximity Marketing here in the US is adopted by many companies with courage and imagination, sometimes transforming places we would never have expected into commercially active locations. Think about the incomes of these areas and what useful service they actually offer to customers. Spectacular!

Of course, this reasoning of mine does not mean that from now on the models to be applied for Digital Signage in Europe should be these. Each location has its own rules. But it is still interesting to analyze other countries which, as always, demonstrate courage and the ability to evolve. Unlike Italy, at least, still at a standstill! Could it be just because we don't invest? or there is really something wrong with us! fear? incompetence? addicted to lord TV? internet only?

We at Ideolo will treasure it this time too!