Sticky: …. #tickerfree2010 …. #tickerfree2010 ….
Adrian J Cotterill, Editor-in-Chief
On Monday June 7th 2010 David Weinfield wrote ‘Ticker Free Day 2010: Fighting Digital Signage Ticker Abuse‘ and came up with the idea of today…
A day that should see digital screen networks everywhere abstain from using tickers on their displays.
As David told us “ticker free day is meant to bring awareness to the rampant abuse of text tickers, RSS tickers, stock tickers throughout the digital signage industry”.
This is a serious attempt at helping networks improve. We hope that content providers, networks themselves and the industry vendors take note.
We have focused all of today’s posts and editorials over to #tickerfree2010 – our regular contributors today (Manolo, Dylan, Alex) and Guest Contributors David Haynes and David Weinfeld are amongst some of the most experienced and respected voices in the industry – particularly in the fields of content and usability.
We hope that folks will pay heed to what they have to say.
July 9th, 2010 at 15:26 @685
Whilst I agree that there is rampant abuse of the ticker format, I’d not go as far as to agree to the need for a ticker free day. That’d be like asking everyone to stop using email for the day in protest at the spammers. The spammers will just keep on spamming.
I’d prefer to see a campaign which promoted some genuine insight into ticker deployment, highlighting the ways in which they can successfully be used to add value to installations and ultimately the brands which are being promoted.
Mine are staying on. Sorry.
July 9th, 2010 at 16:55 @746
Yawnnnnnnnnnnn! Things are getting slowwwwwww.
I’ve been in this industry for a long time. Every screen has its content application. One to one engagement – don’t use a ticker. Many to one – might be a good idea (read Times Square). It’s the reason I always felt Danoo and Ripple sucked. Let’s try to throw as much crap at the viewers’ eyeballs and see if any of it sticks (yuck!!). Oh yeah and let’s have you sponsor the ticker – that’s going on now and the real reason I think it stick around. Without any data on who views the ticker vs. who views the content.
One place I’ve seen a good ticker and it is not news and not a normal ticker is ConcertVision at Live Nation events. It’s a social media ticker activated with concertgoers’ cell phones. High engagement stuff. Mobile trumps it all in the end. Folks don’t get their news from tickers. Tickers attract their eyes, and then you better grab them with your content. Most of the time you’ll turn them off though.
July 9th, 2010 at 20:12 @883
The widespread use of tickers has always been baffling. Operators should regard, and use, their digital signage/DOOH/kiosk programs like their other marketing tools. Would you put tickers on your web site? Would you use tickers, or the equivalent, in your broadcast or print ad campaigns? Then why dumb down your DS/DOOH/Kiosk programs with tickers? You have your audience in your house, be it retail, transit, college campus,etc. Why not tell YOUR story in YOUR house? Wait. You’re right. It does require more effort, more planning, more resources. So, yes, just run tickers. News, weather and stock prices look better than black screens. For about 2 1/2 seconds when the audience turns away and ignores. And there goes your investment.