DailyDOOH » @IPGLAB IPG Media Lab, NYC

IPG Mediabrands ^[1], the media innovation unit of Interpublic Group (NYSE: IPG), controlling a USD 34 billion global media buying portfolio, today announced the launch of the flagship IPG Media Lab in New York.

The IPG Media Lab is the world’s first, and the industry’s most highly-invested, immersion and exploration center dedicated to bringing the most promising technologies from Silicon Valley and Alley and the Innovation Economy together with leading global brands to create solutions for real world marketing problems.

The 5,000 sqft lab serves as Mediabrands’ digital inner sanctum and the physical location where the IPG companies and clients will go to develop technology-enabled marketing programs alongside proprietary data and analytics.

The IPG Media Lab team has already vetted and compiled over 700 companies for possible partnerships and continues to work with venture capital firms, small technology funds and thousands of emerging media companies around the world to review and assess new ways to connect consumers in the digital space. The companies chosen for inclusion in the IPG Media Lab compendium will be fed to all IPG Mediabrands employees.

At any given time, The Lab will feature 50 of these technologies, platforms and applications from the industry’s most pioneering companies. These will be accessed within six permanent installations. These ‘Permatrends’ are listed as:-

The Mobile World
Connected Entertainment & Experience
Retail Innovations
Social Media
Audience Measurement
Marketing Accountability

The Lab will continually improve and optimize the Lab experience through a proprietary feedback system, powered by Tagstand, which enables real-time monitoring of engagement throughout the space; leveraging NFC tap technology.

At launch, the IPG Media Lab prominently features six nascent media developments with emerging technology partners:

The Transparent LCD Freezer Door Created by STRATACACHE, this new translucent digital signage technology allows marketers to directly enhance brand awareness and capture consumer interest at the critical point-of-decision. Bringing active media into the freezer/cooler aisle and transforming ordinary glass surfaces into a digital media experience, interactive advertisements embedded within a transparent LCD panel allow customers to see-through enticing promotional ads to the corresponding product in the backdrop.
The Interactive Shoe Kiosk Created by Intava (Software) for the IPG LAB via consortium with ELO (Touchscreens) and Texas Instruments (RFID), this digital kiosk allows RFID-Tagged products to be recognized by the screen for the purpose of providing an interactive, deeply informative customer experience. When a shoe is placed on the table, customers can learn about style, fit, product attributes and even social media customer reviews/ratings. This will bring new consumer shopping habits directly to retail environments.
Audience Measurement (using facial recognition) Two solutions that use standard cameras to identify and measure audiences are featured to add a layer of quantifiable emotional response to products, experiences and media. One, from Affectiva, is designed to measure a consumer’s emotional response to products and media, and one, from TruMedia, is able to determine gender and audience size for the purpose of providing a more relevant media experience in real-time.
The CMO Desk of the Future This interactive desk allows a CxO-level executive to use data display tools to interact with and mashup information. Visualizations will yield new ways to experience and manage large volumes of real-time and historical data. Featured within this bespoke system are technologies from Infomotor, Chartbeat, Turn dashboard and several location-based technologies. The screen-based system features real time usage of company website, brand and competitor chatter, purchase data by local market, company share price, where applicable, and other economic impacts connected to allow for real time marketing decision-making.
The Interactive Mirror (And Glass) Created by the IPG Media Lab team, this activated mirror allows customers to check out or purchase items straight from the dressing room as well as providing suggestions on other items they might like based on their original choices. This gives the retailer the opportunity to provide a higher level of customer service, and gives the customer new ways to shop. Incorporates social sharing.
The Virtual Dressing Room Developed by FaceCake with a Kinect-based interactivity, this augmented-reality tool takes the shopping experience from the store to a customer’s home. Using a mobile device to take pictures of item tags in store, the customer can then try on and purchase outfits and accessories in their home by using a Kinect Cam to bring together the items onto their body. Incorporates Mobile interactivity through the use of NFC & Microsoft Tags, as well social sharing and expert recommendations based on historical purchases

Matt Seiler, Chief Executive Officer of Mediabrands told us “IPG Mediabrands is investing significantly in the future of brand communications. We, as partners to major international brands, have a duty to keep our clients and agency talent apprised of landscape changes and developing opportunities to engage a rapidly advancing global consumer.”

“The Lab is the industry’s only interactive framework that helps global brands better understand where their customers are with technology, where they will be tomorrow and how to better anticipate and respond to opportunities,” said Quentin George, Chief Innovation Officer, Mediabrands

He added “It is the place where our clients can touch, interact and test the applications, platforms and technologies that will help grow their businesses while creating consumer utility that is value-driven.”