Contributors
Manolo Almagro
Manolo Almagro is a thought-leader and pioneer in the digital signage industry. He has over 18+ years experience working in global advertising agencies where he created innovative place-based media experiences that enhanced how brands connected and engaged with their consumers. He currently holds the position of CTO of Show+Tell in New York City where he designs Unique experiences for Times Square.Prior to his move to New York, he held the role of CTO at Publicis Groupe subsidiary MarketForward in Chicago.
The list of Manolo’s accomplishments includes his digital signage solution patent (US Patent # 6038545), his work engineering McDonald’s largest digital menuboard for the Millenium Dome, Other achievements include his work with the joint venture 50-mall video ad network with Starcom and Simon Malls and his efforts in designing and managing the deployment of the Paris Metro’s first transit digital signage network.
Manolo speaks at industry conferences, is frequently quoted in the press and works in the US and abroad. Some N. American clients include; ABC Television Networks, M&M’s, Toys R Us, Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, McDonald¹s, KFC/Taco Bell Canada, United States Postal Service, United Airlines, Sears, Eddie Bauer, Nordstrom¹s, HarrisBank. In the EU his projects include; ASDA/Wal-Mart UK, McDonald¹s, Argos, France Telecom, Orange, Paris Metro/RATP. His Asia-Pacifc work encompasses, Jollibee, KFC, and Hungry Jack¹s.
Gail Chiasson
Gail Chiasson has been a journalist and editor in Canada for more than 30 years, specializing in the national advertising, marketing, media and communications industry and with a special affection for the OOH sector. She currently edits a daily Web site at PubZone.com, a twice-yearly magazine, Canadian Technology & Business, and freelances for publications, Web sites, agencies and, she says, for anybody who needs writing in English. She’s based in Montréal.
Bill Collins
Bill Collins is an industry analyst, consultant and consumer research professional who focuses his work on the field of networked Digital Signage and Kiosks. During his 8-year career in the Digital Signage and Kiosk industries, Bill:
- Co-authored the world’s first syndicated research report on Digital Signage in March 2001.
- Established in 2002 the Narrowcasting News from Bill Collins newsletter, the world’s first publication to cover the Digital Signage market.
- Co-founded and edited AKA.TV – http://www.aka.tv — the world’s first international publication to provide news and analysis on the global market for Digital Signage.
- Organized, convened and presided at the founding meeting of the Out-of-Home Video Advertising Bureau (OVAB) in January 2006 in Las Vegas at the Venetian Hotel.
- Has served clients such as Best Buy, 3M, Philips Design, Instrumental Media Group, C-nario, Barco, the Out-of-Home Video Advertising Bureau (OVAB), LocaModa, Christie Digital Systems, Ripple TV, TracyLocke, Follett, ActiveLight, the Digital Signage Group and Reflect Systems.
Bill Collins is principal of DecisionPoint Media Insights. DecisionPoint is a consumer/shopper research consultancy in the USA that designs and produces custom consumer research on digital media networks that are deployed at retail and out of home. Collins can be reached at bill@decisionpointmedia.com.
Russ Curry
Russ Curry (MBCIM) has a background in retail marketing in the music business, where he worked for both the ‘majors’ and the ‘independents’. With the music business going pear-shaped, he moved into video production in 2005, specialising in co-producing very short programmes with cable TV stations in France. A music video supplier then asked him to source other video content for a European DOOH network – which lead to the realisation that there’s a bigger need for ‘content’ to insert in between the ads AND so to the creation of ‘i-conic images’, a B2B agency supplying content (stock video and short programmes) exclusively for the DOOH market.
Damien Edmonds
Damien’s experience includes; UK Outdoor Advertising Association’s digital board 2005-2007, European Marketing Director with Eyecorp UK, and independent consultant in London (with clients such as Clear Channel UK and Laqshya India).
Media planner originally by trade, Damien is particularly interested in insights with DOOH’s audience. His media planning and insights experience includes; Dentsu (AIS Media) Brisbane & Sydney and Zenith Media International in London, as well as Nielsen Media Research in Sydney & UK.
Over the past two decades he has been keen to develop a broad knowledge of the media industry before specialising in DOOH, having worked for various innovative media offerings; set-up of Men’s Health Australia, cross-media offering with Better Homes & Gardens (#3 magazine in Australia), set-up of Look Media UK, as well as Marketing Director with Gym Media UK (another captive network).
Damien has recently setup Edmonds Marketing, a consultancy in Australasia, specialising in Digital Marketing at Retail with connections to international innovators and pathfinders.
Damien is also a Chartered Marketer with the Chartered Institute of Marketing, UK (2008). He is keen to point out that Australia and New Zealand are considered an International Test Market, particularly from a DOOH perspective!
Chris Heap
Chris has been involved in the creation, deployment, management and effectiveness of DOOH networks (audio, visual and hybrid) for over 10 years and can claim to have worked on some of the largest and/or path-finding retail deployments in the UK for agencies including CAN Media, Instrumental Media, Mood Media (was DMX Music) and CBS Alive (was TDI) on behalf of brands including Kroger, Tesco, The Life Channel, H&M, Mall Corporation, Target & Shell.
Chris is currently an active member on POPAIdigital’s (UK) planning and management forum and contributes to POPAI’s Advocacy Committee (U.S) and writes for various UK and U.S marketing journals and magazines.
Chris is founder of the Imperative Group, a marketing services, new product and development agency for businesses already operating in or looking to participate in the DOOH sector. He holds a BA in Consumer Psychology from the University of Bristol and is a member of the Chartered Institute of Marketing.
Alex Hughes
Alex Hughes is Strategic Director – Amigo Digital. His career spans Digital Media, Moving Image & Television; he built the moving image department of Deepend, a new media agency founded in 1994, renowned for its creativity, that grew to over 200 people in 8 international offices.
He moved to ITV Network, the UK’s first commercial TV broadcaster, developing their web and Interactive TV (iTV) strategy and then MTV Networks Europe as New Platforms Director where he established and implemented the iTV Strategy for the 7 MTV channels; the backbone of which can currently be seen on MTV today.
Alex’s skills lie developing effective creative communication strategies for brands across digital media. His experience encompasses all aspects of a business communications strategy – from design and branding to implementation and advertising. He has worked with some of the world’s top brands including Smirnoff, Baileys, FujiFilm, Boots, The FT, Volkswagen and Calvin Klein.
Chris Phelan
Chris Phelan is a long term resident of Japan, speaks Japanese fluently and has worked in Japan’s Internet and Digital Media markets since 1995. A native of Chicago, he ventured to Japan in 1991.
Phelan is Co-Founder and Chairman of Vanten, one of Japan’s leading Digital Signage companies. His previous role as CEO of Vanten saw him rolling out some of Japan’s earliest digital signage networks. He successfully transitioned the entrepreneurial company from being a business applications developer into a digital signage service provider. With customers like Yodobashi Camera and Softbank Group’s Comel, Vanten have been able to establish itself as an industry leader.
Prior to that, Phelan was the Country Manager of Exodus Communications Japan. At Exodus, Phelan directed all aspects of Exodus’ entry into the Japanese market, grew revenues to US$20 million in the first year of operation, and achieved profitability in less than 1.5 years. With a background in sales, marketing and operations, Phelan has strong revenue generating, relationship-building, deal-structuring and strategic-term planning skills. Prior to Exodus, Phelan helped build one of Japan’s Internet success stories, Global OnLine Japan (GOL) where he held the positions of VP of Marketing and COO.
Terry Scannell
Terry Scannell has been involved in B2B marketing for over 15 years. He was a principle in Color & Design Exhibits Inc. (a museum and trade show exhibit design and production company) between 1986 and 1996. He participated in the sale of that company to ExhibitGroup/Giltspur a division the Dial, Corp (NYSE VVI) in 1996. From 1996 until 2001 he was a General Manager for that company and was promoted to Sr. Vice President of Western Operations where he was responsible for a P&L of $100.0 million. From 2001 until 2004 he was an owner and manager of a design and film production company where he was responsible for the sale and operations of the in store Nike Digital Sign System until he founded ipSigns. He holds a BS from Lewis & Clark College, a Master’s Degree from USC and a Law Degree from the University of Oregon. He is a member of the Oregon State Bar and continues an active legal practice focusing on complex business litigation.
Leoš Smutný
Leoš Smutný started his career in digital signage as a development and marketing manager in a Czech company producing original LED screens.
He is now with Supermedia Ltd. – a communication agency focusing solely on Digital Out of Home. There relatively unique superscreen.cz project started in spring 2008 and unified the offer of Out-Of-Home Video Advertising in the Czech Republic – as well as focusing on educational activity in this sector – something virtually non-existent in the Czech lands before.
Leoš has been regularly published in the established print media and and cooperated on dozens of integration projects with digital signage technologies in the Czech Republic.
Eva Zhang
Eva Zhang is one of China’s new generation in the digital signage industry and works for Neo Advertising, China. Eva has a solid background in cross-cultural communication, international journalism and a track record in expat-related media. Eva Zhang previously earned her stripes at a locally famous all-round advertising agency that covers the country with its campaigns. She has several years of experience working in different media, including a number of CCTV’s digital channels (China Central TV) as well as newspapers and magazines. Her clarity, energetic personality and well-developed critical thinking skills have put her on a fast track to become an international reference point on media, and specifically digital signage, within China. With an observant insight, a love for the industry and a unique understanding of China’s condition, she will bring us absorbing stories from China.
