Register here or for more information and to see the 1.9mm and 2.4mm displays up close and personal, contact Angie Clayton on 020 8731 3121 or angelina.clayton@espritdigital.com

If you are not in the UK at that time or will be attending #InfoComm13 in Orlando you can also see the Leyard 4K Ultra Definition LED Video Wall. You can register your interest here.

Heineken is deploying a dynamic campaign to own JCDecaux’s The Cromwell Road Digital Gateway, showcasing multiple creative, across the nine digital locations on Europe’s busiest road. It’s described as a tactical activation and we are told that it will run in conjunction with a wider two-week OOH campaign.

The campaign was planned and bought by MediaVest UK and Kinetic but it’s a bit dull don’t you think?

We’ve seen some great outdoor material this week, our favourite below …

Yes, it’s done the old fashion way but the nod to the classic BBC comedy Dad’s Army is very clever.

Your Smart Signage Platform is not ‘Open Source’

I am asking you to please refrain from using the term ‘Open Source’ when referring to your Samsung Smart Signage Platform.

I refer in particular to your recent notification to your partners about an upcoming Webcast but note that you have incorrectly described your solution / platform as being open source in the past, and routinely use the term at trade shows and in day to day talking points.

I quote “Samsung Smart Signage is an integrated, open-source platform that saves time and money for integrators and businesses alike” – simply having a derivative Linux kernel and an SDK does NOT make what you offer ‘Open Source’ in any way.

The truth actually is that NOT one of your partners can run their core product on your Smart Signage Platform – they must conform to the methods and limitations of your environment (which is presumably a derivative of your consumer platform for delivering apps on a TV). Smart Signage is in itself NOT an application. It is simply an environment for deployment of tightly restricted applications.

Unless you are freely distributing the source code to your platform you cannot legitimately claim to be open source and you are deceiving both your partners and the industry.

I certainly understand the marketing advantages of claiming to be ‘open’ or ‘open source’ however what you are doing is both inaccurate and misleading. Personally, I believe that it is an offence to the open source community, certainly unethical and very likely would be seen dimly by those responsible for enforcing the standard open source licensing agreements.

I therefore implore you to use terms appropriately and not mislead potential buyers and your partners.

Adrian J Cotterill
Chairman, OpenSplash Steering Group
editor in chief, DailyDOOH

I won’t hold my breath for a reply but perhaps all of the North American industry consultants who are on Samsung’s payroll might also like to point out the error of Samsung’s way (but then again I won’t hold my breath for that either).

On Monday, DayLite LED Media Ltd. put up a photoshopped picture of football manager, Jose Mourinho in a Chelsea shirt on their digital display in Kensington. Managing Director, Sam Dayeh told us this was “for a bit of fun” (at this moment in time, Jose Mourinho had just left his position as manager of Real Madrid in Spain).

The story ‘The second coming: What is Jose Mourinho doing on this billboard in a Chelsea shirt?‘ by the Daily Mail probably started all the fuss but the poster anyway, soon went viral, with TV news channel Sky Sports News, and newspapers The Independent, Mail Online, Metro and the Daily Mirror all very quickly picking up the story.

However, it gets better (especially if you are DayLite LED Media), as within 24 Hours, M2MUK and outdoor media buying specialist Talon Outdoor had booked the digital billboard for bookmaker Paddy Power.

Paddy Power were keen to advertise the odds where ex-Real Madrid manager Jose Mourinho might go next (hint to those who don’t follow football – it’s very likely to be a few hundred yards up the street from where the digital billboard is located, with Chelsea Football Club).

Adspace’s four-week reach increased to 25% of adults 18-49 in the network’s universe of 45 top DMAs when the Nielsen notice rate is applied to Scarborough mall visitor data. This is up from 21% two years earlier. Nationwide, Adspace reaches 16% of adults 18-49.

The Nielsen Fourth Screen Audience Report is the only quarterly, multiclient syndicated audience report for digital place-based networks. To be included, a network must conduct a Nielsen measurement study every two years. The 2013 results reflect Adspace’s first Nielsen study that fully integrates the 64 additional mall properties acquired by Adspace Networks from Access360’s Mallvision last summer, including 57 premiere Simon properties.

Amongst the strongest results in the study are Adspace’s powerful ad recall numbers. Nielsen found that, when prompted, on average, 34.6% of shoppers who noticed the screens recalled a featured advertisement. This is a 4.% point increase from the previous study.

An example would be an ad for Samsung Galaxy, which drew a 26% unaided recall and a 38.3% aided recall. Others showed similar increases, eg. Charmin rose from 18.6% unaided recall to 27.5% aided recall.

“This research highlights our steady growth in reach, bolstered by the addition of the Simon mall properties that we folded into the network last year, through our acquisition of Mallvision,” says Dominick Porco, chairman and CEO, Adspace Networks. “We are also encouraged by our increased ad awareness. Shoppers are becoming more familiar and interested with our content and are engaging with it at a higher rate than ever before.”

Driving engagement with the screens is the shopper-centric content running on the Adspace Digital Mall Network. The Adspace content includes:

• Deal Breakers: A weekly program featuring the best sales and promotions in the mall;
• Essentials: Seasonal, must have products;
• Trend Alert: Highlights the latest trends in fashion, beauty, and accessories;
• Editorial partnerships with Lucky Magazine: This includes style tips from Lucky editor, Lori Bergamotto, and behind-the-scenes video from cover shoots with celebrities.

Nielsen found that familiarity with each content category, on average, increased to 66.1% of viewers, nearly double the level of two years ago. Of those who are familiar with each content category, on average, 59.2% found it interesting or that it influenced a purchase. This is a 17% point increase from 2011.

“We rely on the Fourth Screen Report for an accurate snapshot of impressions delivered by each of the Nielsen-measured digital place-based networks,” says Joe Esposito, director, product operations, Spafax Networks. “Adspace is one of the most important players in the industry, and it is no surprise that they have repeatedly proven its scale and efficiency with the report.”

Adspace Digital Mall Networkis is currently located throughout 206 Class A malls across the U.S., with 2,824 HD ‘Smart Screens’ in three formats: 9’ ‘floor mounts’ in portrait format; 42”-to-63” ‘aerials’ in landscape format; and 8’-by-14’ foot ‘spectaculars” in landscape format. The network reaches 48 million unique individuals each month (source: Scarborough), and is particularly effective at reaching teens, young adults and women.

The NASDAQ delisting, which was surely only a matter of time, is based on ‘Insufficient Shareholders’ Equity’.

Ronin however are not giving up on the joys of being publicly traded.

On May 31st Ronin’s common stock will trade on the OTCQB – an electronic trading platform of the OTC Markets Group (the trading symbol will remain RNIN).

This move to the OTCQB does not alter Ronin’s SEC reporting obligations under applicable securities laws and Ronin will continue to file its Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, Annual Reports on Form 10-K and Current Reports on Form 8-K – all of which should mean that they continue to be in the public eye of course.

Bottom line is that they likely move to #1 in our list, ‘The Dead Pool’

Giraffas is a Brazilian food quick-service restaurant franchise operation. With over 400 locations in Brazil, Giraffas USA is poised to grow in North America where it already has six restaurants in Florida – one opened in Orlando last week – and plans for 25 more by the end of 2013. The company expects to put more in the Washington, D.C. Metro area over the next five years, a lot more in Texas, and up to 2,000 locations across the U.S. in the next decade.

“People associate Brazil with beaches, sunshine, soccer and more but are not that familiar with the food,” Kirk Vanderleest, vice-president digital at Flixio Studios, headquartered in Portland, Oregon, told us. “Giraffas is Brazilian burgers and steaks, which presents a very unique opportunity, We’re meeting with their people to work with them and their agency on branding ‘Brazilian’ to a North American audience. A private company, Giraffas is viewing digital signage as a tremendous way to help it communicate brand messages. And with the World Soccer Cup and Summer Olympic Games in Brazil’s future, we hope to incorporate these and Brazil’s lifestyle into content, especially on the dining room screens.“

Current installations in each restaurant include: five display landscape digital menu boards; point-of-sale ad screens for cross-sell and pairing optimization; six displays projecting ‘Giraffas TV’ throughout the Dining Room; and three displays featuring promotions/queue messaging.

“We hope to take a disciplined approach with all the new installations, which will include menu boards, screens in the dining room, the promotional queue screens, and then the algorithmic screens where, when people place an order, good pairings can be suggested to them,” says Vanderleest.

The current six restaurants use content managemant by YCD MultiMedia/C-nario and DT Research but all new ones will use DT Research and Signagelive I wouldn’t be surprised to see the original six switch over to Signagelive as well, Ed.

Giraffas USA is based in Miami and Flixio, which has a solid 14 years experience of providing digital content for all types of screens for such companies at Starbucks, Gap, Build-a-Bear, Logitech, Kidsmart and numerous other companies (including the #dse2013 videowall) connected through mutual friends when Giraffas was looking for better content. It will be handling all content for both the existing restaurants and all new ones across the U.S..

We asked Vanderleest whether Flixio would be doing content for the 30-year-old Giraffas in Brazil.

“No. Not yet,” says Vanderleest with a smile. “But maybe we’ll win them over.”

Clear Channel Airports, a division of Clear Channel Outdoor, has a long history in Chicago, having owned and operated advertising space at both airports since 2002.

“The new advertising platforms will enhance the look and feel of the global gateways to our city, O’Hare and Midway, with vibrant, dynamic displays and interactive features that set a new world model for other cities and airports to follow,” says Rahm Emanuel, Chicago Mayor. “It includes cutting-edge technology that will inform and entertain travelers, and help them better navigate Chicago’s airports. The agreements also provide opportunities for disadvantaged business enterprises and will optimize concession revenues to the airport.”

In addition to enhancing the air passenger experience with interactive displays and real-time information, the Clear Channel Airports media technologies are expected to attract local, regional and global advertisers delivering to the City the more than $25 million annually from ads and sponsorships sold in O’Hare and Midway.

Featuring nearly 400 digital devices, Clear Channel’s program will reach more than 66 million passengers in Chicago annually. Using flexible, diverse and interactive technologies, Clear Channel’s planned program includes:

• The first ever 360 degree digital globe in an airport suspended from the ceiling of Terminal 3;
• Two digital soffits (overhangs) comprising a total of 60 LCD screens creating 412 sq. ft. of dynamic digital surface each;
• A full network of interactive digital directories providing travelers instant access to information on restaurants, hotels, etc.;
• Embedded digital tablets available to travelers within sponsored FreeCharge work stations allowing passengers to connect with work or home;
• Various living green foliage walls and a green education area emphasizing the City of Chicago’s commitment to green areas and environmentally friendly practices.

In referring to Clear Channel’s continuing its partnership with the City of Chicago, John Moyer, vice-president, Clear Channel Airports, says, “Airports across North America are making it clear that Clear Channel is the preferred partner for airport media, and this new contract will give Chicago’s Airports the latest digital technologies for advertisers to connect with millions of travelers, on a greater, more meaningful level than before while delivering an additional revenue stream to the city.”

The Chicago contract represents one of more than 47 new contracts awarded to Clear Channel Airports over the last two years to provide similar services in airports across the country including Denver, Philadelphia and Detroit International airports.

err, we’ll put these in alphabetical order but you decide the order;

ComQi, Reflect Systems, Wireless Ronin.

If you are brave and don’t stay (too) anonymous you could even tell us by comment.

Their first issue, a newsletter containing a summary of recent advertising market activity, with a focus on out-of-home, radio and television can be found here.

Alternatively you can contact Mark Boidman <mboidman@pjsc.com> or Jason Liao (jliao@pjsc.com).

Mark Boidman will be presenting at The DailyDOOH Investor Conference which is being held in New York 23rd to 24th October 2013.