Thursday, July 21, 2011

Next Top AE Model

American Eagle Outfitters recently launched a Bank-to-School campaign that asks customers to upload photos of themselves wearing their signature AE denim. Customers can upload photos either by visiting the AE website, Facebook fan page, or by downloading the smart-phone app. Each photo is classified into one of four categories, and the winners are selected by customer vote each week. Ten grand prize winners will receive a nice sum of cash plus a spot in a future AE photo shoot. Two hundred people will receive a little cash, but their photo will be featured on the 25-story LED screen outside its flagship store in Times Square. Read more .

Putting your customers' face on the brand-- Amazing strategy! What could engage their main demographic more than that? The AE brand targets 15 to 25 year old boys and girls. I can already see high school students, in the store with their friends, modeling in front of mirrors and uploading pictures from their cell phones. The coolest aspect of this campaign is that the winning pictures will be displayed on the BIG screen in Times Square. Not only is AE engaging their customers, but using the pictures as part of the ad campaign. I'm sure they're saving tons of money by not hiring actual models. It's a win-win.

I am curious as to why they chose to limit the amount of photos shown on the Times Square screen. I say more screens, more photos! AE should add screens in their retail locations that customers could interact with as well. Customers could be in the store uploading photos and see themselves in a matter of minutes. The photos could also be used for ads running on the screen during the campaign, as well as future campaigns.

Although there are a couple of things I would add to this campaign, I wouldn't change a thing. I'm highly impressed with the strategy AE built and I predict great results from the promotion. If anyone from American Eagle Outfitters reads this article, please let me know how the campaign plays out! Anyone else have thoughts?

Thursday, July 14, 2011

Checking In

You know at sporting events when they display the attendance on this big screen? Imagine if, throughout the game, the screen displayed the names of people who had checked in at the stadium using the popular mobile app Foursquare. Pretty cool, right? You might spot the name of a friend you didn't know was at the game—which could lead to a phone call and drinks after the game.

With the emergence of Foursquare, your friends, family, and followers can know exactly where you are and what you’re doing. Many businesses are integrating Foursquare into their marketing plans, often with great success. With a simple check-in, which advertises your commitment to the business you’re patronizing, you could earn reward points at hotels or free food at restaurants as part of a promotional contest. Foursquare promotions encourage customers to spread the word to their online communities, helping businesses bring in new business on a referral basis while increasing brand awareness. But how else can businesses take advantage of this new and upcoming marketing tool? Can combining Foursquare with DOOH media benefit your business?

I see Foursquare as more than just a lead generation or brand awareness tool—it’s a way to create that “wow” experience for customers. For instance, we've all had to wait for a table at a restaurant— Imagine if, while waiting, you check in on Foursquare and within seconds the digital screen in the waiting area shows this message "Welcome to Ruth Chris Steakhouse, #yourname#. Your table will be ready in 5 minutes." That sure beats waiting for the pager to vibrate and red lights to blink, right?

What are your thoughts? Share with us how you would implement Foursquare into a marketing plan.

2011 Captie Content Awards

Captive Indoor Media put out a casting call across Codigo users nationwide to find the best digital signage content our customers had designed from scratch. What we got was an exciting glimpse into the various ways our customers are using the Codigo system to boost their in-store marketing efforts. The awards were chosen by Captive's Creative Department on the basis of professional aesthetics, creativity, purpose of message, and their ability to design using the SWiSH animation tool.

Many submitted entries, but one one could be crowned the first ever Captie Content King. Congratulations to the winner and thank you to all our wonderful customers for your entries. We already can't wait to see what you have in store for next year.

See Captie Content Contest Winner and Runner Up here

Friday, July 08, 2011

Back to the Future with Customer Service Part II



















About a month ago I wrote about using holographic images to improve the customer experience. I discussed how a holographic image could contribute to the WOW experience for the customer and mentioned being greeted by Sam Walton, himself, at your local Wal-Mart.

Well, it may not be quite Sam Walton, but Lawrence, A Tensator Goup Co, has deployed what they call the "Virtual Assistant". Placed previously in London and Birmingham airports as greeters, these "Virtual Assistants" are making their U.S. debut in the retail environment at Duane Reade in New York City.

The "virtual assistant" takes the form of a female greeter and has different scripts about the store. The next version apparently will be more interactive with customers. But for now, I guess customers will just have to settle for a script reading holographic image welcoming and cross-selling you products.

I know if I was a Wal-Mart greeter, I'd be a little worried. Imagine walking your kids into Disney World and boom, there's Walt Disney! Or, taking a tour the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and performing a Scream duet with Michael Jackson. I'm WOWed by the idea. I hope to see this technology really take off - I'd like to see how far it can go.

Thursday, July 07, 2011

Digital Display : Finding Payback

In their July-August issue of Bank Marketing Magazine, The American Banker's Association profiled 4 U.S. bank's usage of digital signage in the branch. They highlighted the reasons these banks chose to implement digital displays and the results they have achieved. A special thanks goes out to Cheryl Hershner with First Financial Bank in Cincinnati, OH for speaking so highly of Captive and the products it provides; as well as to Walt Albro with ABA for the opportunity to be in such a prestigious magazine.

Below is a short excerpt from this article with a link to read it in it's entirety. Post a response, let us know what you think!



It’s a no-brainer: Digital display is a powerful new platform for merchandising the bank’s products and services. So why are so many financial institutions still hemming and hawing over the digital decision? The answer may be that the upfront investment in hardware and software is typically hefty. And with today’s tight budgets, marketers want hard evidence of the actual marketing return on investment before trying to sell the idea to their managers.

Does digital pay off? Is it worth the investment? ABA Bank Marketing magazine talked to four banks of varying asset size that had achieved some kind of success with a digital installation. We asked each institution how the investment had panned out. Click here to hear their stories
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