Introducing 'Microsoft Tags'

What if real life was more like the internet, and you could learn more about things just by pointing and clicking? Microsoft has found a way to do just that.

Microsoft Tags are colorful little bar codes that can transform pretty much anything into a live link for accessing a web page through your mobile phone. By adding the bar code to a billboard, bus shelter, t-shirt, business card, or any other object, advertisers can direct people to a specified website. After downloading the free "Tags" app to their phone, consumers simply point their camera phone at the bar code and snap a photo, and they are immediately directed to the specified web page.

This technology will allow advertisers to drive traffic to their websites via offline advertising mediums. Additionally, it will give billboards and print media the same "click-through" measurability that internet ads have always offered. Reports can be created that show number of "scans" per day. Like any other breakthrough, this will only succeed if it becomes commonplace, but I'd say it's likely that Microsoft will put a significant amount of muscle behind this one.

Click here to learn more about Tags.

Designing for Digital

One of the most common questions I hear is whether designing a digital billboard is much different than designing a traditional vinyl billboard. Technically, the answer is no. Digital billboards are capable of displaying any color imaginable, and during the day they're almost indistinguishable from traditional billboards. However, there are certain things you can do to take advantage of the unique qualities of the LED technology.

First and foremost, remember that you're literally painting with light. The face of the billboard is made up of hundreds of thousands of tiny light bulbs which recreate the image that you've designed digitally. Embrace this fact by starting with a black background. When you see black on a digital billboard, you're seeing the absence of any lights, so anything you place on top of this canvas will stand out prominently. Conversely, white backgrounds are created by burning all the bulbs at maximum intensity, so anything you add will be inherently dimmer than the background itself.

Another point to consider, is that sunspots, glares and polished or beveled edges will add a dynamic new dimension to your layout. This is because they are being reproduced with actual light, instead of a painter's rendition of what light looks like. As always, remember the cardinal rule for designing any outdoor ad; "Simple is better!" It would be a shame to ruin the beautiful, backlit canvas of a digital billboard by adding a ton of unnecessary copy. After all, you can rotate as many designs as you want, so why not break it up and keep each design simple?

Bay News 9 coverage of BillboardTweets

After receiving numerous calls and emails inquiring about the Twitter billboards, reporter Laurie Davisson decided to do a segment explaining what our little project is all about...

BillboardTweets in The Tampa Tribune

Tampa Tribune columnist Richard Mullins called me this week to discuss BillboardTweets, our Twitter account that is being published live to our digital billboards. Mullins writes:

"Would you like to see your Tweet up in lights, perhaps on 12 Jumbotrons
around Tampa Bay roads? Ryan Frazier gets to do that. Clear Channel Outdoor is experimenting with putting Twitter messages on its 12 Tampa Bay digital billboards, mixing in the 140-character-or-less messages among ads for restaurants, car dealers and lawyers."

The article goes on to explain that every time I update the Twitter account with a new headline, or "tweet," the digital billboards update as well, giving me the ability to reach the entire bay area instantly. I can even update the message from my mobile phone. The idea was meant to encourage advertisers to take advantage of this incredible technology, and now that this article has come out, I can't wait to see who starts "tweeting to billboards" first!

To read the entire article click here.

Digital Billboards: The Movie

This is a pretty slick little video that outlines some of the benefits of digital outdoor. It also has a ton of great creative examples of how the product has been used across the country. Pass the popcorn, please!

Don't wait for the "Bounce-Back"

Microsoft's chief executive Steve Ballmer recently made some interesting assessments about the global advertising industry. "I don't think we are in a recession, I think we have reset," he said. "A recession implies recovery [to pre-recession levels] and for planning purposes I don't think we will."

Ballmer argued that traditional media companies need to expect a smaller share of the advertising market, as dollars continue to shift toward digital mediums. "All content consumed will be digital, we can [only] debate if that may be in one, two, five or 10 years," said Ballmer.

Digital outdoor advertising is positioned to be one of the key beneficiaries in this shift, projecting year-over-year growth in the double digits through at least 2011. Unlike internet ads, digital billboards don't have to compete with content for the viewer's attention. They create timely opportunities for advertisers to reach a captive consumer audience.

Is your business waiting for the economy to "bounce back" or are you formulating a strategy for adapting to the new "reset" media landscape?

Fortune has smiled upon you in the form of a hot, glazed doughnut...

In the 1970s, Krispy Kreme began illuminating a "Hot Doughnuts Now" sign in front of their stores to indicate that, if you hurry, you can experience the delight of a pristinely perfect pastry, straight out of the oven. In 2005, Southwest Airlines launched the "Ding!" desktop application, which could be downloaded to alert PC users when a special "deep discount" flight became available. In 1965, a Kmart store manager famously created the "Blue Light Special" to move merchandise that was slow to sell.

The results? Strict dieters found themselves gobbling up doughnuts, businessmen booked impulsive mid-week trips, and that Kmart manager's idea became an iconic pillar of retail history.

People like to feel special. Creating a "right place, right time" scenario for consumers can reap huge benefits for your business. With the ability to change your digital billboard design instantly, you can create the same kind of urgency as these companies, and you can do it while people are away from home & in the marketplace. This will facilitate impulse buying and bring you a quicker return on your advertising investment.

Every advertising medium affords you the opportunity to answer the consumer's question, "Why should I do business with you?" Digital billboards allow you to address the question, "Why should I do business with you right now?"

Advertising Job Opportunity

Clear Channel Outdoor is looking to hire an advertising account executive. If you understand that selling isn't about pitching products, but solving prospective clients' problems, then we would like to consider you for an account executive position. A position is available for a creative, self-motivated, organized professional seeking a career, as well as financial growth. We offer excellent benefits and compensation packages commensurate with experience. Email your resume to ryanfrazier@clearchannel.com

The Talking Billboard

At a time when consumers are unsure of who they can trust, it's important for advertisers to have a way to communicate with their customers directly. Providing current, timely updates of what you're offering can ensure that your products and services continue to be top of mind. However, the use and abuse of direct mail, email spam and door-to-door solicitation has made it difficult to reach out to people without being irritating.

Instead of depending on intrusive pop-ups or loud voiceovers, outdoor advertising uses passive penetration to create an impactful, image-driven message that is impossible to ignore. And with the arrival of digital outdoor, your marketing campaign can be just as timely as with other mediums.

Clear Channel Outdoor is currently displaying a live broadcast of our own Twitter feed, which can be updated immediately from my PC or mobile phone. Now I have the ability to send out traffic alerts, breaking news or weather info at the click of a button, no matter where I am. Any advertiser using digital billboards can do the same, with no additional costs. There's no better way for you to directly communicate with Tampa citizens, keeping them abreast of updated prices, current specials or anything new that you have to offer.

To see the headlines that have been displayed on the boards go to twitter.com/BillboardTweets

Nationwide Exposure Is Just A Click Away

Digital signage is popping up everywhere. Whether it be in retail establishments, shopping malls, at the gas pump or on an airplane, advertisers have opportunities to reach customers with extremely targeted, timely messages. Some of these networks are owned by the specific store in which they are placed, while others are part of a larger media conglomerate. The fragmentation of these networks has created challenges for advertisers seeking to reach a nationwide audience.

Today's announcement of Danoo's acquisition of Ideacast, marks a huge step forward in the conglomeration of digital out-of-home advertising. With the combined footprint of the two companies, advertisers will be able to reach more than 30 million people per month, in a variety of formats.

Since 2005, Clear Channel Outdoor's digital outdoor network has grown to include over 350 roadside billboard displays in 27 markets nationwide. Advertisers can reach a captive viewing audience with dynamic, relevant content- day in and day out. Our national digital network offers exposure opportunities equal to over a half a billion adults 18+ per month. While the place-based digital signage industry continues to consolidate, we can offer an extremely efficient way to achieve your national marketing goals, right now.

No Time Like The Present

In the competitive world of business, no one feels the effects of the unforeseen twists and turns like small businesses do. Among the enormous ships and tankers, they can be like a toy boat, tossed from wave to wave, taking on water more than can be bailed out. Sadly, the tidal wave that is this economic recession has forced many local business owners to close their doors for good.

Such is the case for Florida Billiards in Tampa, a locally owned and operated store that specializes in pool tables, poker tables, arcade games, dart boards and anything else you might need to turn a spare room into the ultimate party place. Florida Billiards will continue to provide premium entertainment merchandise at bargain prices at their Orlando store, but they need to clear out their Tampa store quickly, and they've turned to digital billboards to help them accomplish that goal.

Running their "going-out-of business" message on four digital billboards will give them exposure opportunities equal to over 300,000 people over the 4th of July weekend. Even more impressive is that they purchased the space, designed the artwork, and went up on the digital billboards, all in one day! Only digital billboards allow advertisers to solve their immediate marketing objectives in such a powerful, cost effective way.