Mele’s Musings

Mall Advertising Goes Digital

Are we ready for Minority Report-like advertising?

Picture: therealalarmclock.com

Article excerpt:   Companies such as Adspace Mall Network and OnSpot Digital Network are leading the trend toward digital conversion of their out-of-home mall inventory. There’s a lot of discussion in media circles about the impact of digital technology, and one sector enjoying a transformation is the once sleepy domain of mall advertising. Companies such as Adspace Mall Network and OnSpot Digital Network are leading the trend toward digital conversion of their out-of-home mall inventory. Adspace, the largest in-mall digital video advertising network in the country, has built a network of 1,389 screens in 105 shopping centers in the last several years. Plans are to be in more than 200 malls within two years. OnSpot Digital Network, a two-year-old venture of Simon Property Group and agency conglomerate Publicis Groupe, has 1,300 screens in 49 Simon malls.  Eye Corp., which has become one of the leading mall ad companies in the U.S. after only two years in the market, and long-established mall leaders Clear Channel and CBS Outdoor also see digital as a big part of the future. CBS Outdoor has digital in three of  400 malls it has contracts with. Eye Corp. plans to roll out 75 digital sign units in 10 Macerich Malls in time for the holiday season.
The Rest: MediaWeek.com

Musing:  The growth of outdoor digital is exciting and interesting.  If it can live past its novelty stage, it could become a powerful medium.  I wonder if the battle is to fought between the direct response advertisers who want digital outdoor to drive to a direct sale – via coupons, offers, etc. – or advertisers who are want digital outdoor to simply make a more impactful impression – via interaction and entertainment.  There’s probably room for both, but my guess is that people, at least in the short-term, will be much more comfortable, and more interested, in less intrusive and more interactive outdoor.  It will take some time and education to get people used to or ready for advertising that gets delivered in some automated way to their mobile devices, even if (or maybe especially if) they are opt-in.