Introduction

The primary objective of the Intel/Sprint Digital

Signage project was to measure the effectiveness
of their in-store digital content using Intels AIM
Suite for Anonymous Video Analytics in four high
trafc Sprint retail stores. The program utilized
AOpens Media Players with existing Sprint LCD
displays, Intels Audience Impression Metrics (AIM)
software, OpenServices Remote Monitoring Media
and Content Management System and 5th Screen
Digital Medias Digital Media Mapping methodology.
The following is an overview of the technology ecosystem:
Hardware AOpens DE67 PC Media Player using an
Intel i7 processor, ZTE 3G Card, Intels VPro for remote
management and repair, LogMeIn, the existing Samsung
LCD monitors and a Logitech 9000 Webcam
Software OpenService Content Management System
(SaaS), Intels Audience Impression Metrics (AIM) Suite,
LogMeIn and Softmaxxs 3G Connection Manager and
Windows 7 Professional
Network Secure Sprint 3G network
Media OpenServices Managed Media for Help Desk
support, remote monitoring and repair using Intels vPro,
viewer analytics using Intels AIM Suite and 5th Screen
Digital Medias Media Mapping technology
The primary objective of this study was to show why digital
content is the most important component of any digital
signage network. Digital content must be compelling,
relevant and timely for the target audience by venue,
geography, time of day, demographic and day of the year.
To meet these objectives, each network must start with a
detailed content strategy. The right content strategy is more
important to the success of the digital signage network than
the technology selection. In fact, the content strategy drives
the technology requirements.
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Based on the initial results of this program, 5th Screen
Digital Media worked with the digital content agency used by
Sprint, Two West, to develop a new digital content strategy to
improve viewer engagement. Quantifying the impact of this
new digital media strategy is the key nding from this study.
As background to developing a digital content strategy, it is
important to understand that there are three types of digital
signage networks: Point of Sale (PoS), Point of Transit (PoT)
and Point of Wait (PoW). Each network type impacts the
content strategy differently.
A Point of Sale (PoS) network is what you might expect-
digital signage that consumers encounter close to a
product or service. These viewers are shoppers. The
power of this type of network is that the call to action
is immediate since the screens are placed where
consumers are making their buying decisions. The
content must be attention-grabbing and relevant to the
product while the consumer is focused on buying
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Digital billboards, along with screens associated with transit
hubs, comprise Point of Transit (PoT) networks. They work
by grabbing the attention of passing consumers for a brief
period of time. The consumers here are on the go viewers.
These screens are mostly focused on establishing brand
identity or value, and they parcel out visually attractive or
active content in short bursts
The third type is known as the Point of Wait (PoW)
network one targeted at consumers waiting for a product
or service. Usually we encounter these in retail lines,
healthcare and hospitality locations, as well as corporate
lobbies. The consumers watching these screens are dwell
time viewers- it is all about perceived wait time. Some of
these networks are interactive, such as screens facing
passengers riding inside taxis. In those cases, the viewer
has more dwell time and can take in a longer message or
series of messages. The common thread is that consumers
viewing a PoW network screen are receptive and have a
sufcient time of exposure to allow for longer messages
and several repetitions
Program summary
The pilot was installed and operational in the designated four
stores in mid-November 2011 with no changes to the existing
playlist. From mid-November 2011 through mid-May 2012,
viewer metrics were collected using Intels AIM Suite. The data
was analyzed to determine viewer impressions, demographics
and engagement metrics. Using the latest version of Intels AIM
Suite, we were also able to analyze impressions, demographics
and viewer engagement at the individual media le level. This
capability provided us with the ability to measure individual
media message effectiveness, not just playlist effectiveness.
The challenge for Sprint retail stores is that their digital
signage networks act as both PoS and PoW. About 13% of
the shoppers are upgrading their mobile devices and another
33% are browsing, so the network needs to display PoS
content. About 32% are making a payment and 22% are
waiting for their handset to be repaired. With an average wait
time of almost an hour, PoW content is also required. The right
combination of PoS and PoW digital media was needed to
address both audience proles.
After the rst three months, a new digital content strategy
was developed with included recommendations to the digital
agency of Sprint, Two West of Kansas City, Missouri. Two
West revised the playlist incorporating the majority of these
recommendations. The revised playlist was deployed in mid-
April and metrics collected over the following four weeks.
This report compares the viewer metrics between the original
playlist and the new playlist that incorporated the 5th Screen
Medias recommendations.
Anonymous video analytics
From mid-November 2011 through mid-May 2012, over
250,000 impressions were collected in the four stores. On
average, over three-fourths of shoppers glanced at the screen.
Of the shoppers from mid-November through mid-April, 65%
were male. Half of the male shoppers were 18 to 35 years
old and one-third were 36 to 65 years old. From mid-April
through mid-May, the gender mix shifted to 60% male and
40% female, with the proportion of ages unchanged. It was
found that the average viewer exposure time (2.4 seconds)
was signicantly less than the average length of a media slot
(27.4 seconds), which means the audience on average saw
less than 10% of the media le content. Three-quarters of the
impressions were less than 3 seconds, and one-fourth were
between 3 - 15 seconds.
5th Screen Digital Media worked with the Sprint Marketing
Communications Team and Two West to develop a trial digital
media strategy to improve viewer engagement times. The
options considered were:
Shorter/bolder messages
Breakup the playlist look
Demographically weighted content
Reduce perceived wait time
Deliver individual messages for individual viewers
Entertain
Providing mobile and social engagement
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Time and costs prohibited the inclusion of demographically
weighted content, delivery of individual messages to
individual viewers and mobile/social engagement. The
revised playlist focused on:
Shorter/bolder messages
Breakup of the playlist look
Entertain
Reduce perceived wait time
The new playlist included 30 spots with an average of 27.4
seconds each (the same as the original playlist.) However,
22 spots of the 30 were less than 30 seconds and focused
on NASCAR and NBA trivia questions. The result of shorter
messages and more entertaining content was an increase of
63% in exposure time from 2.4 seconds to 3.9 seconds.
Using the latest version of Intels AIM Suite, we were able to
analyze the effectiveness of each media le in the playlist.
Figure 1 shows the percent of each les time in the playlist
versus the percent of impression for each le.
% of Total Loop Duration
% of Total Impressions
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% of Total loop duration vs. % of Total impressions
(April/May 2012)
Figure 1
Another interesting outcome with the revised playlist was the
increase in female viewership from 40% to 45%. Figure 3
shows how exposure time is signicantly higher for females.
The improvement in exposure came primarily from the increase
in time exposed. The exposure time for the trivia questions
was 3 times higher for females as shown in Figure 2. These
results are counterintuitive, but dramatically demonstrate the
importance of knowing the audience and providing relevant,
compelling content.
Conclusion
Digital signage is sold on the premise that it can deliver
messages more effectively and efciently than traditional
paper-based media. Yet no company supplies a complete
solution that includes hardware, software, managed media,
content media and viewer analytics. This has resulted in four
signicant digital signage constraints:
An extremely fragmented market with an overly complex
supply chain
Little experience among vendors on how to plan, select,
evaluate, deploy and operate digital signage networks
The lack of viewer analytics to measure campaign or
communications effectiveness
The high cost to create relevant and timely digital media
Exposure time (sec) by le - Male vs. Female
(April/May 2012)
Exposure Time (sec) - Female
Exposure Time (sec) - Male
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Figure 2
Sprint M2M Solutions
It is no surprise that only one in 12 digital signage networks
announced in the US are ever fully deployed. Plus, few users
realize that over 80% of the Total Cost of Ownership is Media
related (operational management, hardware/software support
and content production).
What was evaluated during the Sprint Digital Signage
Effectiveness program was a cost-effective, turnkey digital
signage solution. This solution simplied the technology supply
chain, reduced the cost of operational support and content
production, plus provided audience metrics to effectively
measure campaign effectiveness. It also improved the overall
reliability of the digital signage network.
At the end of the program, Sprint was able to:
Determine the Total Cost of Ownership savings provided by
the OpenService Turnkey Digital Signage Solution versus
in-house support
Understand their base line demographics and viewer
engagement using Intels Audience Impression Metrics
(AIM) Suite
Quantify the value of 5th Screen Digital Medias Digital
Media Consulting Services to improve viewer engagement
time
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Sprint 3G network reaches over 278 million people. 2012 Sprint. All rights reserved. Sprint and the logo are trademarks of Sprint. Other marks are the property of their respective owners.
The new step: Media mapping
This study demonstrated the need for a detailed digital media
strategy that could accommodate the type of network and
venue, the viewer demographics, screen location, time of day
and day of the year. To achieve the objectives, one needs to
take the existing digital assets and deconstruct them into
granular media objects. These media objects will reside in a
database that can be manually authored and accessed in a
either a predetermined manner or free form for the specic
display.
Media mapping is a combination of identifying the relationship
of the display type, type of network and the media object
attributes and identifying the nal message conguration
based on the display type, demographic, geographic, cultural
set or multiverse use. Media mapping allows media objects
to be automatically assembled to create the nal message
according to the type of screen (TV, DOOH, mobile or tablet)
and audience.
Media mapping for digital signage creates the nal message
from the media objects that is relevant and appropriate for
that display. In addition, Intels AIM suite will provide real time
demographic information to allow the nal message to change
according to the prole of the viewer watching the display.
Since the media objects store on the media player, the nal
message is delivered to the viewer immediately after the AVA
analysis is completed. This analysis takes less than a second
to complete before demographically personalized content is
displayed to the viewer.