Thinking Narrowcasting

Adrian Cotterill has a great blog Daily Dooh on all things Narrowcasting - Digital Out of Home - Insight, Knowledge and Opinion. It has lots of great examples of interactive media, I particularly liked this article on Kodo Mobile "Waiting for the subway in Montreal is a lot more fun these days: a new campaign for Koodo Mobile uses state-of-the-art technology from iGotcha Media that allows commuters to interact with out-of-home advertising displays."

Adrian mentions how the self branding in this example is interesting - "You are watching Captivating Network". Why don't all mediums do this?

This on-screen solutions website also has some good info. "The potential of digital signage as a powerful medium for information, advertising and entertainment is being recognized by a growing number of retailers, which will cause market revenue to nearly quadruple from 2004-2009"

Types of Travelers: ( each of these needs to be explored and analysed further)

• Holiday Makers: These people will travel to their destination as a 'tourist'.
• Business Travelers: Commuters
• Back Pack and Adventure Travelers: alone or in small groups on self-organised trips.
• Long Term travelers: missionaries, volunteer workers etc. going to stay several years in a country.
• Travelers with special needs:
• Children
• Elderly
• Pregnant women
• Disabled Travellers

Good article about "Electronic Tickets saving time and worry for travellers."

In my opinion, that's what this is all about. Understanding the emotions of travellers. Listening to their stories and experiences.

• Observing them in different situations.
• Find out how the different groups of people feel when they are -
• buying their ticket. standing in a que. grabbing a coffee. reading their newspaper. browsing the shops. running to catch the train. waiting to talk to the information desk.
• Look at all the different options of the kind of messages we can give them -
• What do we want to acheive out of this? Make their experience more enjoyable. Introduce them to something new - a hobbie/ a fact/ a theory?
• Give them information - the weather/ the city/their journey/
• The way the message is made up? is it bright and flashy and loud? I know the things that catch my eye are often subtle and simple. Real handwriting in an advert always makes me look twice.
• Something to make people smile:

A question to think about is - Do we want to give them specific messages? For example, we could encourage people to be kind? to each other? to the environment? to themselves.

I like the idea of giving people a message to embrace life. Being in a train station reminds you that the world is a busy place, everyone has somewhere to be, is in a rush...Would they appreciate reading something like this:

''Life is like a taxi. The meter just keeps ticking whether you are getting somewhere or just standing still." Lou Erickso

"Life is like riding a bicycle. You don't fall off unless you stop pedaling" Claude Pepper

"Life is a great big canvas, and you should throw all the paint on it you can" Danny Kaye

Kevin Roberts book Sismo looks like it would be worth a read if you are interested in this field...

Sight, Sound and Motion, the combination that made television the most powerful selling tool ever invented.