rVue Blog

ZeroTouch is the No Touchy Touchscreen

As we venture forward into advanced interactive technologies, where touchscreens are all the craze, we're now one step closer to touching nothing at all. A group of students over at Texas A&M have developed a "multi-touch no-touch, uh... touchscreen", where a grid comprised of a combination of LED lights and infrared sensors creates a digital web of sensors. This allows not only precise interaction, but it also reads varying degrees of pressure. So say if you're painting, you'll be able to get those variances of painterly strokes.

 

 

For germaphobes, this is a godsend, for everyone else, its another wall that's being broke down to make the interactive experience that much more immersing and entertaining. The opportunities for this kind of technology can be anywhere. Need to find your location at the airport, zoo or museum? How about checking in at the hospital? 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Blogged by Nick Sears - Motion Designer - rVue

  

 

Digital Cola Wars? Pepsi, Coke and their Refreshing Approaches to Interactive DOOH

Last year, Coca-Cola launched a fun viral video that portrayed a ficticious vending machine that turned out free Cokes and pizzas. Now, with their own refreshing twist, Pepsi has introduced a a very real vending machine that is social media-enable and touted as the "Next Generation in Interactive Vend Technology."

Just announced at a Chicago trade show, PepsiCo's Social Vending Machine reinforces their commitment to developing "Smart" Equipment. This generation vending machine let's the users buy a soda, gift a soda to a friend or to a stranger. The purchaser selects a drink, enter's the recipient's name, cell phone number and a personalized text message with a code redeemable at another vending machine. Consumers can even send a personal message with a short video recorded by the machine.

 

According to Pepsi, this effort extends social interaction with their social networks and comsumers beyond the static, into something fun. What is next for Coke? Touchscreen Interactive vending machines that enhance the user experience.

 

 

Play for "Kiips"

Boy... I sure feel confident about that blog title. If I looked for recognition for creating a cool headline, I'd probably only get a few snickers and maybe a high five from a fellow associate. But what if you could REALLY get rewarded for your small achievements...say, while on your mobile phone? 

Stop for a moment and think about your favorite mobile game. Maybe its Sodoku. Or Words With Friends. Or the ever addicting Angry Birds. With the hours you put into it, you've probably earned an "achievement"; but instead of getting little achievements or medals, what if you actually won a reward?

Well, the developers and thinkers over at Kiip (pronounced Keep, like the clever title suggests:) have given advertisers another tool on their belt for reaching out to the consumer. I'll let their video animation explain the concept, as it communicates it very well. I reward Kiip with the "brilliant idea" reward. It's sure to peak ANY advertiser's interest. 

 

Could this erupt to become the next big money maker for advertisers ? 

Would this be loved or rejected by the world's mobile gaming culture?

Should pigs build stronger forts or just tell the birds to chill out?

 

Only time will tell.

 

Blogged by Nick Sears - Motion Designer - rVue
 

Industry Insights: The Power of rVue Analytics

Discover how third-party verification of network data can make ANY agency interested and confident to buy digital ad space. Utilize rVue analytics to give your network integrity and see the results.

 

Blogged by Nick Sears - Motion Designer - rVue

 

Emergence, Convergence and Media Buzz

Technology and media are emerging and converging at breakneck speeds. What's important to you and your business? Here's what we're buzzing about around the rVue lunchroom:

Media Buzz & Advertising Trends

Couponing - A day doesn't go by when I don't see an article on Groupon, LivingSocial or the emergence of new digital coupons whether it is via Facebook, Google or some other application (McClatchy just announced it will start selling its own daily deals as well). We've all used coupons for years, but what makes today's digital versions so attractive?  The timing of their emergence was perfect - rough economy, digital solution, hungry audiences and a daily deadline. We (mostly) all love our coupons, and since these companies have made it easier to save, we can't seem to get enough of them. We've gotten used to paying less than retail. Do these coupons drive repeat traffic to the venues? Do they help the retailer or outlet in the long run as well as the short run?  Time will tell.

New Uses for Social Media - We LOVE social media and engaging others in interesting conversations, forging relationships and gaining opinions. This media rose quickly and strongly. Consumers have the power to be heard and there is no going back. But be careful not to blink or you'll miss the landscape changing. Social media has changed the way businesses listen to their clients and audience. Whether you are on Twitter, Facebook, Linkedin or other social outlets, features are being added daily - coupons, surveys and data collection are just the tip of the iceburg. Social media has quickly grown into a viable media that advertisers and brands are continually looking to harness. Linkedin is growing faster internationally than domestically and has added Facebook-like features. Facebook promotes targeted advertising, shopping features, local hyper-targeting and more. For those fans of DOOH, like us, be sure to check out what our friends of LocaModa are up to. Marketers are engaging in the conversation. Where will it land in the end? Most likely it will be a version of social we haven't quite seen yet.

QR Codes - Chances are you've seen that funky looking square that doesn't quite look like your standard bar code. QR Codes are 2-D bar codes that have been highly successful overseas and have finally gained traction domestically thanks to brands such as Target, Best Buy, Macy's, Home Depot and Post Cereals. In fact, Macy's is behind the most visible QR education effort with a 30-second spot (Macy's backstage pass) now running nationally which shows shoppers how to use the codes and explains what they will receive access to when they scan the code with their phone. The newest step in shopper marketing and - from our viewpoint - an extension of digital out of home and customer engagement.  

 

Debunking Fables & The Value of the Media Mix

While digital out of home, place based media and mobile are our first media loves, our passion for advertising, digital medias and smart technology doesn't end there. We greatly value and embrace all digital and traditional medias - whether it be social, mobile marketing, television, and internet marketing as part of the media planner's mix of tools.

Keep an eye out for our regular media buzz column which will continue to share what's on our minds and what we are buzzing about over lunch.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Google Street View Mashup Now Available for rVue Managed Services

Have you ever wondered where exactly your DOOH advertisements will be shown? You have selected the venue and demographic, but what type of area is the location in? Is it a strip mall or stand alone location? In a suburb or bustling city? 

rVue's technology team has created a custom integration of network location data with Google Street VIew's mapping technology. The mashup will illustrate touchpoints to the managed services division, allowing them to leverage the data when targeting a location. The state-of-the-art feature provides the managed services accounts a 360° horizontal and 290° vertical panoramic street level views provided by Google Maps within a networks location page. Advertisers who are selecting the target audience to whom their ads will be shown, are now able to see exactly where the advertisements will be shown. The rVue technology is constantly evolving and we continue to remain one step ahead of the technological curve. rVue uses mashup technology to combine tools, like rVue and Google Street Views, to further the ability to help narrowcast your message based on geographic location, demographics and type of network.

 

Once logged in to the rVue user account, the Google Street View will be viewable on the network location page of your profile where you will have the ability to view the exterior street view shot provided by Google, as well as the current interior still shots each venue offers. Users can scroll through the 360 views while remaining in the Media Planner dashboard and never leave the site. 

 

Blogspot: Network Street View

 

In this BlogSpot, CTO Jay Wilson explains the latest advancement in rVue with the integration of the 'Network Street View'. Explaining the benefits and ease of the use of this tool, we see in this video that this new feature will not only let networks see the location of their network, but also the surrounding area which it's based out of of.

 

Blogged by Francisco Sanchez - Motion Designer - rVue

New version released today (Multipoint Optimization, Network Tools) [2.3.2]

To all our rVue members and those following our advancements,

Today we have released a new version of rVue that improves features for both agency users and network users alike. In addition, we have added to our site's CSS-driven interface, and unified styling across more than 30 feature areas in rVue.

For media buyers, we've added three new features.  First, we've augmented the recently released multi-point radius feature, with a new "Optimize" capability.  The optimize feature normalizes the number of results that are distributed between the addresses or points you give rVue.  For example, if you give rVue 5 addresses to run radius searches around, and the search results in 20 locations for one address and 10 locations for the other 4, the optimize feature will trim the results for the first address down closer to 10 so all your addresses receive a similar number of results.  This was a user-requested feature from some of the most respected agencies buying DOOH today.

The second feature we've added for agencies is a flexible billing setup.  For those advertiers wanting to retain control over the billing process, we've added a "Direct Billing" setting.  With this setting enabled, each network will bill the agency directly.  For agencies wanting rVue to do the work for them, we have the "rVue Billing Service" setting, where rVue handles the collection/disbursement of payments as a service to the agency.  Regardless of the setting, rVue combines its powerful digital analytics measurement capability with billing reconciliation, so that agencies don't have to perform the proof-of-play/affidavit comparison each time they execute DOOH media.

The third feature is a simple but powerful feature that provides agencies with more relevant results during their media plans.  Now on step 5, when agencies see a listing of networks that match their criteria, rVue automatically highlights and elevates network listings that include either 3rd party research data or transaction data on their profiles.  We believe this is critical in showing agencies which networks are validating their own data.  In future releases, we will likely enhance this feature to rank networks by a number of factors, including their participation in our API program (which allows for digital analytics).

For networks, we've added a new feature that allows for much easier management of locations.  Networks can now use the "Update Locations" wizard to download/export all their location data from rVue into a TSV file (Tab-Separated Values).  This can be edited in all common worksheet programs (like Excel), and then cut and paste into the rVue wizard to update all your locations in one easy step.  Networks can also use this to simply export their data out of rVue. 

One other notable feature that assists both networks and agencies, is that 3rd party research selections on the Network Profile page have been added, so that agencies can see who and when these studies were performed to better evaluate the network.

Thank you to all the rVue networks, agencies and other parties who continue to provide valuable feedback. It is from your input that rVue continually evolves and grows. 

As always, we welcome everyone's feedback. Just login to rVue, click the Help Center, and type a message into the "Ask a Question" box.  I guarantee you will get an answer quickly.

To your success

Jay

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New Features

• New optimization feature for multi-point radius searches on Locations page (step 2) of the Media Planner
• Billing features for agency/advertiser accounts
• Highlight and elevate results of networks using 3rd Party Research or Transaction data on Offers page (step 5) of the Media Planner
• Added Update Locations wizard for networks to bulk update their location data and export their data as well
• Added additional 3rd Party Research selection capability on the Network Profile page
• Made Primary Demographic Targets visible and editable on the Network Profile page

Upgrades & Fixes

• Modified Import Locations to add features such as store hours, display formats, etc.
• Fixed issue with advertisers on step 1 of Media Planner
• Fixed saving issue with Advertisers page on agency accounts
• Added new venue type: Quick Service Restaurants
• Added "24 Hours" selection to store hour editor
• Renamed and updated "rVue Advertiser Agreement" -> "rVue Buyer Agreement"

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rVue 2.3.1 Released

Hello again to everyone following the rVue feeds,

Today we have released a new update to our system which includes a major feature that has been requested by some of the biggest and the best ad agency partners enrolled in rVue, along with other enhancements, upgrades and fixes. 

The 2.3.1 release adds the multi-point radius search to our Media Planner.  With this capability, an advertiser/agency can import a list of addresses or geographic points and do a radius search against each point, all within a simple, easy-to-use interface.  For those media buyers or planners that are doing local buys for multiple customer locations, or simply targeting multiple hyper/local segments, this feature simplifies the planning process and shortens what could have taken days or hours, into a few clicks.  In addition to providing the points on a map, key statistics about the search, such as average counts and distances, and standard deviations, are provided.

Log in, check it out, and let us know what you think.

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New Features

• New multi-point radius search on Locations page (step 2) of the Media Planner.
• Campaigns can now target multiple distinct geographic areas based on street addresses
• Added news feed from the Sixteen Nine blog
• Added support for networks to use a "storeid" field on a per location basis
• Added more information to some campaign view pages for network accounts

Upgrades & Fixes

• Initial page load of campaign view from both agencies and networks
• Additional media types now populating Network Profile faster
• Enhanced support for Network Groups (photo uploads, viewing pages)
• Increased the maximum dwell time support for more than 2 hours
• Location Import tool now accepts "storeid" field

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Jay

rVue 2.3 Launched

Digital Out-of-Home’s Demand Side Platform Launches Analytics Dashboard, Accelerates Connections with Software Providers

rVue, Inc. a subsidiary of rVue Holdings, Inc. (OTCBB: RVUE) announced today that it has released rVue 2.3, the next generation of the rVue Demand-Side Platform (DSP) for digital out-of-home (DOOH). rVue 2.3 is a strategic upgrade to the media planning, bidding and buying system which provides an on-line dashboard for daily analytics. The physical connection between the rVue API and the digital signage industry’s leading software providers now allows for aggregated campaign analytics, proof of performance and streamlined billing.

Like Internet media buying and management platforms such as Google Ad Words and Yahoo Right Media Exchange, rVue 2.3 now allows advertisers purchasing DOOH media from connected networks to receive daily analytics without having to wait weeks or months. The rVue technology team has been working closely with leading software providers to ‘network the networks’ and provide proof of performance of those physically connected networks. The advancements in the platform mark critical milestones designed to ease buying of DOOH media by offering accurate analytics and up-to-date data needed by advertisers without straining the resources of networks.  

“In the past, digital out-of-home media advertisers were unable to receive proof of play or other campaign analytics until a campaign was complete,” notes Jason M. Kates, CEO of rVue, Inc. “By connecting with leading digital signage software providers, we are now able to provide agencies and their brands with daily campaign analytics that enable them to optimize active plans.”

rVue has completed connections with BroadSign, Park Media and Real Digital Media’s software with integrations underway with CoolSign, Enqii and Nanonation. These connections are fundamental to ‘network the networks’ and organize campaign data. DOOH networks opting to connect simply contact their software provider and rVue and, once complete, are designated within their rVue profile page and media planner.

Ken Goldberg, CEO of Real Digital Media, states, “One of the real advantages rVue can offer agencies is standardized proof of play reporting across a number of networks and platforms. As DOOH continues to emerge as a legitimate vehicle for advertisers, the importance of establishing and supporting standard reports in a manner that meets the needs of agencies cannot be underestimated. This will help to close the loop on the plan-buy-analyze cycle that characterizes the media buyer's world.”

Advertisers, networks and software providers looking to learn more about rVue 2.3, connecting into the platform and the DSP’s growing ecosystem are invited to attend a webinar on Thursday, August 26th at 2pm EST. RSVP now.

rVue 2.2.8 Released

By Jay Wilson, Senior Vice President, Chief Technology Officer @ rVue

Hello to all rVue Users and Followers!

Our latest update of rVue (2.2.8) has been released today and it includes a few new features and many small fixes.

New features include an all-new gallery tool for network profiles that provides networks with a more cross-browser compatible gallery tool that respects image aspect ratios and works better than the old gallery system in general.  It also does this cool vertical animation as you flip through the slides ;)  Also added now is international maps on the Network Profile pages for those networks primarily based in other countries.  This gives those who are viewing a Network Profile for the first time a quick reference point to the country that has the most locations within that network. It's also nice to be able to see the physical distribution throughout other countries as visual aid to their reach.

Other new features include the addition of a user-defined "StoreID" field in both the location page and in the import tool for networks to use if they desire. 

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New Features

• New gallery tools respect image aspect ratios, work better in multiple browsers, have vertical animation between slide selection.
• International maps now used on Network Profile pages when network locations are greater in a country other than US.
• Networks can now assign a user-defined "StoreID" to each location.
• Networks can import locations with the "StoreID" field during bulk imports.

Fixes

• Media Planner Page 2 map swap issues resolved
• Search results pagination and information listings corrected for both Category and Venue searches
• Gender graph on Network Profile page now updates after changing values in locations
• Dwell time on Network Profile shows correct time when 90 minutes selected
• View locations and other listing pages now handle pagination correctly when view from a Network Group account type

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As we integrate with more and more networks and agencies, we will continue to help everyone manage their DOOH life in an easier and more sophisticated manner.

Thank you to all those who have and continue to provide us with valuable feedback and ideas on how to make this a better tool for all users.

Jay

rVue 2.2.7 Released

From Jay Wilson, Senior Vice President, Chief Technology Officer @rVue

Hello to all rVue Users and Followers!

The latest update of rVue (2.2.7) has been released today which includes mostly user-requested features updates along with a few various other upgrades and fixes.  So before listing out the detail, let me explain the primary features and why we put them in.

Several networks have brought concerns to us about privacy controls and intelligent restrictions of how their data should be shared, so we decided to start with a couple new features to help networks with these concerns.  Let me also preface that we believe everyone benefits from more transparency, so it is not our recommendation for most networks to use these features, but we have created them for those in specific need of these data controls.  First off, we are allowing networks to remove the demographic graphs from their profile which uses information derived from location-specific demographics listed in their network. Second, we are allowing networks to remove access to the location listing links currently in and around the "Top 10 Markets" area of their network profile pages.

Other major features included in this release allow networks to input their minimum order value, so agencies don't send offers that will likely be rejected without knowing what the network considers its minimum order amount.  Agencies will see this information on the network profile pages as well as be prompted in the media planner should any of their offers not meet the network's minimum order value.  We will allow agencies to continue with the offer, so that exceptions can be handled, but not until accepting a variety of warning messages.

Also new in the media planner is the information from the network's profile pages regarding campaign lead time, so agencies planning a campaign can make sure to plan the appropriate lead time into the process.  On the offer listing page (Step 5 of the Media Planner), currently entered CPMs are now displayed, so planners can compare the CPMs across their entire campaign.

As always we welcome your feedback and ideas on how we can continue to make rVue better for you.

Jay

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New Features

• Networks can remove demographics information from their locations from appearing on their profile page.  
• Networks can remove location browsing feature from their profile page, thus not allowing other users to view a list of the networks' locations.
• Networks can add a minimum order amount to their profile.
• Agencies now see if their offer exceeds a networks' minimum order amount.
• Agencies now see what each networks' requested lead time is for campaign setup.
• Agencies now can view CPMs across all network in their campaign from the listing page (In page 5 of the media planner), for better CPM comparisons.

Fixes

• "Everyone-else" account campaign conversation page problems resolved.
• Improved cross-browser viewing of the network profile page.