Turbo-charged, Reality Print

Mall media is going mobile, too. As the holiday season approaches, mall shoppers across America and the world won’t necessarily need special apps. If they possess the right phone type, they can just touch and go. Australia-based out-of-home ad firm Eye has switched on Amplify, a technology-agnostic platform that allows campaigns to extend onto smartphones via integrated NFC, QR code, augmented reality, and SMS connectivity technology. A roll-out across 8,300 existing Eye portrait digital and static six-sheet poster sites in the U.K., Australia, New Zealand, and the U.S. began in June. With eyeball traffic from 268 million people monthly, Amplify is the world’s largest mobile-enabled, out-of-home media network, according to Eye.

“With the exponential growth in smartphone penetration, advertisers recognize the power of mobile but the technology itself can often be the barrier to trial,” commented Jeremy Corfield, global director of commercial at Eye. “With Amplify, we have removed that perceived complexity. Whether it’s mobile coupons to drive product trial, movie trailers to encourage viewing, loyalty programs for ongoing connections, augmented reality for creative amplification, or simply a call to action to drive web traffic, our Amplify solution delivers all in one.”

Eye CEO Gerry Thorley added: “The conventional approach the industry often takes is to push whatever the latest technology happens to be which quickly becomes outmoded and doesn’t start from a client's perspective. The Amplify proposition means that we can always start with the client challenge and recommend an appropriate solution using whichever technology platform is most appropriate rather than pushing the latest widget.”

Saying No to Static (Print)

Post-Graph Expo, Tempt In-Store Productions, New Berlin, WI, showed off interactive signage at the ShopperExpo on Chicago’s Navy Pier, where some 150 exhibitors converged Oct. 16-18. Acquired two years ago, Tempt (booth 215) now is a subsidiary of mega printer Quad/Graphics. The IDEAlliance G7-certified Master Printer provides in-store marketing materials and programs for many of the nation’s leading retailers and brand marketers. It offers extensive production expertise and resources to develop attention-getting, sales-driving shopper marketing programs in conjunction with other Quad/Graphics solutions.

From design and prototype services through finishing operations and customized kit packing, Tempt works with customers to create impactful in-store destinations. Its trademarked Actable Interactive Signage product makes the connection between the power of print and mobile technology to enhance a consumer’s shopping experience. For retailers and brands, Actable links all relevant channels as it creates a new level of connection with consumers. It allows retailers and brands to simultaneously format digital and print content to save time, money, simplify updates, and connect with consumers across devices and channels. Multi-platform mobile deployment also can be leveraged through one point of contact.

Actable connects consumers with special offers, product reviews, exclusive videos, shopping assistants, social networks, and other enhanced content. By downloading the Actable application to a smartphone and scanning a sign, for example, a consumer can be taken to a how-to video on assembling a recently purchased table, an exclusive coupon for being in the store that day, or even taking a picture with the designer du jour. Actable creates a portable experience for shoppers to take their in-store experience with them after they leave the store.

Actable allows retailers and brands to offer a unique, digital in-store experience without having to spend money on pricey kiosks, flat-screen TVs, and other digital technology that demands valuable retail space, said Tempt. Retailers are looking for efficient ways to display their product and promote their brand, whether it is in-store or online. Actable combines both, giving consumers an opportunity to connect to a brand on a more personal level, while driving more successful campaigns and increasing sales.

Tempt’s large-format printing capabilities include a 64-inch KBA Rapida 6-color, inner-decked UV sheetfed-offset press and two of the world’s fastest, UV flatbed digital presses: 1) an Inca Onset S70 60 x 120 inch bed sheet device featuring 600 dpi and a semi-automatic feed system, and 2) an HP TJ 8550 65 x 144 inch roll-to-sheet system featuring 400 dpi, print options on lighter weight stocks to .016 inches, and inline square trimming. For finishing, its Kongsberg I Cut CAD digital cutting table (60 x 120 inches) works in conjunction with the digital presses to deliver final product in any shape or size required.