Sign Maker Central

Classic car enthusiasts will spend months tracking down the correct gear shifters or original ashtray covers - so if you’re interested in putting graphics on your retro ride, wouldn’t you want those to be the best as well? Graphics and wrap companies aren’t trying to make you spend more money - specialty cars really do require specialty materials, and that includes the vinyl for your graphics. To learn more about what goes into creating classic car graphics, read our blog entry on the subject!

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In the vehicle wrap world, a box truck is essentially a giant blank canvas. The fact that they’re large and flat makes them a natural fit for big eye catching graphics and high resolution photos. Just like a canvas, the options for box truck graphics are endless! Whether you want a full wrap or a partial wrap, temporary or permanent graphics, we can find an affordable solution for you. To read more about box truck graphics, check out our blog on the subject!

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This time of year can have you seeing ghosts everywhere, and while decorations and scary movies are great, the ghosts of old signs have got to go! Ghosting is when you can see the impressions of former vinyl lettering standing out against a sun bleached sign face, and it looks seriously terrible! If you’re being haunted by the ghosts of graphics past, Sunrise Signs can help. Check out our blog to read about how to replace a sign face and get rid of ghosting graphics.

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Changing an established logo can be a scary thing. Customers and clients can grow attached to certain branding choices, and if your new  look fails to live up to the original they’ve come to know and love, there can be a fair amount of backlash. About a  year ago we took the plunge and decided to rebrand so that our logo expressed the edgy, fun graphics that we’ve come to be known for. Thanks to our wonderful designer, the process wasn’t nearly as painful as the design disasters of a few recent corporate giants have made it out to be. Interested in seamlessly and painlessly rebranding your business? Read the full story of our logo rebranding at the blog!

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Its great to have a cause - to care about making a difference in the world. But whether you’re dedicated to breast cancer awareness or saving endangered species, you know that its difficult to make much of a difference if no one knows what you’re fighting or raising money for. That’s where your sign company comes in! Back in April, we had a chance to create signage">signage and wrap a bus for an Autism Awareness campaign. Want to really get your cause noticed? Check out our blog post on the bus wrap that we did for Autism Speaks!

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If your business uses multiple vehicles, you might want to consider a fleet wrap to further unify your brand? What’s a fleet wrap? Simply put, its when we wrap multiple vehicles under the same branding to create a cohesive look for all of the trucks, vans, trailers, and cars you send on the road. No matter how many different styles of vehicle your business uses, they can be brought together through wrapping. Want to see for yourself? We have an article and a video on fleet wraps at our blog!

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While elements like typography and graphic design are very important to the look and feel of a sign, materials play an equally important role in making sure that your sign is achieving the effect you’re looking for. For example, an upscale, urban law firm might not want to go with a sign made of rustic looking wood. If your business needs a modern, elegant look, you’ll definitely want to consider brushed aluminum. Brushed aluminum signs are growing in popularity and there’s no question why - from patina to painted they look amazing in any style! At our blog, we go into detail about the various styles and kinds of brushed aluminum signs.

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If you read our blog at all, then you should know by now how much we love kinky wraps! If you’re wondering what a kinky wrap is, its simply when we wrap an unusual object in vinyl, for example when we wrap a golf cart or an ice cream cart instead of one our usual car wraps.

We love kinky wraps so much that we made a list of the top ten things to wrap your brand around! Check it our for some examples of the more exotic wraps we offer!

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The best, and most effective advertising campaigns are the most unique; ones that surprise us the most. A great way to surprise and delight your target audience is by wrapping something unexpected, or as we call them, a kinky wrap. To get your creative juices flowing, we compiled a series of pictures of some of the coolest, kinkiest wraps that we’ve seen. What does a walking ramp have to do with surf boards, and what does Superman have to do with an elevator door? Check out our blog for the answers, and some amazing kinky wraps.

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If you’re hosting a charity event or non-profit gala in a rented space, have you considered using temporary signage">signage? If you’re looking for a cost effective, fun way to brand your event, temporary signage">signage can inform your guests while giving the space a unique atmosphere. Using signs, we recently branded a non-profit gala for a local organization that helps children and families in New Jersey. If you’d like to see how it turned out and get some ideas for your next event, check out our blog post on temporary event signage">signage for a non profit gala!

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In order to build a digital signage">signage network to support internal communications, business owners must come to terms with the fact that their employees don't always exhibit the best behavior. Once managers and executives grasp the reality that their employees miss emails and lack the conviction to read every piece of paper that comes across their desks, the better they are to face the problem head on.

Enterprise communications is a huge topic these days because the old models of communicating to, and with, employees are rapidly changing. Enterprise Communications 2.0 involves coordinated efforts amongst various departments to free a company from  its reliance on email and print publications. In the same way that advertisers need to harness innovation to reach consumers when they are away from their homes, organization must leverage cutting-edge technologies to connect with their employees.

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Locations have personalities of their own which can be unlocked via the expansion of location-based applications like Foursquare, SCVNGR, and Gowalla. The launch of Facebook Places offers the promise of extending the check-in dynamic to mainstream users.

At the end of the day, it's all about data. The connections between friends on Facebook, purchase patterns, likes and dislikes, geo-targeted social trends, product recommendations, check-ins, etc, can be brought together to create a flood of actionable insights. The data swimming around our physical world is soon to be harnessed. With greater adoption of check-in services and other location-based applications, we will create detailed information systems framed by dynamic data discovery. Those systems will play an invaluable role in defining our relationships to places, products, brands, and each other.

The world of location-based services can support the bubbling up of critical data to enhance the depth of our physical world. The data capture capabilities of the Internet can now be replicated in physical environments. Instead of placing tools which could invade our privacy everywhere we live, the idea is to use communities to build the structure around previously invisible data. The continuous flow of data will take shape once we can connect all the pieces together through technological innovation.

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I love thinking about the future of technology. I love imagining how new technologies will come to impact every facet of our lives. I often rocket to places that don't yet exist, so to examine how we might interact with digital objects in the future. I relish learning about technological breakthroughs. The information allows me to paint vivid  landscapes of what our world may look like years from now.

Innovation in digital display technology promises the widespread development of seamless gateways between our physical and virtual worlds. The digital signs that are beginning to permeate real world environments en masse can act as doorways, amplifiers, and interfaces through which we can better connect with people, objects, and brands.

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Techcrunch writer Eric Schonfeld took the opportunity today to write about the vast potential that exists in linking digital signage">signage and Foursquare. It's nice to see digital signage">signage get the attention of a blog as large as Techcrunch. The greater attention the digital signage">signage industry receives, the more capital will flow into the sector. This, of course, doesn't come without some negative feedback from Techcrunch's sizeable peanut gallery.

In the article, Schonfeld highlights Screenscape's Foursquare application, which identifies a location's mayor, Foursquare users, and check-in deals, as well as Locamoda's range of social DOOH apps. The piece goes on to cite the many different ways that digital signage">signage can enhance the Foursquare experience, and vice versa.

As I originally wrote in a post entitled. "Foursquare Partnering w/ Digital signage">Signage Networks," combining Foursquare with digital out-of-home screens in bars, restaurants, and coffee shops is a match made in heaven. Digital signs have the ability to extend the Foursquare experience to a greater breadth of potential users. DOOH networks can function as targeted, dynamic message boards which turn a simple check-in into a 360 degree experience. Schonfeld captures this sentiment in saying, "Turning a store visit into a game is the next step in local marketing, and those digital signs could become both public leaderboards and the place where the games themselves unfold."

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GroupTabs is a hybrid check-in and group buying application. Users check-in to bars and restaurants to unlock time-sensitive group deals. Offers tip once a specified number of users check-in at a venue. Every deal has a window, usually a couple of hours. The service works through an HTML5 web application (gtb.me) rather than a native iPhone or Android app.

GroupTabs mixes check-ins with group experiences. It socializes check-ins by tying geo-targeted behavior to the power of the crowd. Mashable describes the application as "Foursquare Meets Groupon."

The GroupTabs service essentially lets merchants activate deals after a set number people check in to their venue, all the while encouraging patrons to spread their checkins via social media to encourage a swarm-like effect. (via Mashable)

I see great potential in GroupTabs' business model. I love the combination of LBS and group buying. With the advent of Facebook Places, offering its vast network of social connections to spread check-in behavior far and wide, GroupTabs could come to embody the perfect marriage of location awareness, social media, and group buying.

Why Should GroupTabs Look to Digital signage">Signage?

Given the time-sensitive nature of place-based deals on GroupTabs, digital signage">signage would be a powerful promotional tool for driving social check-in behavior. Real-time deals could be announced on digital signage">signage networks, providing an engaging call-to-action to promote more user check-ins and to drive venue traffic via social media channels. Location-based digital displays could act as deal countdown clocks, presenting live check-in stats as patrons moved closer to tipping a deal.

Retailers, bars, and restaurants could use digital billboards near their establishments to broadcast GroupTabs deals. Using digital out-of-home media as an advertising outlet for flash group buying offers, would extend the innovative GroupTabs platform to a larger population of consumers. Maximizing user check-ins would provide establishments with valuable data about their customers. The dynamic nature of DOOH networks would give GroupTabs' location partners the ability to promote different deals, working to drive the greatest number of people to their venues.

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Talk about the convergence of digital out-of-home and location-based mobile. I have been talking about the potential for this type of DOOH and LBS integration for a while now. It's great to see American Eagle take full advantage of its partnership with Foursquare by promoting it for all of Times Square to see. AE's massive digital billboard makes for an engaging call-to-action.

In terms of brand recognition, it’s hard to top a huge live display billboard in Las Vegas. But Foursquare has managed to do it. As you can see above, they now have a massive, multi-level and multi-angle display practically screaming about the service to all those in Times Square in New York City.

“Check in, find your friends, unlock your city,” the ad reads. In smaller print at the bottom it talks about checking in to American Eagle for some kind of special. Foursquare head of business development Tristan Walker confirms that American Eagle is behind the ad, which he says is the “largest digital billboard in Times Square.”

American Eagle or not, this is clearly a huge ad (and a huge win) for Foursquare itself. Walker thanks Foursquare’s designer Mari Sheibley for designing the thing. And hints that a version 2 is coming.

The phrase “you can’t buy this kind of publicity” comes to mind — probably because Foursquare, while well-funded, undoubtedly couldn’t buy this type of ad. (American Eagle owns the billboard, Walker tells us.) And yet there it is.

This also managed to one-up the big branding rival Gowalla got in New York City earlier this year when they were a part of a massive billboard that loomed large over Madison Square Garden. (via Techcrunch)

It will be interesting to see the impact that Foursquare's digital out-of-home ad has on check-ins at American Eagle's Times Square store. I'll keep you posted on the campaign's results.

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time 2:00

ADA , ABA , accessibility .

Try ADA for related news, articles, blogs, events and online resources.

I’m Dan Hounsell, editor of Maintenance Solutions. Today’s topic is, accessibility.
The U.S. Department of Defense recently adopted new accessibility standards under the Architectural Barriers Act, or ABA, which requires access to federally funded facilities. The standards apply to military and other facilities under the department’s jurisdiction.
The new standards take effect immediately for projects and leasing actions, though projects started before the 2010 fiscal year must comply to the maximum extent feasible. The memorandum addresses exclusions and requests for modifications and provides supplementary information on certain requirements in the standards.
These new standards specify requirements for new construction, alterations and leased facilities, which now must be designed and constructed to be accessible to persons with disabilities. The types of facilities to which these standards apply include but are not limited to the following:
• all housing, including military family housing and unaccompanied-personnel housing.
• all hospitals and facilities for the care or rehabilitation of persons who are sick or injured.
• all relocatable facilities, including those acquired as personal property. Relocatable facilities, including those acquired as personal property, shall be evaluated, for purposes of applying these standards, as though they are permanent facilities.
• all administrative facilities, educational facilities, and any other facilities where civilian workers might be employed.
The department is the third agency to refresh its ABA standards based on updated guidelines issued by the Access Board. The General Services Administration and the U.S. Postal Service previously adopted similar standards.
The new ABA standards replace the Uniform Federal Accessibility Standards and are consistent with standards being adopted under the Americans with Disabilities Act, or ADA, for non-federal facilities.

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time 2:40

maintenance management , ADA .

Try ADA, Maintenance & Operations for related news, articles, blogs, events and online resources.

I’m Dan Hounsell, editor of Maintenance Solutions magazine. Today’s topic is, facilities accessibility and ADA.
Nearly 20 years ago, Congress enacted the Americans with Disabilities Act. Among its goals is to improve accessibility to institutional and commercial facilities for people with disabilities.
A string of recent high-profile actions demonstrate that, while many facilities have made changes, many other have a ways to go.
In March, the U.S. Justice Department reached a settlement with the University of Michigan regarding the lack of accessible seating in the university’s football stadium. Under the settlement, the university will add at least 248 permanent wheelchair seats and 248 companion seats during the next two years. By the 2010 season, the university agreed to add at least 329 pairs of wheelchair and companion seats throughout the stadium.
Last November, the department reached an agreement with the owners and operators of Madison Square Garden to improve that facility’s accessibility. They agreed to provide expanded seating accessible by fans using wheelchairs.
By this October, the Garden will have 48 more wheelchair and companion seats and another 40 accessible aisle seats throughout the arena. Also, they will remove hundreds of architectural barriers along the routes between the entrances and the newly accessible seats.
Finally, three major New York City hotels — the Courtyard by Marriott Times Square, the Doubletree Guest Suites Times Square, and the Hilton New York Towers — have agreed to improve accessibility for customers.
All three hotels agreed to survey designated accessible rooms and make necessary modifications to comply with the ADA standards. They also agreed more accessible guest rooms among classes of sleeping accommodations and implement a written policy to provide service to persons with disabilities covering reservations of accessible guest rooms, service animals, and modifications in policies and procedures.
For more information, visit the Access Board Web site, www.access-board.gov, or the Department of Justices ADA site, www.ada.gov.

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September 30th, 2008 Nurlan Urazbaev

The Audience Metrics Guidelines that the Out-of-home Video Advertising Bureau (OVAB) has been working on for the past year are now ratified and will be presented at the OVAB’s Digital Summit on October 29 in New York. The event will bring together major players on Madison Avenue with members of OVAB, which today include some of the largest digital out-of-home networks and vendors in North America.

Although I was involved in the reviewing of the Guidelines and provided some input as well, I cannot disclose any details of the document until the official presentation. Essentially it is a set of principles long-used in mainstream media buying that are applied to standardize the DOOH ad space and make it easy to plan and buy. The result is a simple formula to calculate the audience metrics in a way that would make sense to media buyers and their clients. The ultimate goal of OVAB is to turn DOOH from an alternative media option, an innovation, into a commodity, i.e., a line item on the media plan, with appropriate budgets allocated ahead of time, and not as an afterthought.

 

As Suzanne Alecia, President of OVAB, explained, the Guidelines are not the actual standards yet, but once adopted by members, they will lay the foundation for ‘best practices’, which will then gradually evolve into standards by way of wide-spread usage by the selling and the buying parties.

It is interesting, though, that the OVAB event comes at a time when a financial crisis urges advertisers to look away from overpriced and not-so-accountable TV and into more pragmatic and sales-oriented media like DOOH. Before, we have seen a lot of upward pressure from networks trying to reach out to advertisers through the barricades of reluctant agencies. Today, as several sources indicate, the pressure on the agencies is also being exerted from above, from the advertisers themselves, who increasingly instruct agencies to explore the digital out-of-home opportunities and report back.

Against this background, the OVAB Digital Summit comes in handy, as a facilitator of relationship between sellers of the new space and potential buyers.

Media Post’s Digital Outsider newsletter shed some light on the forthcoming event: “…the main reason for Alecia’s visit with the Digital Outsider was to update us on plans for OVAB’s Oct. 29 Digital Summit, a day-long event in New York designed to help marketers, and agency media planning and buying executives, understand the state of out-of-home video technologies and advertising issues.

The day will be structured around three key issues: Creative, research and planning, and will feature a variety of case studies from some recent successful out-of-home video ad campaigns. The day caps off with a panel of client-side executives sharing their views, hopes and aspirations for out-of-home video, as well as any pitfalls they’ve encountered along the way.

But the highlight of the summit will likely be the official release of the just ratified OVAB guidelines for audience metrics and measurement. Draft versions of the guidelines already are being circulated among the OVAB membership, as well as key stakeholders in the advertising and research community, and Alecia says they’ve already gotten the tacit blessing of key bodies like the Media Rating Council and the Advertising Research Foundation.” Read the full article: Digital Outsider Taps Madison Avenue Insiders.

Entry Filed under: Digital Signage ROI, The Big Picture, Uncategorized

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November 29th, 2008 Brian Dusho

A few years ago, the first web portal for our industry named itself aka.tv, citing the fact that no single name was universally accepted at the time. Aka.tv’s home page still lists many names the medium went by then: narrowcasting, captive audience networks, electronic display networks, electronic billboards, digital media networks, out-of-home media networks, digital in-store merchandizing, retail media networks, place-based media, digital signage, intelligent visual information systems and datacasting.

Looking back, most of the names ended up to be short-lived, as they failed to resonate with providers or their clients. Out of the initial aka.tv list only ‘digital signage’ remains in heavy use, the rest got either extinct or were modified; for instance: ‘out-of-home media networks’ evolved into ‘digital out-of-home’, ‘out-of-home video’ and ‘alternative out-of-home’ (e.g., in PQ Media reports). ‘Place-based media’ was backed by Nielsen, but did not fly either.

So, unlike the clearly defined traditional media and Internet, we remain for the most part a ‘no name’ media segment in the eyes of agencies, although many advertisers recognize the potential impact of communicating with consumers when they leave home.

Nevertheless, despite the confused identity, since aka.tv was launched, the medium has quickly expanded into a two-billion-dollar-plus sector, with a growth rate of 27% per annum in 2007 (PQ Media Report) and forecasted CAGR of 12.9% from 2007 through 2012 (PQ Media Report). That’s impressive, considering the recession (it was factored in the report) and the fact that digital signage is thus far largely off the radars of major media buying houses.

The recent Digital Media Summit organized by OVAB in New York showed that Madison Avenue finally succumbed to the two-prone pressure – from advertisers and networks, and is now ready to consider digital signage for inclusion in media plans.

However, as I see from my discussions with marketers, agencies and networks, the continuing identity crisis keeps preventing the industry from getting a legitimate seat at the media buyers’ table.

While agencies say they are ‘ready’, they are still structured by silos, or ‘buckets, neither of which gives digital signage any visibility. If we do not proactively help them define the appropriate category for our sector, we risk staying buried somewhere deep in the ‘out-of-home’ or ‘alternative’, or ‘digital’ buckets and, as such, being eligible for nothing but ‘crumbs’ versus real ad dollars.

Due to the fact that we are currently a subcategory of a category, or even a subcategory of another subcategory, most planners are also largely unaware of digital signage. And, as the saying goes, ‘if you’re not on the plan, you’re not in the buy.’

The question is, should we keep hiding within an existing category, or simply create one of our own and get the attention our medium deserves? A separate category would have a much better chance to distinguish itself from other media by clearly stating its unique value in implementing marketing strategies.

The next question is: if we push for a separate category, how should we pitch it, what name would reflect its true identity? Should we promote ‘digital signage’, which is already the most wide-spread and proven term inside the industry, or make a brand new one?

Speaking about a new name, what quality makes digital signage so valuable to advertisers? Undoubtedly, the fact that it reaches people when they are at a location other than home, when they are in a ‘consumer mode’ and are not so opposed to advertising messages, as when they are at home. Following this logic, why not name it ‘location-based media’? Or revive the ‘place-based media’, but make it a stand-alone category this time?

PQ Media in its latest report adopted the general name ‘digital out-of-home media’ for the industry and subdivided it into ’video advertising networks’ (VANs), ‘digital billboards’ and ‘ambient advertising’. This classification makes sense and is in line with recently increased usage of ‘digital out-of-home’, but if we go along this path, we will inevitably find ourselves back in the Out-of-home/Outdoor category, which is “the last one to plan and the first one to cut”. Even certain influential members of the OVAB (Out-of-home Video Advertising Bureau) are now doubtful about the ‘out-of-home’ part in the bureau’s name for the above-mentioned reason. Besides, ‘video advertising networks’ can be confused with online networks (just ‘google’ it and see what comes up).

Our trade, by all conservative estimates, is one of the fastest-growing media with unrivaled effectiveness, and it fully deserves a clear voice, a distinct name and an independent media buying category. It all starts with a name that may either help it soar, or stall acceptance by the advertising community. How do we resolve the identity crisis and get to play with ‘the big guys’? I would like to know everyone’s opinion.

Entry Filed under: Digital Signage Evolution, How to: Digital Signage Tips, The Big Picture, Uncategorized

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time 1:57

ADA , accessibility , flooring , signage .

Try ADA for related news, articles, blogs, events and online resources.

I'm Dan Hounsell, editor of Maintenance Solutions magazine. Today's topic is accessibility.

Restrooms in institutional and commercial facilities receive a large part of the attention given to accessibility. But before many visitors with disabilities ever get to restrooms, they confront challenges related to facility components that include entrance doors, ramps, water fountains, handrails, wheelchair lifts and elevators.

Consider the category referred to as accessing goods and services. This category encompasses everything on the interior path of travel, including corridors, lobbies, elevators, wheelchair lifts, store doorways, and offices. The ADA access guidelines address aisle widths, heights of products, sales and checkout counters, and other amenities associated with transactions that take place. To provide a clear path for accessing goods and services, managers need to consider these issues:

Lobby floor surfaces should be smooth and slip-resistant. Be cautious of floor-waxing products that become slippery when wet. They are trip-and-fall hazards, as well as potential personal injuries, waiting to happen.

Next, when using carpet runners at doors and lobbies, make sure the edges are secured to the floor and don?t curl or bunch.

Next, make sure printed directories are readable, use larger print, and are not behind a reflective surface. An alternative is to use security staff to provide assistance and directions to visitors.

Finally, make sure items such as hanging artwork and fire-extinguisher boxes aren't mounted between 27 and 80 inches from the floor and don?t protrude more than 4 inches from a wall or 12 inches from a post. Visitors and occupants with visual disabilities using a cane would get no warning before walking into these protruding objects. Either move them to another location - or more than 80 inches above the floor - or place something underneath them to provide a warning.

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After years of delay, the Department of Justice is moving ahead on changes to its ADA regulations.

The announcement - which came on July 26, the 20th anniversary of ADA - starts the clock ticking on enforcement of new rules. It should also serve as a reminder that compliance with the law should be a top priority for your facility.

Attend this 60-minute webcast for a thoughtful, thorough analysis of the ramifications of the regulations, as well as a discussion of key strategies for complying with ADA requirements.

This Webcast will give you an in-depth understanding of the regulations' impacts on your organization, and detailed information about how and when the regs will be enforced, along with answers to their specific questions about complying with both new and existing ADA requirements, including:

Trade Press Media Group is authorized by IACET to 0.1 CEUs for this program.

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When choosing vinyl sign lettering, there are some points to consider if you want to make a smart purchase. Knowing what to look for will reduce mistakes and chances for sign failure. And a few minutes of consideration can go a long way to turning a good sign into a great sign.

There's nothing more important to a successful sign than lettering. Graphics and symbols will also help to communicate, but the real message is most often transmitted through language, the use of words and text.

It's important that your message is easy to understand so that people can think about what you're saying to them, warning them about, informing them of, or selling to them. So be sure to let them think about your important information, not make them spend too much time trying to see it in the first place.

Where To Find Quality Vinyl Lettering

Click on the links below to purchase your vinyl sign lettering from companies that satisfy all of the points on our checklist. You'll get exactly what you want, and you'll know just what to look for when you get there!

Make Your Own Vinyl Lettering at Custom-Vinyl-Lettering.net

Shop Custom Vinyl Decals & Lettering Online at BuildASign.com!


Visit Acrylic Sign World for more tips on vinyl lettering!

July 22nd, 2009 Nurlan Urazbaev

The concept of standardizing and packaging ad space from multiple DOOH networks to make media buys easier for agencies is becoming more and more prevalent. For this post I borrowed a smart headline from Rob Gorrie of AdCentricity, who commented on the overview of DOOH aggregators published on Digital Signage Today.

The idea of media aggregation is a relative novelty only in digital signage. Traditional media started using web sites for aggregation of media properties in the late 90s. Online media agencies began doing that almost since the beginning of Internet advertising. This trend was followed by the idea of cross-media exchanges and auctions, all of which successfully collapsed when the tech bubble burst.

What we are seeing today is a re-birth of the idea of media- and cross-media buying platforms, on a new qualitative level. However, when it comes to digital signage, its specific nature inevitably causes ‘aggravation’ of aggregation, at least in its early stages. If we follow Bill Yackey’s overview on Digital Signage Today, it becomes evident why.The trick with digital signage aggregation is that it has little value without an automated campaign execution (see points 4 and 5 in the workflow described in Bill’s article).

No affiliation with a big-name agency platform can resolve this issue, as such platforms deal mostly with the planning and buying aspects, and campaign execution is always based on a manual workflow. In all other media except digital signage campaign execution is a relatively mature process that does not involve complete and complex control at the receiving end. TV sets are controlled by viewers; radios are controlled by listeners, static billboards are updated once in a few weeks/months and are at the mercy of weather and vandals; magazines and newspapers are beyond control once they are distributed; PCs are controlled by users, etc.

Only in digital signage it is required and expected that one must enforce playback to a single screen in a network, fully control what’s showing when and account for it. Add several other networks – and you have a nightmare tech challenge for automation. Most traditional media and cross-media aggregators do not realize this until they try to do something with digital signage… And when they do… many of them give up the idea.

The solution is also obvious – DOOH aggregators must connect their cross-network planning and buying interfaces to a cross-network campaign execution (traffic) tool. My next statement is self-serving, but also true: there is only one such tool on the market today and it is called BroadSign Open API. So far it works only with BroadSign-powered networks (total of 160+networks in 25 countries), but this is only the first step. The technology is there. I invite you click here to learn more.

Entry Filed under: Digital Signage Evolution, How to: Digital Signage Tips, The Big Picture, Toys and Technologies, Uncategorized

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By Joan Stein
January 2009

Today, 18 years after the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was signed into law, a significant number of facilities covered under this federal law are still being sued for their failure to comply with the standards. A recent report generated by Lexis Nexis documented 204 private ADA lawsuits filed in the federal courts in the month of July 2008 alone. This total does not include cases that are being investigated or litigated by the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), the federal agency responsible for enforcement of Titles II and III of ADA.

Why is there so much litigation so long after the law took effect? The answer to that question lies is the basic principles of ADA.

ADA is a complaint-driven law. Although DOJ initiates some investigations, most complaints are generated by individuals with disabilities, their families or disability-rights organizations. Additionally, private lawsuits (the 204 in July 2008, for instance) can be filed directly in federal courts by those who believe their civil rights have been violated. Unlike other federal regulations, ADA does not have an “inspection” mechanism like the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. It relies on entities to comply with the requirements proactively. Many believe the myth that any building built before ADA became law in 1990 is “grandfathered” in. In reality, for buildings built before ADA, facility executives were required as of Jan. 26, 1992, to begin removing barriers and working toward compliance. This process is ongoing. These activities may well come before what organizations plan for in renovations or alterations. They include items such as installing a ramp to an entrance, widening doors, enlarging toilet stalls and installing grab bars, etc. Many design professionals look at ADA as a building code. It is actually a civil rights law. There are substantive differences between building codes and ADA requirements. What’s more, building inspectors and other officials review and sign off on plans using the International Building Code (IBC) and its technical standards, ANSI. Design professionals believe a project is compliant because plans have been approved. In reality, that assumption often leads to ADA issues that can result in a federal lawsuit. Problems can start with something as seemingly minor as lack of accessible parking (including access aisle and signage), to more serious issues of restrooms, sleeping rooms (hotels and residence halls in higher education), hospital patient rooms and bathing facilities. Many organizations have taken the “I’m not going to do anything until I have to” approach. This single strategy has been the cause of many lawsuits.

Newspaper articles report complaints about shopping centers, movie theatres, private and public post-secondary educational institutions, restaurants and retail stores. The complaints range from “no accessible parking” to “no accessible restrooms in a restaurant.” The cases range from existing facilities that have not performed “readily-achievable barrier removal” to those that have designed and constructed new facilities (following implementation of ADA) that do not comply with ADA requirements. Disability advocates say that 16 years is long enough — or too long — to wait for access.

When faced with a private lawsuit, it is important to determine whether the allegations are valid. The first step is having a professional ADA evaluation by an organization that understands the differences between building code and enforceable ADA standards.

A side-by-side comparison of the allegations of the complaint and these professional findings is often helpful. If the issues focus on barriers that can be removed (providing compliant parking, re-surfacing sidewalks and curb ramps, etc.), this can help to speed the resolution of the complaint without tremendous time, attention or cost of a legal team. On the other hand, if the professional evaluation provides evidence that areas identified in the complaint are in compliance with ADA, the facility executive has critical information that can be used to negotiate.

A professional ADA evaluation should also include the steps necessary to bring the facility into compliance. For example, whether an item is readily achievable is based on the organization’s resources and the nature of the existing building. If facility executives have not yet done a full ADA evaluation, this report serves as a crucial step in ADA compliance efforts. By following through with the recommendations, with a timeline and budget delineated, a facility executive can often prevent subsequent ADA complaints.

Although the DOJ engages professionals to perform on-site investigations, it is still important for facility executives to have their own set of facts available to assist in any negotiations with the DOJ. The DOJ may also see the effort to perform a complete ADA evaluation as a positive step.

How can facility executives avoid ADA litigation? Truthfully, nothing can guarantee that an organization will not be sued under the ADA. But doing nothing certainly increases the odds of getting sued. When a complaint is filed (either in court or with DOJ), facility executives may not have control over the barrier removal process; it may well be dictated by the courts or DOJ.

Taking proactive steps now will help keep facility executives ahead of that curve. Here are some such steps:

1. If a facility executive performed a comprehensive ADA evaluation of a building previously, that’s good. Now it’s time to take it off the shelf, read it and ask the following questions:

Have “readily achievable” barriers been identified and removed? Were these changes documented in the ADA compliance plan? Was a plan developed to address barriers requiring capital expenditures? Is that plan being followed? Are all renovations, alterations and new construction required to comply fully with ADA requirements? Was this requirement specifically stated in contracts for all professional services, including architects, engineers and contractors? Does the organization ensure that all accessible elements (elevators, automatic door openers, wheelchair lifts, visual strobe alarms) are maintained in working order?

If there are more “no” answers than “yes,” it’s time to get to work.

2. If a comprehensive ADA evaluation of the facility has not been performed, now is the time to do it. Having an outside professional perform the evaluation provides a second set of eyes and professional experience in ADA compliance. The survey process should include:

An on-site evaluation and report based on the enforceable ADA Standards (not the proposed 2004 Guidelines or IBC). The evaluation should include the exterior of the property, including path of travel from the street, public transportation, parking and sidewalks. The interior review should include all areas accessed by visitors, customers or vendors. Recommendations for how the barriers can be removed. Not all barrier removal requires full demolition and reconstruction. Look for answers that address policies, procedures and creative approaches to barrier removal. Photo documentation should be an integral component of the report. Use the information and recommendations as the basis for an ADA compliance plan. Add critical information such as resources necessary (including financial and human) to make the modifications, projected timeframes for completion, and remedial steps that might be needed until full accessibility can be accomplished. This plan should be integrated into the organization’s financial, construction and strategic plans. If design professionals are engaged for the remedial steps, ensure that they are familiar with and understand the requirements of the enforceable ADA standards. Make that a provision in the standard contract language. It’s often helpful to get an ADA consultant to review the design documents before they are completed and turned over to the construction team. This can ensure full compliance with ADA standards. Document all changes with photos and measurements. Consider bringing the ADA consultant back to evaluate renovations or new construction projects during punch-list time. Often there are gaps between what may be designed to be compliant, and what the end result is. This “contract warranty review” provides critical information regarding any non-compliant items. The information will direct facility executives to the person who will be responsible for remedying the “errors or omissions,” the design professional or the contractor, in accordance with the contract language.

Some facility executives wonder why they have to do this. There are several reasons. The biggest one is simple: It’s federal law. If an organization that is not in compliance with ADA has not been sued yet, it may be only a matter of time. ADA is not going away.

According to the U.S. Department of Labor, people with disabilities have $175 billion in discretionary income, four times the spending power of tweens (8- to 14-year-olds). An Open Doors Organization study estimated in 2003 that diners with disabilities spent $35 billion in restaurants that year. As baby boomers age, more and more seniors will become disabled as ailments and the natural course of aging challenge their bodies. They will seek out level entrances, wide automatic doors and single-level living as they try to avoid stairs and revolving doors. Surprisingly, families with young children also seek these features. Given that all these people with money are looking for easy access to the businesses they patronize, the market is beginning to change. Making commercial enterprises accessible to people with disabilities is smart business.

Joan W. Stein is president and CEO of ADA, Inc., a national ADA consulting firm based in Pittsburgh, PA.

JohnDoe51 wrote re: Avoiding ADA Lawsuits
on 5/21/2010 1:52:18 PM

From one side: Why doesn't anyone mention the city/county in this mess? They charge to inspect illegal construction plans. They approved these illegal plans. They charged to inspect this illegal construction. Then they do a final inspection and approve the final illegal product. Then they issue a COO.
From another side: The owner hired the lowest bidder to draw their construction plans. The owner accepted the end product without consulting an expert.

With so many non-disabled people getting paid to do this substandard and work not up to any code, why do you continue to blame the disabled? Perhaps we should be paid to do the work for the city/county instead of blaming us for the obvious results of ignorant policies and procedures?

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September 23rd, 2008 Nurlan Urazbaev

“Madison Avenue is bracing for the worst ad slump since 2001 as a drop-off in consumer spending is likely to lead marketers to rein in their budgets”, reports New York Post on September 21. “The anticipated drop in spending in 2009 comes on the heels of a slight decline in 2007 and a more noticeable dip so far in 2008, according to industry data,” writes New York Post’s Holly M. Sanders. Most major press relayed a similar sentiment in the wake of last week’s meltdown on Wall Street.

New York Times quoted the CEO of WPP: “In the last couple weeks, you could smell the fear in New York,” said Martin Sorrell, chief executive at the WPP Group, which owns agencies like Grey, JWT and Ogilvy & Mather, as “institutions that were regarded as invincible have gone down or had to be bailed out.””

The downturn in ad spending had started well before the “Black Sunday”: “… the Nielsen Monitor-Plus division of the Nielsen Company reported last week that ad spending in the first half of 2008 fell 1.4 percent compared with the same period a year ago. The laggards included ads in national magazines, down 3.1 percent; national newspapers, down 8.1 percent; and spot radio, down 10.1 percent,” says New York Times.

Reports forecast that traditional media is going to be the segment worst affected by the financial crisis, followed by online display advertising, which had already suffered a 6% drop in the first half of 2008, according to Nielsen. Display ads on the Internet have been largely dependent on financial and insurance advertisers.

New York Post writes that last week’s turmoil triggered memories of not-so-distant past: “No one wants a repeat of 2001, when the dot-com bust and an economic slowdown caused ad spending to plunge 9.8 percent, according to figures from ad researcher TNS.

During that recession, widespread cutbacks led to layoffs at many agencies, including some closings, shrinking budgets for many TV and cable outlets and the failure of several print publications,” (New York Post, September 21, 2008)

However, in 2001 the media landscape was quite different. Internet’s paid search advertising was not yet as proven and accountable as it is now, thanks to Google AdWords. Outdoor was less prominent and not yet regarded as ‘the only true mass medium left’, and the digital out-of-home ad space was almost non-existent. There are clear indications that these media may benefit from today’s difficult times, as marketers will cut budgets and look for more cost-efficient media placement options.

“It’ll be more pragmatic. More measurable. More digital.” — Nick Law, exec VP-chief creative officer North America of digital agency R/GA told Ad Age (“How Creativity Can Carry Your Business through a Recession”).

If we look at the categories falling under ‘more pragmatic, measurable and digital’, and I would add, ‘targeted’, they all continued to grow at an impressive rate throughout the economic troubles that began in early 2008.

“Despite the overall decline, ad spending for cable television, syndication TV, and outdoor advertising remained fairly healthy. Cable TV grew 8.1%,” writes crainsnewyork.com. Paid search was growing too, according to Nielsen Online. Outdoor was boosted by digital billboards, and in-store digital media (digital signage in retail) was expanding, notwithstanding the lack of standardized buying criteria and measurements.

Online display ads, although digital and targeted, were an exception from the above group due to their exposure to financial ad budgets, and, some say, their intrusive nature. A good example of the exception that proves the rule.

Ad Age’s analysis of what the meltdown means for the advertising industry included this abstract:

For agencies: “… there will be further retrenchment in the financial-services and automotive sectors, with some expecting telecom budgets to be hit hard, too. Across the board, the pressure on shops will intensify to prove return on investment. Expect less-brand-based and more-sales-led metrics.

For media: “…By now, if you are in the media, you know the story: fewer dollars to broad-scale media and more for targeted, accountable media and other marketing disciplines, such as direct and customer-relationship management. Some marketers will double down with their most trusted media partners to create big, provable multimedia programs…” (Ad Age, September 22, 2008, bold and italics mine)

Although it is a fast-growing sector, digital signage is still a minor portion of the Outdoor/Out-of-home media which, in turn, is a modest part of today’s media mix. But that is changing.

The recession will inevitably force marketers to scrutinize ad spending and eliminate a lot of marketing waste. At the same time, it presents a rare opportunity (that occurs only once in every few years) for digital out-of-home networks to demonstrate their unique value as the most flexible, targeted, cost-efficient and accountable medium. The medium that closes a sale.

Entry Filed under: The Big Picture, Uncategorized

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time 2:52

ADA , Standards .

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I’m Dan Hounsell, editor of Maintenance Solutions magazine. Today’s topic is, accessibility.
As federal agencies work to update standards for accessibility to facilities, the U.S. Access Board has posted guidance to help building owners and managers navigate the temporary mix of old and new standards.
Guidelines previously issued by the Access Board are driving updates to design standards that are used to enforce the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Architectural Barriers Act. The standards will be updated and made more uniform under the ADA, which covers facilities in the private sector and the state and local government sector, and the ABA, which applies primarily to federal facilities.
Several different federal agencies are updating the standards, and final action on some of the standards is pending. As a result, original versions of the standards remain in effect for some ADA or ABA facilities, while updated versions are in place for others.
To help users navigate this situation, the Access Board has posted additional guidance on its Web site as to which standards to follow according to facility type.
The web site is www.access-board.gov/ada-aba/guide.htm
This information explains the scope and status of each of the standards and provides direct links to the version in effect, including newly posted editions of updated ADA and ABA standards adopted by enforcing agencies.
This Web page also provides information on the status of pending standards, including those the U.S. Department of Justice intends to adopt under the ADA.
DOJ’s standards apply to all facilities covered by the ADA except transportation facilities, which are subject to standards from the U.S. Department of Transportation. Last June, the DOJ published a notice to adopt new standards, which it is finalizing.
The final notice will specify an effective date for the new standards. Until that date, DOJ’s original ADA standards remain in effect. Updated standards adopted by DOT are in effect for transportation facilities covered by the ADA, including bus stops and stations, rail stations, and airports.
ABA standards apply to federally funded facilities. Most ABA facilities are subject to standards maintained by the General Services Administration. The GSA has issued updated standards, as has the U.S. Postal Service, which maintains standards for facilities under its jurisdiction.

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October 2nd, 2009 Nurlan Urazbaev

DOOH expert Lyle Bunn continues to diligently cover digital signage industry growth, extracting data from the latest studies and analyzing trends.

In his recent post he estimated, among other things, that the volume of unique ads played across all DOOH networks in North America in 2009 exceeds 1,000,000. Lyle further quotes a research company that puts the total number of DOOH displays in North Amedica at 900,000.

Lyle’s latest numbers are definitely useful to industry players and they most certainly will have an effect on new would-be venue owners, operators, suppliers and resellers researching the industry. However, as exciting as the numbers may look, it is not likely that they will serve as a catalyst to entice agencies or adverisers to put more money into DOOH space.

Unfortunately, to agencies, who for decades have been evaluating, planning and buying media using tools that process impressions, ratings and demographics, the number of ads displayed is not a metric.

The question today is no longer whether DOOH is a significant and viable medium – this much has been proven beyond doubt; the question is: how to buy it? 

The main complaints from media buyers are that the industry has not yet been able to answer  a few simple but critical questions:

1. What is the audience by geography, demographics and consumer behaviour? – so they could plan it like they do other media.

2. What is the ad spend by brand? – a standard metric – so Unilever, for instance, could see if P&G is already advertising on certain networks and decide for themselves… The problem here is that networks are withholding this information whereas in mainstream media it’s a standard parameter.

3. When will DOOH network ad space and audience data be included in agency media mix modelling tools and into syndicated research reports? This is what media buyers use for their media plans and if DOOH is not visible in those tools, it cannot possibly become a line item.

4. Another big question is: what category does digital signage belong to? Is it part of OOH (which in itself is not a big category), should it be a subset of cable, digital or alternative ‘buckets’? In fact, none of those category options actually do digital signage any good, as they do not reflect the unique and enormous potential it carries. So the debate goes back to: what this medium should be called and whether a separate, independent media category should be created to properly identify it.

OVAB is spearheading efforts to resolve all of the above issues. Following the publication of Audience Metrics Guidelines networks are now equipped with agency-endorsed approach to bring their audience measurements to a common denominator – impressions. The next big thing on the agenda is to standardize proof-of-performance metrics (proof of ad delivery, proof of effectivenes). Arbitron is going full steam ahead to assist networks in creating proper campaign performance validation.

Communication is underway between OVAB and syndicated media and consumer research suppliers on ways to include DOOH ad space into regular standard surveys. OVAB is also talking with media mix modelling software companies.

True, despite all impediments, digital signage has been growing even throughout the recession. This is a phenomenal result. But the real growth will commence when real advertising money starts flowing in.

Hopefully, 2010 and 2011 will see a shift towards the integration of digital signage into media planning and buying infrastructure on a systemic level. Only then can we expect a tidal change in ad spending in favor of our exciting but underfueled medium.  

You can read Lyle Bunn’s article that inspired this commentary of mine here.

Entry Filed under: Digital Signage Evolution, Digital Signage ROI, The Big Picture, Uncategorized

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time 2:00

ada compliance .

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I’m Dan Hounsell, editor of Maintenance Solutions magazine. Today’s topic is, ADA compliance.
Nearly 20 years after the enactment of the Americans with Disabilities Act, many institutional and commercial facilities continue to struggle with providing facilities that are accessible to visitors with disabilities.
In an effort to remedy the situation, the U.S. Department of Justice recently issued proposals to adopt new design standards for facilities under the ADA.
Under the act, the department is responsible for maintaining standards for new construction and alterations consistent with Access Board guidelines. The standards apply to the construction and alteration of all facilities covered by the ADA except transportation facilities, which are subject to standards maintained by the Department of Transportation.
The new standards would apply to state and local government facilities subject to Title II of the ADA, as well as to places of public accommodation and commercial facilities covered by Title III of the law.
The Department of Justice notices also address issues relating to the application of the new standards, including effective dates. Through these proposals, the department also is revisiting or supplementing other sections of its regulations, which have changed little since their original publication in 1991.
Among the possible new or revised provisions are removal of barriers in existing facilities, accommodation of service animals, and the maintenance of accessible features.
The notices are available through the online edition of the Federal Register, www.gpoaccess.gov/fr/.
For more information, visit the Department of Justice’s ADA web site at www.ada.gov.

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October 27th, 2009 Daniel Parisien

There is a lot of discussion going on in recent weeks surrounding the term digital out-of-home compared to digital signage. Some say digital out-of-home is a subset of digital signage where DOOH is related to advertising networks. Others say digital signage is not related to advertising and is a different category than digital out-of-home. Veterans to this space must remember the cyclical nature of our industry and the compulsive need gurus-of-the-week have to give a new name to digital signage.

Maybe most do not remember the fact that industry portal aka.tv named itself that way for exactly that reason. The tagline used to read “aka.tv for the industry with an identity crisis” right beside a banner with 40-or-so odd names this industry has tried to carry:

Captive audience networksVideo advertising networkOutdoor video advertisingPlace-based mediaDigital Out-of-HomeDigital BillboardsThe Outernet… and dozens more

Of all these terms, the only one to really stick through the better part of two decades is the term digital signage. The new kid on the block seems to be digital out-of-home and to its credit, it is the only alternative to digital signage that has really stuck. The issue with using the term digital out-of-home, or DOOH, for networks that wish to generate advertising is alluded to by my colleague Nurlan Urazbaev in his previous post “Is Digital Signage Ready for Media Buyers?” when he points out some of the complaints from media buyers:

Another big question is: what category does digital signage belong to? Is it part of OOH (which in itself is not a big category), should it be a subset of cable, digital or alternative ‘buckets’? In fact, none of those category options actually do digital signage any good, as they do not reflect the unique and enormous potential it carries. So the debate goes back to: what this medium should be called and whether a separate, independent media category should be created to properly identify it.

Out-of-home, as a category, is already relegated to a relatively small category in the media mix that is one of the first off the planner’s list in times where money is tight. Some of the proponents of the digital out-of-home term probably do not realize they are classifying themselves in a subcategory and aren’t doing themselves any favors.

One of the discussions at the CODACAN meetings we had a few weeks ago really got me thinking about the industry, the technology and our terminology. The discussion we were having was related to the charter of CODACAN and whether it was related to promoting standards for advertising sales or promoting the possibilities of the technology. What came to me is that there are 3 real types of digital signage, all of which have as a core purpose to communicate a message to an audience within the context of a specific location:

Product promotion within a retail location to increase product salesAdvertising sales to an audience targeted based on the type of venue they are visitingUtility functional reasons such as an interactive director, schedule display or queue-and-ticket system

Do all three of these types of digital signage need their own term or bucket? The Internet is considered its own category for media buyers even though it has many different permutations from banner advertising to search advertising to social media advertising. In that respect, isn’t digital signage the term that fits best? In terms of standards, it is the de facto standard. We are always explaining OVAB member networks, DOOH networks and others in terms of digital signage anyways.

What is wrong with with digital signage as a name for this industry?

Is television, radio, magazine or newspaper the most descriptive and appropriate name for those media? We recognize them due to the fact those terms achieved the tipping point and became de facto standards. If you search Google or Yahoo, “digital signage” matches 2.7M results in Google and 8.2M in Yahoo over 0.7M and 0.4M for “digital out-of-home”. The name isn’t what’s hurting the evolution of this space. Instead it is the compulsion to keep changing the name and push through re-education which adds confusion.

Entry Filed under: Digital Signage Evolution

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time 1:58

ADA , accessibility .

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I'm Dan Hounsell, editor of Maintenance Solutions magazine. Today?s topic is accessibility surveys.

How can facility managers avoid litigation under the Americans with Disabilities Act? Truthfully, nothing can guarantee an organization will not be sued under the ADA. But doing nothing certainly increases the odds it will occur. If the organization has not performed a comprehensive ADA evaluation of its facilities, now is the time to do it. The survey process should include these components:

An on-site evaluation and report based on enforceable ADA standards. The evaluation should cover the exterior of the property, including path of travel from the street, public transportation, parking, and sidewalks. The interior review should include all areas to which visitors, customers or vendors need access.
Recommendations for removing barriers. Not all barrier removal requires demolition and reconstruction. Look for answers that address policies and procedures, as well as creative approaches to barrier removal.
Use the recommendations as the basis for an ADA compliance plan. Add critical information, such as resources needed to make the modifications, projected dates for completion, and remedial steps facilities can take on the way to full accessibility.
Ensure design professionals are engaged for the remedial steps, if they are familiar with and understand the requirements of enforceable ADA standards. Make that participation a provision in the standard contract language.
Hire an ADA consultant to review design documents before completion and handover to the construction team. This step can ensure full compliance with ADA standards.
Document changes with photos and measurements.
Finally, consider bringing the consultant back to evaluate renovations or new-construction projects during punch-list time. Gaps often form between what might have been designed as compliant and the end result. This contract-warranty review provides critical information managers can use to identify the person responsible for remedying the errors or omissions.

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September 14th, 2008 Nurlan Urazbaev

NBC Universal and Google announced a strategic partnership that would give the largest search advertising company access to cable TV ad space inventory, Ad Age reports.

The move, if successful, could enable smaller marketers, who have been using Google’s paid search ad engine AdWords and who have not been able to afford TV ads before, to buy air time on a number of NBC’s cable outlets, bypassing traditional media sales channels.

According to Ad Age, when the system is in place, it would allow ‘non-traditional’ advertisers to upload their own content and target it to cable TV households based on the desired geographic markets and viewer profiles using an online interface, thus avoiding agency overhead and media buyer commissions.

In addition, these new advertisers would be able to receive high-tech metrics via Google TV Ads application, which can report second-by-second set-top-box data, says Ad Age: “That measure has become more popular as companies such as Starcom USA, TNS and Nielsen have offered plans to help advertisers get more precise data about how viewers watch TV, skip across channels, and use digital video recorders.” The network TV ad space will not be affected by the deal, Ad Age reports.

This collaboration could give NBC Universal a much needed edge against its “Big 4? rivals amid continuing fragmentation of TV market, while providing Google with a revenue stream from traditional media.

Mainstream agencies and research companies are likely to perceive the NBC-Google agreement as a threat, as it contributes to the erosion of their control of TV ad space and has the potential of taking over at least part of network TV sales in the future..

Many attempts of creating online ‘media space exchange’-type of enterprises since the early 90s have been thwarted, not without efforts by the traditional media establishment.

If the collaboration works, I don’t see any obstacle for Google to start making inroads into digital signage (judging by company’s reported patent applications it is already working on it), as there would not be too much difference in the ad sales set up. It would make more sense, though, when digital signage ad space is more aggregated.

Entry Filed under: The Big Picture, Uncategorized

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time 1:36

Disabilities .

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Hello, this is Dan Hounsell, editor of Maintenance Solutions magazine. Today’s topic is the Americans with Disabilities Act. Restrooms often receive the lion’s share of organizations’ attention in efforts to ensure facility accessibility of facilities. But before visitors ever get to a building’s restrooms, they often are confronted by challenges related to other facility components. Take doors, for example. Many facilities have multiple entrances and multiple doors at an entrance, often including revolving doors. ADA does have a number of requirements for exterior doors, so managers need to consider a number of issues when evaluating the accessibility of these components. For example, if a facility has multiple entrances and the main entrance is not accessible, consider installing directional signage, using the international symbol of accessibility, to the accessible entrance, if one exists. If the entrance has revolving doors and hinged doors, place the international symbol of accessibility at the hinged door, confirming that the revolving doors are not accessible. Finally, if exterior doors are difficult to operate, consider installing a low-power operator on the hinged door. These operators have become much more cost-effective in recent years and hold up well. But be aware that many visitors, from sales people and people pulling carts to parents pushing strollers, also will use these doors, which can increase wear and tear on the operators. aces

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time 2:32

signage , ADA , restrooms .

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I’m Dan Hounsell, editor of Maintenance Solutions magazine. Today’s topic is, restroom accessibility.

Numerous areas of institutional and commercial buildings continue to present barriers to accessibility, and restrooms often are high on this list. Facility managers have a series of tested and proven strategies at their disposal to successfully renovate and remodel restrooms to address trouble spots in restrooms and ensure compliance with Americans with Disabilities access guidelines.

One common trouble spot related to restrooms involves signage. Even before building occupants and visitors get to the restroom, codes require directional signage indicate the shortest route. Directional signage provides assistance and information about the location of restrooms for all individuals, but they are especially important for persons with disabilities. In comparison to permanent signage, directional signage does not need Braille and raised lettering. But it must be located at the proper height for viewing.

One common and easy-to-fix compliance item is accessible latch-side signage at a restroom’s entrance. Workers should center latch-side signage at 60 inches on center above the finished floor. All plans should specify that compliant, permanent, latch-side signage contains raised letters and characters, Braille, and the international symbol of accessibility.

While federal requirements specify only latch-side signage, some state codes require additional signage. For example, California requires that doors to restrooms also feature gender symbols — a triangle-shaped sign for men, a circle for women, and a circle on a triangle for unisex restrooms.

One size does not fit all when it comes to restroom accessibility requirements. Remodeling or renovating restrooms to meet accessibility standards and requirements requires research, attention to detail and the selection of products that best meet individual situations.

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When we wrap a vehicle, we want to make it stand out from other on the road using clear colors, unique branding, and sharp graphics. But what if your vehicle is a little different to begin with? Maybe you have a special modification, or an older model, or maybe you’re asking us to wrap your custom hot rod. If that’s the case, then we’ll have to make a custom vehicle wrap template in order to print the designs for your wrap. When do you need a custom vehicle wrap template? We wrote a blog to enlighten you on the subject!

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Written by Adam Sokoloff · Filed Under Education 

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time 2:02

accessibility , ADA .

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I’m Dan Hounsell, editor of Maintenance Solutions magazine. Today’s topic is accessibility.
Restrooms generally receive the lion’s share of organizations’ attention ensuring the accessibility of facilities for visitors and occupants. But before these people reach a building’s restrooms, they often face a host of challenges related to other facility components, including entrance doors, ramps, water fountains, handrails, wheelchair lifts, and elevators.
But in addition to these higher-profile components, facility managers must consider a host of other items and elements that can affect the use of a facility by individuals with disabilities.
Take alarms as an example. Audible alarms are only effective for people who can hear. Where audible alarms exist, the Americans with Disabilities Act also requires the installation of visual strobe alarms. Managers should take a serious look at their facilities to ensure visual strobe alarms accompany audible alarms.
Other items of importance include water fountains and coolers, pay phones, cash machines, and vending machines. When negotiating for the lease, purchase or placement of these items, managers need to make sure the items themselves meet ADA requirements.
The mere presence of the international symbol of accessibility on a product does not signify the item indeed meets ADA requirements. There is no Underwriters Laboratory for ADA.
Instead, managers must ask questions, make sure the vendor answers them satisfactorily, and be sure the new water fountain or cooler complies. Then make sure it is installed in an accessible location. Nothing is worse than a compliant water fountain located at the top of a flight of steps.
Managers must be vigilant about the accessibility and safety of their facilities. Using the ADA requirements as a template is an excellent way to ensure a facility is safe and user-friendly for people with disabilities, seniors, parents pushing baby strollers, and even aging baby boomers — basically, everyone who visits a building each day.

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What if you could combine the publicity of being a sponsor at an event, with the unique visibility of a kinky wrap? Talk about advertising impact! A few weeks ago, Sunrise Signs helped the Blind Cat Brewery sponsor the MS City to Shore 50 miler race by wrapping their bike helmets! An unusual vinyl wrap , combined with the number of people supporting MS research sure got the Blind Cat Brewery some great attention! Check out our blog post if you’re interested in how we can get attention at your next sponsorship event!

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time 1:48

ADA , accessibility .

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I’m Dan Hounsell, editor of Maintenance Solutions magazine. Today’s topic is accessibility.
Facility managers and owners awaiting the arrival of updated regulations under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) will have to wait a little longer.
The U.S. Department of Justice announced in January it has delayed publication of updated ADA regulations due to the new Obama administration. In early December 2008, the department had submitted new regulations to the Office of Management and Budget for approval but withdrew its submission in response to a memorandum from the new administration.
According to a statement on the department’s web site, “No final action will be taken by the department with respect to these rules until the incoming officials have had the opportunity to review the rulemaking record… Withdrawal of the draft final rules does not affect existing ADA regulations.”
The department’s rulemaking will update regulations for state and local governments under title II of the ADA and regulations for places of public accommodation and commercial facilities covered by title III. Last June, the department published proposed changes to these regulations for public comment. As part of this update, the department intends to adopt new accessibility standards based on guidelines issued by the U.S. Access Board.
The department also proposed updates to sections of the regulations covering existing facilities, service animals, policies and programs, maintenance of accessible features, auxiliary aids and services, and effective communication. The department has not yet indicated a timeframe for resubmitting the final rules.
More information on the status of standards is available on the Access Board’s website at www.access-board.gov.

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Retail graphics are so ubiquitous in stores and shopping environments, that it can be hard to remember what a huge effect they have on your retail space! Changing your retail graphics regularly is a great way to keep your store fresh and up to date with your latest products, promotions, and ad campaigns. At Sunrise Signs we’re happy to create and install retail graphics, and we were recently contracted by Reebok to do a series of installs for their latest campaign at a sporting goods chain throughout Pennsylvania and New Jersey. Since retail graphics so often go overlooked, we wrote an article and made a video about our marathon retail graphics installation.

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time 1:54

ADA , accessibility .

Try ADA for related news, articles, blogs, events and online resources.

I'm Dan Hounsell, editor of Maintenance Solutions magazine. Today's topic is, accessibility and liability.

Newspaper articles continue to report accessibility complaints about shopping centers, movie theatres, colleges and universities, restaurants, and retail stores. The complaints range from "no accessible parking" to "no accessible restrooms in a restaurant."

The cases include existing facilities that have not performed readily achievable barrier removal, as well as organizations that have designed and built new facilities —?following implementation of the Americans with Disabilities Act, or ADA — that do not comply with ADA requirements.

When faced with a private lawsuit, it is important to determine if the allegations are valid. The first step is to have an outside entity — one that understands the differences between building code and enforceable ADA standards — perform a professional ADA evaluation.

A side-by-side comparison of the complaint?s allegations and these professional findings often is helpful. If the problems relate to the removal of barriers — including providing compliant parking, and re-surfacing sidewalks and curb ramps — this step can speed the resolution of the complaint without a great deal of time, attention or cost.

But if the professional evaluation uncovers evidence that areas identified in the complaint actually comply with ADA, maintenance and engineering managers have critical information their organizations can use to negotiate.

A professional ADA evaluation also should include the steps necessary to bring the facility into compliance. For example, whether an item is readily achievable depends on the organization?s resources and the nature of the building. If managers have not yet scheduled a full ADA evaluation, this report serves as a crucial step in ADA compliance efforts. By following through with the recommendations, with a clear timeline and budget, a manager often can prevent subsequent ADA complaints.

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time 1:16

ADA , communication .

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I'm Dan Hounsell, editor of Maintenance Solutions magazine. Today's topic is, restrooms and accessibility.

The first aspect managers must consider in planning for restroom renovation is compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, or ADA. To meet ADA requirements during renovation, managers must consider these factors:

•  occupant count and fixture requirements

•  space requirements

•  structural requirements.

Most ADA-compliance renovations result in the loss of a stall or a urinal because of changes to meet the 5-foot diameter requirement for stalls. If the number of existing fixtures is appropriate for the code governing the area population, then the loss of a stall might require additional construction costs.

Similarly, space requirements for an ADA-compliant stall might require realigning remaining stalls and stools. One possible cost-saving option is to make the ADA-compliant stall the size of two existing stalls, exceeding the size needed for a compliant stall but eliminating the need to move plumbing fixtures.

Structural requirements also come into play with grab bars required in the ADA stall. Often, walls must be reinforced to accommodate the potential weight-bearing capacities of these bars.

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When it comes to vehicle wraps, the simplest approach can sometimes be the best approach. One business who really understood this was our recent client, Hummus Restaurant. Hummus is a popular, well known middle eastern restaurant in the university section of Philadelphia, and along with their logo, they wanted the partial wrap of their Honda Element to include two very important words: “Try it!” To read about how we kept it simple and effective, read out blog spotlight on the Hummus Restaurant vehicle wrap.

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time 1:39

ADA , communication .

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I'm Dan Hounsell, editor of Maintenance Solutions magazine. Today's topic is, ADA and communications. Facilities change regularly, as do their operations and occupants. As a result of these shifts, maintenance and engineering managers need to communicate as thoroughly as possible about their departments' efforts to comply with facility access guidelines under the Americans with Disabilities Act, or ADA. Managers also can use these tactics to communicate their compliance efforts:

• Designate an ADA coordinator. Managers should post the ADA coordinator's name, title, address, phone number, TDD/TTY number, and e-mail in a visible public location, and they should include this information in handbooks and all other organizationwide publications.

• Develop a brochure or an informational packet that provides information on ADA requirements, as well as information on how to contact the organization's ADA coordinator.

• Develop a procedure for providing materials in accessible alternate formats. These formats include large print, taped materials and Braille. All of these materials need not be available in an alternate format prior to a request. But a procedure should be in place to provide an alternate format in a timely manner if one is requested.

• Finally, give members of the public, people with disabilities, and organizations representing people with disabilities an opportunity to provide input. Tools for this purpose include postings, surveys of facility users, organizations and site administrators, and newspaper notices.

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time 1:19

ADA , accessibility .

Try ADA for related news, articles, blogs, events and online resources.

I'm Dan Hounsell, editor of Maintenance Solutions magazine. Today?s topic is accessibility.

Today, 19 years after the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was signed into law, a significant number of facilities covered under this federal law are still being sued for their failure to comply with the standards. How can facility managers help their organizations avoid ADA litigation? Taking proactive steps now will help keep facility managers ahead of that curve. Here are some such steps:

If a manager performed a comprehensive ADA evaluation of a building previously, that?s good. Now it's time to take it off the shelf, read it and ask the following questions:

• Have "readily achievable" barriers been identified and removed?

• Were these changes documented in the ADA compliance plan?

• Was a plan developed to address barriers requiring capital expenditures?

• Is that plan being followed?

• Are all renovations, alterations and new construction required to comply fully with ADA requirements? Was this requirement specifically stated in contracts for all professional services, including architects, engineers and contractors?

• Does the organization ensure that all accessible elements (elevators, automatic door openers, wheelchair lifts, visual strobe alarms) are maintained in working order?

If there are more "no" answers than "yes," it's time to get to work.

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Digital Signage Spot Blog: Two Scala Projects nominated as finalists for the Digital Signage Best Practice Award 2010Digital Signage Spot BlogDigital signage blog covering industry topics including: digital signage, retail digital signage, digital menuboards, digital advertising networks, digital signage software, and more.Digital Signage
Leaderwww.scala.com« FIRST ANNUAL CODACAN ADLYMPICS: A BLAST FROM THE PAST |Main| Digital Signage in Canada »

September 15, 2010Two Scala Projects nominated as finalists for the Digital Signage Best Practice Award 2010

Today it was announced that two Scala projects are nominated as finalists for the Digital Signage Best Practice Awards 2010.

The Burger King project of Scala partner SIGNATURE DIGITAL MENUS was nominated in the category "Content for Digital Signage".

 

The Miele project -a cooperation between Scala, Troades and House of Media Experience- was nominated in the category "Retail Signage".

 

The competition aims to honour innovative and successful Digital Signage projects which have been efficiently planned and creatively implemented - and to present these to a wider audience within the industry.

The goal is to widen the acceptance of the new medium and to encourage even more companies to make increased use of this form of signage. The public presentation is also intended to stimulate ideas for new projects. The Digital Signage Best Practice competition will give awards to well-conceived Digital Signage projects which, right from the initial design stage through to placement, selection, design and control of the displays, achieve their defined goal. Depending on the application, this may be guiding, providing information or increasing sales.  

The Best Practice Awards are to be presented at Viscom 2010 in Frankfurt, Germany (november 4th-6th) for the fourth time in five categories:
- Retail Signage – Digital Signage applications in the retail sector
- Information Signage – Digital Signage applications showing information on public displays
- Guiding Signage – Digital Signage applications as guiding systems in the public domain
- Content for Digital Signage – Outstanding content for Digital Signage applications
- Interactive Signage – Innovative Digital Signage applications with interactive components

More information: http://www.digital-signage-best-practice-award.eu/

 

 Harry Horn, Marketing Manager EMEA, Scala

Posted on September 15, 2010 at 04:19 AM | Permalink

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Great news. Finally being rewarded for the great work they do.

Posted by:digital signage |September 15, 2010 at 05:13 PM

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