*Editor's note: This article is part of a series that profiles the winners of the Self Service Excellence Award winners.
In the self-service world, the D2 Palm Treo 680 digital-signage deployment made significant waves when it hit Times Square in November. The project once again made news in April when it was tapped by Self Service Expo for deployment excellence.
D2 Sales' Palm Treo project was recognized during the Self Service Expo (formerly known as KioskCom) for having the "best digital signage deployment." The project included a $25-million marketing campaign headed up by AKQA, a media and technology advertising agency.
As part of its campaign, which included billboards and street teams riding on Segways, AKQA leaned on D2 for the design of interactive bus-shelter kiosks that used touchscreens that simulated interaction with the new Treos.
In each shelter, D2 replaced one wall with an orange ad for the Treo 680 — though the actual device in the ad was a 42-inch Panasonic flatscreen programmed to display the 680's Web browsing abilities.
The bus shelters were chosen based on targeted demographic audiences. D2 and AKQA also joined forces with Google, Yahoo!, eBay and Fandango — brands known and trusted by Palm's targeted demographic, according to D2 and AKQA.
A computer stored behind each Treo sign powered the digital sign. The computers were built by D2 to withstand extreme heat and cold. Each was connected wirelessly to a network.
D2 also promoted the Treo in Times Square through an orange vinyl wrap that covered the side of a Times Square building. When passersby walked by the orange Treo wall, they were prompted to use text messaging to control content displayed on the sign.
"The benefit of this is that it works as a beautiful promotional device on a drive-by basis, or to passersby," said Sandy Nix, president of D2 Sales.
The results of the project were immediate, said Brian Hubbard, a member of the installation crew. He said passersby began texting the sign before they were finished with the installation.
Nix said the texting feature gives advertisers a gauge for judging a campaign's success.
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"We want to see if there are increases in the metrics and the campaign will be deemed a success," she said.
Pro-Tech takes honors in retail software solution
Pro-Tech's ProductSelect software is a program that links kiosks and human interaction with digital signage and advertising in a retail setting.
Suwanne, Ga.-based Pro-Tech is a kiosk integrator that specializes in outdoor units. The company is best known for its Subway self-ordering kiosks.
At KioskCom, ProductSelect was demonstrated using a program for Go-Lite, a high-end outdoor shoe company.
The software allows the kiosk to function as an informational system, allowing customers to navigate through product listings using a touchscreen and picture menu.
And additional marketing and promotions are incorporated to pique consumer interest. When a customer selects a Go-Lite shoe, for instance, an advertisement specific to the shoe and the user runs on a digital sign above the kiosk. So, a 20-something man selecting a mid-priced Go-Lite shoe might be shown footage of a male 20-something trail-runner who's wearing the shoes.
"Kiosks and digital signage have been around for years, but they have operated as separate entities," said Stephen Gregorie, vice president of customer experience and marketing for Pro-Tech. "With ProductSelect, we have integrated the two, and now a brand or retailer can deliver advertising messages to a targeted demographic based on specific user preferences."
Norwegian kiosk provider takes top honor for enclosure design
Norway's NIT took home KioskCom's Excellence Award for Best Hardware/Enclosure Design for its iTouch kiosk, a desktop model that includes a 19-inch touchscreen positioned at a 30 degree angle.
The iTouch can be mounted on different surfaces and was designed to meet the needs of the gaming industry. According to NIT, the design makes it a viable candidate for kiosk deployments in office buildings, hotel rooms and libraries.
The iTouch comes equipped with components from Fujitsu Siemens, 3M, Flextronics and Magtek, whose hybrid magnetic-stripe/smart-card/RFID reader is used in the kiosk. The internal PC is powered by the Intel DualCore. It is wirelessly enabled.
