The Brand Show caught up with Digital Signage Expo 2011 keynote speaker and Intel general manager, Jose Avalos. In this video, Mr. Avalos discusses Intel’s retail vision, the role of mobile in retail and the impact of the transition from 3G to 4G.

- I.V. Whitman, contributor for The Brand Show and brand strategist at Two West, Inc.

“Technology is meaningless unless it changes the way we behave.”

DSE is doing well to stand out in a city of sensory overload. The conversation hovering above all the latest screens of neato imagery is: relevant integration.

Shelly Palmer, host of NBC Universal‘s “Live Digital with Shelly Palmer,” and DSE’s keynote for day two, knows a little about living and working in the digital world. This thinker and innovator invests in all things digital. His stance on the realm of digital signage: “Technology is… read more.

Las Vegas doesn’t do anything small, so it’s an ideal setting for the bright lights and visual stimulation on display at Digital Signage Expo 2011.

Over the next three days The Brand Show will report on a few highlights, trends and insights gathered from the floor, or should we say signage!

DSE Day One:
Steeped in business challenges, the digital signage industry came together this first day to share case studies of success, challenges and perspective. This pause from visual stimulates set the stage for the magic that will be revealed in the days to come.

Here… read more.

The retail landscape is changing and the debate is raging over whether digital in-store or mobile apps are the wave of the future. But the question shouldn’t be which will survive; rather, how can traditional, digital and mobile work together to make the shopper experience better?

As use of digital signage increases, the price of equipment comes down, consumers become more mobile savvy, and digital and mobile begin to integrate through proximity technology, it becomes increasingly important for retailers to consider these new forms of communication. But keeping up with the latest trends without a strategic plan risks technology for technology’s… read more.

All roads are leading to mobile. And shopping is no exception. It is only a matter of time before we shift from designing strategies for the in-store “point-of-purchase” message to the more measurable and profitable “speed-to-purchase” experience. This shift is enabled by the shopper’s mobile wallet and supported by rapid expansion in the mobile financial services and technologies categories.

Until recently, traditional, well-crafted point-of-purchase materials were a norm in the shopper journey. The best point-of-purchase examples reminded and encouraged shoppers to buy something. These reminders could be anything from using dramatics… read more.

We see it every day:
Retail brands pushing promotions to shoppers through mobile devices in the name of ‘engagement’.

The retailer’s goal is to demonstrate the value of its brand through emotion and experience using mobile. The problem with this push approach is that it’s shortsighted and sometimes annoying to the shopper. In fact, people pay money to remove ads and opt out of messages (or ‘engagement’) just to get them off their device.

Why do people download apps?
Shoppers download and use mobile apps for utility - to help them find something cheaper, to help them find their car, to entertain their kids while waiting… read more.

This article appeared in the December 20, 2010, edition of Quirk’s e-newsletter.

For the most part, people who design and conduct qualitative market research see recruiting as something that happens apart from the fieldwork instead of as part of the research process. It’s my belief that research begins during recruitment, not after you are in the field.

Every so often, we have a client with such a short time frame or such a specific participant need that recruiters are necessary. We try to convince clients to give us the time to use our own staff to recruit on the ground or at the very least, through phone conversations. Even… read more.

First, a little background. Pretail refers to the sum total of shopping activities consumers do before they visit a retailer. It’s broad. It’s big. And it can be scary. With the Internet, there’s an incredible amount of information and an incredible number of ways consumers can access this information.

Now, let’s add another layer of complexity. In a perfect world, your goal as a business is simple: Before the cash register rings. Before the door opens. Before the car even pulls up. Before it all, the sale should already be made.

So. Knowing what we do about pretail – mostly that it’s large and ambiguous and unknown – and… read more.