Singapore – Leading Linux-based digital signage provider 1-2-1View announces the launch of gender distinction for its InterFaceTM viewer validation technology. The turnkey solutions provider launches this as part of a single systems platform to remove installation uncertainties like deadlines, compatibility issues and increased costs by eliminating the need for third party software integration.

Most off-the-shelf digital signage systems that intend to use viewer validation tools have to undergo an integration process. This involves the overcoming of hardware and software compatibility issues, the fine-tuning of validation-to-player synchronization problems and the coordination of log report functions. These issues often have the potential to drag installation deadlines and result in increased costs.

By mounting a regular webcam on the screen, the media player’s software can differentiate gender and immediately react by swapping to more relevant content if instructed to. Otherwise it can continue playing its scheduled programming.

Gender distinction also expands the categorization of InterFaceTM’s validation logs to detect and count viewers, measure attention span and ‘Opportunity to See’ foot traffic count at the point of display - all of which can be translated to spreadsheets for convenient analysis.

“Although the digital signage industry is growing strongly, its greatest hurdle has always been quantifying the effectiveness of ad campaigns and measuring the return on investment by advertisers. With the addition of gender distinction to InterFaceTM, we can really give advertisers the advantage to target the right audience with the right message at the right time and give them the full report to prove it,” comments 1-2-1View CEO, Alfred Chong. “Our solution will give clients more cost-effective systems with predictable installation timelines and help them stretch their advertising dollar all at once.”

About 1-2-1VIEW

1-2-1VIEW is a provider of digital signage systems that are based on Linux and are built on proven consumer electronics platforms. 1-2-1VIEW’s turnkey hardware-software solution is network controlled and scalable to an infinite number of screens. With award winning, lightweight media players and web based management, 1-2-1VIEW is combining the most advanced technology with low cost of ownership in a dedicated digital signage system that is affordable for any budget. www.121view.com

From the AudienceCount Blog

http://www.audiencecount.com/audience-measurement/nec-digital-signage-ad-targeting-screen/

I ran into this article at The Times Of India webpage and was surprised to see that my long time notion about large companies was correct; these big name companies are working behind the scenes in building their own measurement / targeting tools.

The article talks about how big name NEC has created a technology, which through the use of a camera placed on top of a large Plasma/LCD display can identify the number of males/females and age ranges of the audience. After identifying the audience, the system then automatically targets them with suitable advertisements. NEC Corp said that this new form of targeted advertisements will be featured at an annual festival in Tokyo by Fuji Television network. The festival will run till August 31 and Fuji hopes to draw more than 4 million visitors to beat last year’s record.

When the system identifies the age ranges and gender of the viewers standing in front of the digital screens, the system will tally which of the audience demographics is the largest and will dynamically target ads to them,

For young women in their 20’s it may show ads for the latest iPhone, and women in their 40’s it may show Prada handbags.

“Conventional advertisements may show cell phones for young women to men over 60,” said Hiroshi Takahashi at NEC’s solution business promotion division.

“Changing advertising products in accordance with the viewer would bring advertising closer to the purchaser,” he said.

But the system is seen as having growth potential as companies struggle to win the attention of customers who are increasingly bombarded by advertisements throughout the day.

The underlying technology behind this or any other form of digital signage ad targeting system has to be an audience measurement system; whether it’s a proprietary technology from NEC or a third party technology solution licensed by: Quividi, CognoVision, TruMedia, VideoMining, Xuuk, or Wututu. The main purpose for using these technologies is that there needs to be some face detection in order to process audience demographics in real-time and the only technologies that currently perform these are audience measurement tools. There are obvious alternative applications for these customer centric measurement tools. I’ve read in articles, whitepapers, and blogs that the sales cycle for digital signage deployments is long and for audience measurement probably a lot longer. In the meantime I’d like to see more audience measurement technologies powering large digital signage ad targeting networks, if the sales cycle for audience measurement deployments is long, why not try another channel of distribution.

Please share your comments, ideas, or thoughts on this article.

Companies deem it essential for their advertisements to be able to reach their target customers in order to be effective. The new ad system by NEC claims to be able to distinguish people based on age and gender. Called Digital Signage Solution, the system is composed of a display with a camera and a FeliCa contactless IC card reader/writer. A participant would need to face the display in order for the camera to get a glimpse of the person, and hold a FeliCa-based mobile phone over the IC card reader/writer.

Based on the person’s determined stats, the display shows advertisements most suited to the person. Of course, they’ll find it hard to get people to stand in front of a display to view ads without giving them something in turn. So, participants are sent coupons to their mobile phones which they could use when purchasing from stores. Each coupon is equivalent to an entry for raffle draws where consumers can win prizes. Aside from being able to show ads based on a person’s age and gender, NEC’s Digital Signage Solution can also optimize advertisements based on geographical location and even time of day.

NEC has stumbled upon what it calls the Digital Signage Solution that is able to determine the gender, generation and other attributes of a person standing in front of a display thanks to face recognition technology. This data will then be used to make a computation, resulting in advertisements on the display that will cater to the results of the calculations. Guess this is yet another way for advertisers to zoom in on their target market and getting the most bang out of their ad dollars, but I think there are plenty of flaws if an algorithm will end up deciding what ads it thinks you like to see based on your physical appearance alone. Hopefully a scan of my face won’t result in any anatomy enlargement therapy.

NEC Corp is counting on a new digital signage system that determines the age and sex as well as other “attributes” of the people standing in front of the scree. The system uses facial recognition software and sends a gender and age appropriate advertisement to the screen.

Tech-On reports:

“Participants stand in front of the display and hold a FeliCa-based mobile phone over the reader/writer. The system determines the user’s gender and generation through the camera image using the face recognition technology.

The display shows advertisements that would suit the user’s gender and generation, choosing from the 15 candidates prepared in advance. An electronic coupon that would match the attributes is sent to the user’s mobile phone at the same time.”

It will be interesting to see how this type of digital ad presentation evolves and how those who are concerned with privacy issues will react. Although this isn’t an invasion of privacy considering the signs are in public domain, there are those that feel this is a “surveillance system”.

Personally I would rather see an advertisement that is geared to me a 48 year old male than one directed to my 8 year old daughter.

NEC Corp, the Japanese electronics giant, has launched an integrated interactive ‘intelligent’ digital signage system that determines the gender and age of a consumer to target adverts and promotions to them.

Consumers standing in front of the display will have their key attributes determined through a camera image using face recognition technology, and will then be shown relevant gender and age related adverts.

Using a mobile phone, consumers will then be able to interact with a reader panel on the screen to download electronic coupons for redemption in local stores. If users purchase products at stores using the coupons, they get the chance to win a prize.