Promo - January 2008 - (Page 11)

The players Amy Johannes RETAIL In-store TV is the latest amenity at Borders. The screens are being installed in community gathering spaces in 250 stores. The company’s exclusive video content, which includes the Borders Book Club, will be aired. Tuning In In-store TV finds captive audiences Borders has begun entertaining customers in stores with cooking demonstrations and a book club series, all on Borders TV. Borders is not the only retailer discovering what behemoths like Wal-Mart already know: In-store TV is a smart way to talk to customers. The networks feature everything from new products and weekly specials to nutritional information, recipes and promotions. The spots typically range from 15 to 30 seconds, however longer forms can last a few minutes. About 630,000 TV screens are now housed in 97,000 U.S. retail stores, estimates PowerPact, a consumer marketing agency. That number is projected to grow by 20% a year. “Marketers right now are really experimenting,” says Scott Page, president and CMO for PowerPact. “It’s all over the board. A lot of things are being tried to see what will work.” Wal-Mart alone accounts for 120,000 screens. Ads are targeted by department via five channels and viewed by about 21 million people every month, says Premier Retail Networks, the operator of the network. Spending on in-store TV was expected to hit about $262.5 million last year, up 25.3% from 2006, estimates PQ Media, which projects double-digit growth through 2011. Next month, fashion merchant Limited Too is also launching a network to promote new music and DVD releases, gift cards and in-store specials at about 400 stores with Retail Entertainment Design. “It brings marketing messages to life,” says Scott Bracale, president of Tween Brands Agency, the chain’s parent company. The firm plans to offset the “multimillion-dollar” expense by selling paid ads, Bracale says. Potential advertisers include Procter & Gamble’s Secret Sparkle and Walt Disney Records. Some companies are even incorporating user-generated content. Ecko Unltd teamed up with Channel M to launch “ecko TV” last October. It uses short-form content—everything from sports and shout-outs from celebrities—to “stop people in their tracks,” says Eric Hebel, president and COO of Channel M. People can submit their own videos to be featured in upcoming episodes. The company also scours sites like YouTube for content. The monthly series airs in 700 Ecko Unltd. shops and Macy’s stores. “Sight, sound and motion in-store is the Holy Grail,” Continued on page 12 W For more articles on retail marketing go to www.promomagazine.com/retail Newsletter Web RSS Webinar Conference Podcast Promo / WWW.PROMOMAGAZINE.COM / January 2008 11 http://www.promomagazine.com/retail http://www.promomagazine.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Promo - January 2008

Promo - January 2008 Contents Editor's Note Viral But Virtuous Slap Shot Power Chords Tuning In Auto Play Trekkies Unite Commentary Retail Report: Get In Here! Generating Store Traffic Yankee Candle Shopper Marketing What Seniors Want Cyber Stumping Party Hearty Q & A: Paper Trail Ambush Marketing The Agency Center Resource Center Back-End Foundation Index of Advertisers

Promo - January 2008

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