The growth of mobile devices and the Internet has fueled our demand for real-time access. Machine to machine (M2M) technology powers this growth, as it enables communication between devices via Internet connections. In retail, digital signage with M2M can help identify shoppers and their demographics as they walk by. Taking digital signage one step further, M2M is powering real-time communications between billboards and planes – new British Airways billboards track planes flying above in real-time, displaying a flight’s number and origin.
The “Look Up” campaign uses custom-built surveillance technology to track airplanes and interrupt the digital display as they pass over the site.
Abigail Comber, British Airways’ head of marketing, said in a statement, “This is a first, not just for British Airways but for UK advertising. We all know from conversations with friends and family that we wonder where the planes are going and dream of an amazing holiday or warm destination. The clever technology allows this advert to engage people there and then and answer that question for them. We hope it will create a real ‘wow’ and people will be reminded how amazing flying is and how accessible the world can be.”
This isn’t the first time M2M has played a role in advertising. Verizon helped power CBS Outdoor campaigns by deploying more than 100 urban panels in New York City that display content that delivers up to 15 new messages every minute. But it’s more than just digitizing advertising, Verizon explains. The content is interactive and enables engagement with users.
European advertising network Amscreen also launched an M2M-based platform that uses face detection technology to provide advertisers with information – including gender, age, date, time and volume -- on who exactly is seeing their ads.
iSIGN Media Solutions offers a Smart Player solution that combines digital signage and mobile marketing into a single application. It uses the company’s Smart Antenna to deliver messaging to all screens and devices based on proximity. The solution also captures customer responses in real-time.
Also this year, Sprint and Telefonica teamed up to create a mobile advertising alliance that enables global brands to reach more than 370 million mobile customers across the United States, Europe and Latin America with targeted advertising. Sprint offers a portfolio of M2M solutions, including for fleet management, retail, healthcare, asset tracking and insurance.
Edited by
Cassandra Tucker