philip lelyveld The world of entertainment technology

A Walk Through IPG’s Gallery of Emerging Tech

[Philip Lelyveld comment: this is a good overview of some location-based marketing technology concepts.]

The IPG Media Lab on West 33rd St. is like a mini-Consumer Electronics Show on the doorstep of New York's Penn Station. Opened four months ago in New York, after a nine-year run in L.A., it provides IPG Mediabrands clients and partner agencies with a hands-on survey of the latest personal gadgets, interactive displays, wearable devices, embedded retail tech, and set-top boxes.

But unlike CES, the Media Lab exists not only to paint the future's picture for each guest, but to translate the tangle of technology into a strategic marketing plan. ...

Among the gadgets and digital baubles Lab visitors will see:

• A tool that uses WiFi connections to measure people walking outside Media Lab's front door. When someone comes in, that action is treated as a "conversion." In addition to being a nifty tool, the idea has a clear application for storefront marketers.
• A "mobile bar" with QR codes, near field communication (NFC) apps, and other uses. Rosenberg says, "It's inevitable that NFC will take off. There's too much momentum behind it, and the frictionless tapping versus the download of a QR reader."
• A facial recognition camera for retail locations. A small camera embedded in a store shelf can guess a visitor's mood by reading facial expressions. "Unlike a focus group, your face doesn't lie. The ability to use this as part of a retail case study is interesting," said Rosenberg.
• Life-sized video chat. This installation enables face-to-face customer interactions near product displays. What brands might benefit? Think Blackberry and other advertisers that struggle to sell products at the shelf level.
• A 3D video display that doesn't require glasses. Rosenberg: "It's good for outdoor, but you can only look at it for about 20 seconds."  ...

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