Gail took out two billboards to express her thanks to the community of St. Paul, Minnesota.

Clear Channel Outdoor Advertising offered the family two electronic billboards for a week of free advertising.

The billboards simply read, “Thank you for all the love and support.  Gail, Allie, and Sammy Bergeron.” And featured a photo of the late Joe Bergeron.

Bergeron served 26 years as a police officer and his funeral attracted thousands of mourners.

Police Chief David Tomalla said, “I know I’ve received condolences from police departments around the nation and the world.  It’s even more for the family. With all the cards, gifts and letters — they just didn’t want to leave anyone out.”

Frank’s Opinion of This Story:

Here’s another example of how to use LED to build community good will. Where were these ideas a couple years age when they were so badly needed? The power of digital outdoor is the ability to deliver real-time messages that are fresh and imaginative. The uses for LED are still being developed, and this type of P.R. is very good for the industry.

This is a marketing move, made by the hospitals, that is aimed at less urgent emergencies- not true emergencies that automatically get placed at the beginning of the line.

ER’s are getting busier and busier and are being forced to cut delays in the waiting room.  And in 2012 hospitals will begin reporting to Medicare how fast the ER’s can move, which they are hoping will increase the quality of care.

The longer patients are in the ER, the more likely they are to have complications, so more and more hospitals are erecting billboards that report wait times.    Hospitals are confident that displaying the times will encourage patients with less urgent emergencies to drive a little further, to a hospital with a shorter wait.  Therefore, helping hospitals spread the load without losing easier cases to competing hospitals.

Studies are being conducted to see if the postings make a difference in patient volume, the time spent in the ER overall, and satisfaction in the experience.

Frank’s Opinion of This Story:

This is the type of “App” that could have really saved the LED industry from its P.R. problem with city governments. It would have been easy to provide a frequent reminder of these waiting times on LED signs – and been paid for it. This type of “real-time” data for the community welfare could have been an easy sales job for the LED industry. Maybe there’s still time to make things right.

Last fall, 31 students from Patapsco High were able to work an association of graphic artists and designers, known as the AIGA.  With these artists, the students created logos and slogans to promote citizens to stop crime and prevent violence, along with developing tolerance and caring for the community.

The following five students created bulletin boards that were displayed in Baltimore:

-“Tolerance, Imagine That” by Bernadette Szhrom

-“Tone Up the Tolerance” by Jeremy Jirsa

-“Make Up Doesn’t Make My” by Sarah Henry

-“Don’t Trash Baltimore” by Emily Baum and Amy Louden

-“Welcome to Diversity, Baltimore” by Ryan Pachilis and Jessica Searfino

This project is giving the students a chance to see their work out in the real world.  And hopes are high that viewers will look at the ad a little closer knowing that a younger generation wants to change the world we are living in.

It is a shame that these billboards cannot run all year long, considering billboards are the best form of real-estate in the advertising world.

Frank’s Opinion of This Article:

This is the type of public service marketing that the LED segment of our industry should have been doing from day one. If you integrate the community into the medium, then they feel a part of it and eliminate ill will. If there had been campaigns such as this for digital signs by every operator, there would be no current problems with cities and states on this issue. Cell towers are ugly, too, but people don’t complain because they use the product. Not getting the community involved in digital was its downfall. It would have cost virtually nothing to give at least one 8-second segment per day to the community. Similarly, if you want to foster goodwill in your community with your existing billboard plant, then this is exactly how to do it.

IBM is working on a new type of technology that will allow billboards to show passers-by tailor made advertisements.

Digital billboards are already appearing on bus stops, in train stations, and on the sides of buildings and parking garages.  But these billboards are showing the same advertisements to everyone.  This may soon change.

IBM states that this new technology will keep consumers from irritating advertisements and show only advertisements that relate to them.

This is possible because IBM is making use of wireless technology tags, also known as RFID chips, which are already used in cell phones and credit cards.  RFID chips will be encoded with information about passers-by and when individuals pass the billboard, it will display advertisements that will reflect their interests and shopping habits.

Brian Innes, an IBM research scientist, says, “In ‘Minority Report’ the billboards recognize passers-by and play adverts that are specific for the individual… In the film, the billboards rely on scanning the person’s eyeball, but we are using RFID technology that people are carrying around with them, so they can have a tailor made message.”

A spokesperson for the Advertising Association says, “Outdoor RFID advertising is an exciting prospect for the industry.  Ads can be made more relevant to the consumer and it will boost interest in the medium.”

Frank’s Opinion of This Story:

This is the type of concept that is very exciting to advertisers because it showcases the one strength of outdoor that other forms of advertising cannot touch: “point-of-purchase”. When I read a magazine or newspaper ad, or listen to the radio, there’s no way that they can time it so the ad I’m reading corresponds to where I am – I won’t be reading the Yoplait Yogurt ad at the same time I’m passing by the grocery store. Outdoor can deliver this point of purchase positioning. Even if this technology is a dud, reminding advertisers of this unique benefit is good for the industry.

The meeting to discuss this project was filled with unemployed union members, supporting the idea, and Miami residents opposing the idea.  The opposition stated that these billboards would create visual pollution.

In the end, the commission voted 4-1 to allow the billboards.  A parking garage will be built, on which they will be placed, and eventually a retail center will also be built.  This project will bring millions of dollars in revenue to Miami.

Miami is facing a $100 million budget hole in 2011, but will begin receiving $2.2  million once Siffen gets the permit to build the two towers.

Commission Marc Sarnoff says of the project, “It’s going to put us on the map the way we’ve never been put on the map.”

Before commissioners voted, they agreed to allow Siffen to increase the two towers height by 30 feet each.  Siffen agreed to pay Plaza Venetia, a neighboring condo, $800,000 for their endorsements.

Construction on these billboards is expected to begin in 18 months.

Frank’s Opinion of This Story:

Finally, somebody is starting to understand the relationship between outdoor and city economic development. Contrary to what many cities think, outdoor can be very helpful in making areas that need a boost appear vibrant and alive. The City of Dallas looks much more mainstream today, now that it allows giant wallscapes, than it did when they were forbidden. If you have a decaying parking garage, what better way to spice it up than with a great looking ad from Nike or McDonalds.

And look at all the money that city government gives up by being ridiculous prudes when there is already outdoor on both sides of their property, and one more sign would never even be noticed.

I salute Miami for being realists and progressive, and not letting petty special interest groups disrupt their train of thought.

Clear Channel is invoking a 2006 state law that requires that all billboards be allowed 350 to 500 feet of clear viewing, free of obstructions such as trees. If Clear Channel is denied this clear access, it is entitled to lost profits caused by the tree obstructions.

The State of Florida has notified the boat businesses that the 18 trees must be relocated, or they will be destroyed by State of Florida workers.

Frank’s Opinion of This Story:

Florida outdoor companies are extremely lucky that such an ordinance exists. In many states, there is no such protection. In Tulsa, Oklahoma, for example, there have been various groups that plant trees deliberately in front of outdoor units. Texas also has no such protection, and many units have been lost over the years to tree obstructions. I even cancelled a deal in Atlanta once, due to concerns to future tree obstructions. So if you have outdoor units in Florida, you are very lucky indeed on this issue.

“There’s something wrong with the code when there’s no incentive for us to remove our billboards” said Terry Olsen, lease manager for Lamar Outdoor Advertising.

The city is been debating for months a revision for the sign ordinance that would satisfy the requests for the installation of LED signs, while removing or scaling back existing signs in return. A proposed amendment was killed 3-2 by a committee recently, which took the city council back to square one.

One of the big problems with the proposed sign ordinance, according the Rapid City outdoor companies, is the fact that they are not given any assurances of receiving a new permit, even if they do the alterations required under the ordinance. “If I meet A, B, C, D, E, F, I should get my permit” said Olsen.

Frank’s Opinion of this Story:

It is always amazing how little reality there is in government today (federal, state and local). I remember an article from another city which thought that they would be able to get  rid of  all the signs in their town if they just waited around, since they would all fall  down some day and they would not allow them to be re-installed. My question is: when is the last time you saw a billboard fall down? Out of my over 300 billboard, I only had one ever fall down. I drive constantly, and I might see one sign come down a year – and that’s over a pretty large geographic area. If you are a city with 500 signs in it, it might take – best case – around 500 years to get rid of your signs.

If a city wants to remove billboards, it needs an easy-to-use ordinance that allows a trade of a new permit for every two or so signs you remove. Period. Anything less and nothing will ever happen. Sign owners are not idiots. They will not give something away for free. So, if you’re a city, you can either get with the program, or wait 500 years.

The OAAA has been lobbying to renew the federal transportation act, which covers billboard regulations. The group is not trying the change the act, but simply renew it as it currently stands.

Frank’s Opinion of this Story:

Many people do not realize that the OAAA is one of the largest lobby groups in the U.S. At one time, they were only rivaled by the tobacco and liquor industries. While you would think that their large spending would be able to create new opportunities the industry has been on mostly a defensive footing for decades. Currently, the LED side of the business is being challenged aggressively, as are the individual ordinances affecting many cities that are considering changing to a moratorium status.

This event is only held twice per year, and we only allow 10 people in the program, to maximize one-on-one coaching.

The course is held in both the classroom and field, and offers a total immersion in the business. How to succeed in all types of outdoor types, and all kinds of markets from small towns to large cities, will be covered.

The course is taught by Frank Rolfe, who built from scratch the largest privately-owned billboard company in Dallas/Ft. Worth. He will show you all the shortcuts, tricks and insider secrets that will give you a distinct advantage over your competition.

For more information call (800) 950-1364 or go to www.outdoorbillboard.com.

In a unique move, only the digital ads sold prior to enactment of the ordinance would be allowed to remain, but no new digital displays would be allowed to be used. This would continue in effect until a study on safety can be completed by the end of the year.
Frank’s Opinion of This Article:

There has never been a worse roll-out of a technology than has happened with digital signage. I remember when LED was the hero of cities, considered an upscale addition to any highway. What the heck happened? Poor education of the benefits of the technology to the public and cities, as well as too many ads with garish creative that created the sensation of “eyesore”. It’s pathetic that the image of LED has sunk this low.